[Xtreme]

Just looking for ideas and pictures of where everyone has mounted their Hi-Lift Jack. Was originally going to go the roof rack mount but have decided against this to try to keep as much weight as possible as low to the ground as possible.

[jdk81]

My hi lift jack is mounted in the shed

[Scales]

mine too lol....

Never been used, no where to jack from on the car anyway, might get one of those wheel hook things one day. I can put it on my shovel mount and put the shovel on the roof, but Im not sure about the loading on the back.

Not sure if my roof basket could even handle a hilift mount.

[Xtreme]

Yeah they are dam heavy. I will be doing custom bar work front side and rear so will make sure I have places to jack from - but what do you do if you need to change a tyre with no Hi-Lift? or does your scissor Jack still lift it? I have an idea of where I am going to mount it - could ruin that part of the car or could be a success so fingers crossed!

[Jaye]

Good bottle jack and a couple of thick planks of wood. Usally a large bottle jack with out lift a scissor jack. They good too cos you can stuff them under ya seat and places like that.

[Gwagensteve]

Bottle jack from a toyota hilux or cruiser, or weld some blocks onto the stock scissor jack.

With the exception of the handle, a hilift jack just isn't useful enough to justify its weight. Additionally, the only safe way of using a hilift to change a tyre is to chain/strap the axle to the chassis to stop the suspension unloading. Once this has been done, hilifts are almost as good as a bottle jack for wheel changing. however, doing this is a hassle with cars that have limited room in the guards.

I have two hilift jacks (hilift brand, not the rubbish copies) but they never leave the shed.

Steve.

[sideways]

X2 on more useful in the shed than anything. The towbar is the only bit I could jack off but I my aim was to use it as a hand winch if I ever got stuck.

The roof rack/wannabee exo was the only spot I could mount mine. (SWB Soft top Sierra) If you've got a bullbar then depending on the design you might be able to mount it between that and the grill. I've seen that on quite a few 40 series and series land Rovers like that.

[Xtreme]

Hi Steve - Can you explain to me a bit further why its only safe to use a Hi-Lift if you stop the suspension unloading? I have seen it done but I thought it was just so you didn't need to jack it up so high to get the tyre off the ground? or is that what you were referring to?

[coily96]

Usefull for relocating missing rear coils for a patrol.

Another good bottle jack is a pajero one, fully extended at 50cm

[Gwagensteve]

Xtreme wrote:

Hi Steve - Can you explain to me a bit further why its only safe to use a Hi-Lift if you stop the suspension unloading? I have seen it done but I thought it was just so you didn't need to jack it up so high to get the tyre off the ground? or is that what you were referring to?

That's exactly what I'm referring to. On most cars bull bars (as an example) the jack is already 1/2 way up once you start to lift. Then, you have to fully droop the suspension fully before you get the tyre off the ground. If a car has decent droop, that can put the car waaay up in the air before the wheel starts to come off the ground.

Lock the suspension out and you have to lift the car, what, 1" above ride height to change a tyre?

In any case, a hilift weighs 15Kg. Add in what's required to mount it, and it's a 20Kg item that's LESS safe than a 5kg toyota bottle jack for tyre changing.

I reckon they are a VERY slow and dicey recovery tool. Yes they do work, but IMHO they are a tool used out of desperation rather than by choice.

Steve.

[Scales]

Gwagensteve wrote:

I have two hilift jacks (hilift brand, not the rubbish copies) but they never leave the shed.

Steve.

How is the genuine ones any better to the "rubbish" copies? They are identical from what I can tell and never heard of anyone ever having an issue.

Also, scissor jacks.... like everyones said, ditch it. Mine got chucked as soon as i put the flat floor in and eliminated access to its hidey-hole. I now use a orange bottlejack I got from supercheap, the good jap brand ones, not the dodgy SCA ones. As long as you jack from an un-sprung point (axle somewhere) its a piece of piss to change the tyre. And i have had to do it But if you can get hold of a toyo/nissan one even better as they arent cheap.

[jdk81]

I carry the stock jack, and a few bits of wood.
I probably should get a bottle jack too.
Stock jack is very handy, as when its compressed right down, it can squeeze into small spaces.
Due to the angle on the jack, its incredibly hard winding when near fully compressed, however it can and will get you out of trouble.

Remember how light a sierra is.

You can lever a sierra out of things with a bit of tree etc too.
A good bit off wood under a side of the diff and lever it up, or forwards.
3m long and you are lifting 40-50kg + the wood, to lift a whole rear corner, or push the whole car forwards etc.

With a bit of rope, you can also turn a bit of a tree into a winch, by twisting it around another tree.

I've had one instance offroad, where in hindsight, I think a high lift jack would have saved me a lot of work and frustration.
But high lift jacks are heavy and pretty scary, so its hard for me to justify the risk/reward of buying/carrying one.
I got mine for free from a friend who never used it. He got it for free, from a friend who never used it.

[SierraDan]

I carry a cut down high lift and scissor jack. I dont always want the tyre to come off the ground.

[got_bar_work]

I use my hilift all the time
And every time ive been out with out it ive needed it
Mines straped between my draws and seat
I can use mine all the way around my car
Its good for lifting the ass up
When skull dragiing the chassis up a ledge with the winch

[sideways]

Scales wrote:

Gwagensteve wrote:

I have two hilift jacks (hilift brand, not the rubbish copies) but they never leave the shed.

Steve.

How is the genuine ones any better to the "rubbish" copies? They are identical from what I can tell and never heard of anyone ever having an issue.

Also, scissor jacks.... like everyones said, ditch it. Mine got chucked as soon as i put the flat floor in and eliminated access to its hidey-hole. I now use a orange bottlejack I got from supercheap, the good jap brand ones, not the dodgy SCA ones. As long as you jack from an un-sprung point (axle somewhere) its a piece of piss to change the tyre. And i have had to do it But if you can get hold of a toyo/nissan one even better as they arent cheap.

I've got an EMG (4WD Action) Branded Hi Lift that was cast so rough I had to file some parts to get it working properly. It would jam and not go back down when I got it (new). I must admit, my friends/family have used it much more than I have. I just don't find them very useful.

I use the scissor jack from my Peugeot 505 around the shed mostly. It's got a massive range of movement as the Peugeot has tons of suspension travel. It goes much higher than my trolley jack, is easier to get into place, and being mechanical instead of hydraulic I trust it more. Not as stable though. Suzuki scissor jacks are way to short to be particularly useful.

I carry a hydraulic bottle jack (which I got from an op shop for $4! ) in the car simply because the scissor jack takes up to much room.

[want33s]

Scales wrote:

As long as you jack from an un-sprung point (axle somewhere) its a piece of piss to change the tyre.

The axle moves so it is sprung.
Unsprung point would be chassis.

[Zook_Fan]

want33s wrote:

Scales wrote:

As long as you jack from an un-sprung point (axle somewhere) its a piece of piss to change the tyre.

The axle moves so it is sprung.
Unsprung point would be chassis.

No the axle is unsprung. Lift from the axle and the whole car rises, lift from the chassis and you have to max out the suspension to lift the wheel.

[droverdave]

The axel is unsprung becuase it is on the ground side of the spring.

ie....the weight of the axel doesn't sit on the spring. thus. the axel is un sprung.

I always lift from the diffs with my jack, then put jack stands under the chassis. Chassis is to high even for my hydraulic jack.

[want33s]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_mass

[Zook_Fan]

want33s wrote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_mass

Which says exactly what Scales, droverdave and I have said:

Wikipedia Unsprung Mass Article wrote:

Unsprung weight includes the mass of components such as the wheel axles, wheel bearings, wheel hubs, tires, and a portion of the weight of driveshafts, springs, shock absorbers, and suspension links.

[want33s]

Brain fade

[3cyl]

Always find it funny when you see a modern 4x4 wagon style thing with plastic bumpers and ally sidesteps with a cheapo hilift mounted to the roofrack and think hmmm, wonder if they'll ever try to use that
I've still got an old hilift brand one I bought back in the early '90s, lugged it around all these years and only used it on my own cars a couple times but on others a fair few times. One time I got the Landy (heavilly loaded dualcab) stuck in a wet Lake Poeppel (usually a dry salt lake) and that was about the only thing that helped, along with 2 shovels some thingos - not Maxtrax, some iron man product that the mate had that did a similar thing - and about an hour's digging for 3 of us.
It gets carted around in the LJ a lot but doesn't come out too much bloody, handy to have when you need it though.

[Scales]

want33s wrote:

:oops: Brain fade

lol epic fail... I was going to chime in earlier, but just let this one run its course

[jono165]

As another option for a jack I find it hard to go past the XJ Cherokee factory jack. these go very high, and I find them easier to find in wreckers than other kinds (they live under the rear bench seat so some wreckers don't know where to find them to take them out). The handle is quite long but makes it easy to operate under the car. I think I paid about $10 for mine.

[Gwagensteve]

^ Nice one jono

Steve.

[Zarlel]

This is seemingly an old thread, but I'll add my two cents.

I plan on mounting mine https://mechanicguides.com/best-farm-jacks/ on the front ARB on the top hoop that already has the mounting holes, but only when wheeling unless I can figure out a lock system. I have the IPOR rear bumper but the mount on it is not ideal. I got stuck once on an incline and the spare was practically on the ground and I was unable to get to the jack so needless to say it doesnt stay there anymore. Now it just hangs out inside along the tailgate. Maybe a mount on the tailgate would work.

[Gwagensteve]

Maybe leaving it at home would be better.

If you’re discussing mounting it on the antenna mounting lugs on the ARB bullbar it will both heavily restrict forward vision and result in a defect due to pedestrian safety and reduced visibility. It’s also mounted above the vehicles centre of gravity and outside the wheelbase.

I’d struggle to think of a worse place to put 15kg of uselessness.

[Cairnsy]

I have same question... check out -
OZtrail High Lift Jack Mount
$99.99
https://www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/o ... jack-mount

[saph]

Dont even touch them, i would rather a gas jack or the good old bottle jack not something with suck moving parts and plus you ever see the handle when its in the down postion? let go those will swing up and if your unlucky get you good and knock a few teeth out or knock you out cold.

[Eddy]

I also have two of these things securely mounted in the shed!

A genuine hi-lift brand, and a cheapo. Frankly it's hard to pick the difference in use-age, but feel that the cheapy does run smoother.
mainly used for pulling posts and tree stumps on the block, and also to lift the stock crate on & off the truck tray.

When changing wheels on vehicles, I use either Hydraulic trolley jacks at home, or either hyd bottle jacks or Nissan screw-bottle jacks; or a scissor-lift jack out on the road.

edit: Just had a look ... sticker on the handles states For vehicle recovery use only, not to be used to change tires.