Hi Lift jack

[iClick]

I'm looking for a Hi Lift jack and not having owned one before could do with some advice.

Are there any to avoid? I've found this so far:
eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hi-Lift-Jack-High-60-Farm-Heavy-Duty-4Wd-4X4-Off-Road-/261129893309)

[Brad110]

I have a genuine one and just replaced pins after 30 years. It has had much use. There are various attachments like baseplate, LR shoe to enable it to fit Defender jack points, and winch/ tow chain attachment. I have seen them for not much more than cheap copy prices.

You may find these do not fit alt copies. There are 2 sizes and the larger more useful if you have the room.

Like all these things Id want to see the unit and check the quality and fit of the mechanism.

The Jack is a tool that only gets used infrequently but when you use it you need it and they can be quite dangerous. Particularly when they self operate if the handle is left down.

Good luck.

[Tombie]

I'm looking for a Hi Lift jack and not having owned one before could do with some advice.

Are there any to avoid? I've found this so far:
eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hi-Lift-Jack-High-60-Farm-Heavy-Duty-4Wd-4X4-Off-Road-/261129893309)

Save the money and sped elsewhere...

The only time I've used my hi-lift was to lift a car body whilst I pulled a fuel line out.

Jacking plate and bottle jack are far more useful.

So are MaxTrax or similar ilk.

[Landy Smurf]

we use the hi lift jack around the place but not really on trips on anything.
They are quite big and heavy and can be dangerous, and what Tombie said was pretty spot on.

[mike 90 RR]

I'm looking for a Hi Lift jack and not having owned one before could do with some advice.


Avoid them .... Plenty of accidents waiting to happen for the inexperienced.
Seen more problems than solutions due to the unstable nature of a "High lift"

They will bend, twist, pinch fingerers and crush limbs ...



Buy the exhaust jack if you want a safer lift
I've got 1 ^^^^^^ .... never used it :)

Cheers
Mike

[101RRS]

I bought my current hi lift jack in 1978. Was great on the series 1 at the time as it could fit almost anywhere. As mentioned they are nasty things that are really dangerous but at the same time can me very useful if you are aware of their instability problems. Also my handle goes lower than horizontal so when close to the ground may not work properly - have had dug a few holes in the past so the handle could go down. I have been sconed on the head by the handle once and when lowering the vehicle has dropped a couple of times - that is the vehicle did not fall off the jack but it just went straight down.

The jack was no use trying to get my Suzuki out of a Yabbie flat in 1985 - the jack just sank into the mud even with a large base plate. I have never used it since - no use on my RRS as it cannot clip in anywhere - it can only lift the 101 at the rear.

I did use it it in 1992 as a porta-power to push out a body panel on a car but it stuffed that as well.

I think that if you are totally aware of the safety issues and other cons then they may be OK on a Defender with T slots in front and rear bars but realistically I would be looking at other recovery equipment.

Garry

[goingbush]

great to get fence posts and star pickets out with

Mine is bolted to the back of the defender and its a pain to get it off, invaribly I end up using the bottle jack, but to change springs they are good as the get the car up high enough, (there are safer ways to do it) but for recovery, unless youve got jackable rock sliders/rails forget about it.

I always used mine to break beads for tyre repairs but now I've got tire pliers the jack is slowly rusting up & becoming decoration only.

.

[Landy Smurf]

great to get fence posts and star pickets out with


.

exactly what we use it for :)

[iClick]

Some great info there - thanks!

I guess I should've mentioned in my original post, my plans for a hi-lift jack.

I've recently purchased an aluminium canopy which I plan to turn into a tray-back camper. (Roof top tent, kitchen etc)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/12/898.jpg
What I'm missing is a leg support system to remove and store the canopy. I could buy the manufactures original wind up legs but that would set me back $880.

As an alternative, I'm considering welding lift points onto the side of the canopy and jacking each side independently onto fixed legs. Hence my need for a hi-lift jack. The amount of lift I'll need is about 20cm at approx 1 metre off the ground (tray hight)

I do own an ARB exhaust bag which has been useful in the past for extractions from sand.

[Landy Smurf]

I still would not recommend the hi lift as it is very dangerous but i can understand that you don't want to spend $800.
how much does it weigh?
how often will it be coming off?

[iClick]

I still would not recommend the hi lift as it is very dangerous but i can understand that you don't want to spend $800.
how much does it weigh?
how often will it be coming off?

It may end up being a frequent exercise. It depends on how long we plan to stay at one campsite. The idea is that we can detach the canopy and tent to make use of the vehicle without much fuss.

When the jack is being employed, the ute will be under the canopy at all times so as long as you keep fingers clear, I feel the risk of the load dropping off and causing injury is limited

[Landy Smurf]

i think that should be fine then if you have lift points on the side and do one at a time.
It shouldn't tip as you wont need to lift it much higher then the ute.
just make sure you have a piece of wood or a stand underneath the hilift jack.
and be careful not to twist it.
how high is the tray on your ute?

[Don 130]

If you can weld, or get someone to do it for you, you could get four side wind jockey wheels similar to the ones shown in the link. cut off the wheel. weld on a suitable length of tube with a foot plate, then cobble up a mounting back to the canopy. A bit of a project, safer and cheaper.

Al Wilson and Sons - Australia's Leading Online Agricultural and Transport Equipment Retailer (http://www.alwilsonandsons.com/products/side-wind-150mm-swivel-mount-jockey-wheel-w-mounting-kit)


Don

[iClick]

how high is the tray on your ute?

Good question - anyone with a Defender 130 tray who could measure the height ;)

I'm putting the cart before the horse by purchasing a canopy before I've bought the vehicle!

I'm in the market for a 130 dual-cab defender and before I could buy one, this canopy came up on eBay. I figured I'd need a canopy as soon as I have the defender so I snapped his one up.

[Landy Smurf]

that is a good idea, maybe try a scrappie for them.

[iClick]

If you can weld, or get someone to do it for you, you could get four side wind jockey wheels similar to the ones shown in the link. cut off the wheel. weld on a suitable length of tube with a foot plate, then cobble up a mounting back to the canopy. A bit of a project, safer and cheaper.

Al Wilson and Sons - Australia's Leading Online Agricultural and Transport Equipment Retailer (http://www.alwilsonandsons.com/products/side-wind-150mm-swivel-mount-jockey-wheel-w-mounting-kit)


Don

Definitely a good idea, I had been looking into this with my fabricator. My concern is the whole structure becoming unstable (rocking). We will be sleeping on top of the canopy and I want to eliminate as much as possible any loose play.

[mike 90 RR]

What I'm missing is a leg support system to remove and store the canopy

Think outside the square .....

Make 4 tube legs that fit into 1 square lug on the 4 corners (of the bottom) of the tray back camper .... They must be installed at the sides of the camper so as to clear the sides of the trailer .....

Make the legs 200mm longer than the height of the trailer

On the trailer ...
Wind the jockey wheel down >>> fit the rear 2 legs
Wind the jockey wheel all the way up >>> Fit the front 2 legs
Wind the jockey wheel level >>>> A gap is now between the trailer and the tray back camper

Now just remove the trailer out from under it

Simple, secure n safe .... :)



..... Just seen that your putting it on the 130 tray back .... Disregard the above then ... . Good info for trailer user's tho



nod 130 has the good idea ...


Cheers
Mike

[Barefoot Dave]

G'day. A hilift if used safely isn't a problem for this application. If you want to think outside the square for the ute, what about the legs mentioned above and a system that attaches to the rear axle like a spare wheel winch, to compress the suspension?
Dave.

[NavyDiver]

I might be the odd one out on this topic. Love my highlift jack-
Pros- changing 18 inch ATs to 17 inch Muddies takes under 30 minutes.
negatives- lift points on disco 3s and 4s are a little hard to find. My Rock sliders work to a point but tend to lift half the car potentialy overloading the jack. ARB bull bar lift points are to centred and give the same possible issue and stablity is a problem if lifting from them!

Get at least 1.5 tonne (mine is 1.5 and I would like a bit more:)). Forget the ebay cheapies and get a good quality one. Discussed at http://www.aulro.com/afvb/recovery/156641-high-lift-jack.html