High Lift Jack Winching

[Geoff]

Hi Guys,


as I cant afford an eclectic winch yet I was thinking of getting a high tensile chain so I can winch with my High Lift jack as a last resort. I also want the chain to double as a drag chain. my question is this, based on the jack having a lifting capacity of 1050kg, supercheap sell a 7mm drag chain that is rated to 5,800kg Breaking capacity and 2,900kg Lashing capacity, will this suffice or should I go with an 8mm or 10mm chain.


looking forward to your feedback


Cheers, Geoff

[Reads90]

I have "winched" with a hi lift and it is painful and takes ages to do. Also hi-lifts are very dangerous things

Had to do it for a recovery in the middle of no where. Did work but long drawn out process where had to reset serval times to get the car out. Would not do it again , would find another way first


Have you looked at a Tirfor winch lot better comes with cable and one advantage over an electric winch is that can be used on the front and rear of the car or even the sides.

Cheers

[weeds]

hi-lift jack are no more dangerous than other types of jacks......use them as they are designed and all good......

sure you can winch using a h-lift but its a whole of effort to go such a small distance.....take into account that you will have slack in your setup prior to winching, this has to be taken up before you start moving.........than when you let off the tension to take your next bite there is a good chance you will loose some of the effort you just put in, unless you chock the wheels really good but the tyre will still mould around your chock.......

agree a tirfor would be a better option but you will need to outlay $$$, maybe compare against what you need to convert your hi-lift into a winch (chain, shackles, tree protector, winch extension)

I would look at winch extensions strap or dynema rope rather than chain, if your closest tree is say 20m away that a held of a lot of weighty chain to carry around

[Geoff]

thanks for your suggestions. I was thinking I would use a winch extension or a tow rope on one end and a chain on the other end. I know that winching with a High Lift is very slow but its faster than not having anything at all.

[101RRS]

I have tried using a high lift jack to winch using chains and wire strops. In all occasions it was a dismal failure as the jack just took up the tension in the cable before it ran out of travel. I would use something like a puller to take up the tension out of the cable/chain first then connect it to the jack while under tension.

The use of a hi lift jack as a winch while doable - maybe - is more fanciable than real and I would certainly no be using as my main means of winching.

Garry

[alien]

I have also used a high lift for winching.
Very hard work and that's with 2 of us on the handle.
I use a 10mm chain I got at a truck parts outlet, I also used a dog to do the adjustments but only carry the chain now.
All the straps I used are part of my kit anyway and I'd have them for a electic/turfer/highift anyway.

My toy came with a power winch but I'd be buying a turfer style winch if I was going new.
More flexible as said and it can be used on any car not just the one it's bolted to.
It also makes you think twice before doing an obstacle, "do I really want to hand winch out?"
Also what terrain are you doing?
Electric winches only pull you forward, often dragging you over/through the obstacle.

[Geoff]

I live on the Murray so mostly flat terrain but a bit boggy in the wet. i really only need to pull myself out of small bog holes at this stage.


I was wanting a Drag chain anyway as we do get a lot of branches on tracks. the idea of using a dog is a good one, as long as the dog does not spring open.


a bit left field but can you recover a bogged car using a block and tackle or come along?

[clubagreenie]

One great way I've seen it done was to use a longer than usual chain. Attached to the anchor and the vehicle with a length of slack in it at least 1.5 times the length of the hi lift (which if you want to winch get a 60" unit) but as long as possible reduces the need to reset. In addition have a short length attached to the jack with a chain hook and another length with the chain hooks at both ends, when the full length of the jack is used, hook the chain (with the hooks) at each end of the jack taking up as much as possible. Then let off the jack, you should loose very little length. You can leave one end of the jack attached and just re-hook the hook end past the joining piece and start again. You don't need to chock as the jack or the chain is always holding.

[alien]

I live on the Murray so mostly flat terrain but a bit boggy in the wet. i really only need to pull myself out of small bog holes at this stage.


I was wanting a Drag chain anyway as we do get a lot of branches on tracks. the idea of using a dog is a good one, as long as the dog does not spring open.


a bit left field but can you recover a bogged car using a block and tackle or come along?
I had a large D shackle over the dog handle and around the chain, worked a treat.

I've heard of block and tackles or come along being used but the load within needs to be considered.

A mate had a 1.5 ton rated come along he intended to use with a snatch block to get to 3 ton.
Problem was the 4mm cable with in the come along possibly wouldn't take the weight.

For small bog holes you can't beat a mate in another rig with a snatch strap:)

[austastar]

Hi,
have a look at the Wyeth Scott Power Puller (http://wyeth-scott.com/)

Stronger and lighter than a Tirfur.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/03/795.jpg

cheers

[slug_burner]

Any Armstrong method of recovery will be a pain, hi-lift or Tirfor. The Tirfor will allow a longer pull, they are available on the 2nd hand market for approx $300+, and come in handy for all sorts of things. I have squared up a barn, pulled car wrecks out of the bush and pulled garden bushes out with it. I know that if I wanted to sell it there would be a market for it.

The drag chain you will get use out of, it gets heavy pretty quickly specially if you have to carry it any distance (same for the Tirfor). Most 4 we owners get a hi-lift early on but they get very little use.

Good idea not to go out by yourself if your going to play with your 4wd. A snatch strap can usually get you out if you have a mate with you.

Sounds like you want that chain and it is unlikely that you're going to change your mind about the hi-lift. Save up for a winch, get a snatch strap and go out with a mate.

[Blknight.aus]

while you can recover with a tirfor to do is successfully requires a heap of additional gear. you'll want at least 3 chains and a pair of dogs as well as the hi lift.

While I carry the gear to do it I only usually do it

1. to demonstrate it can be done
2. i only have to go a very short distance (and then I usually have the bar mouted directly to the object or try to setup for a ground push)
3. I need to take up tension on a system under load to change out a part of or reposition part of the system.

a come-a-long, or tifor are better options and by the time you count the total weight of all the gear you need to do it properly and safely both the tirfor and the come-a-long are lighter and pull further.

if you're going to use a come-a-long for recovery work, I suggest making the effort of getting on that reverses easily and while under load.

[75RR]

I have a Hi-Lift Jack and a Tirfor.
I use the Hi-Lift for jacking, I use it with the Lift-Mate (attaches to wheel rim), no more lying in the mud to put a jack under the car - no need to fit special jacking points to be able to use the Hi-Lift.

As for the Tirfor, no dead weight on the front, no need for a Bull Bar.
Simple maintenance, lasts several lifetimes (yes your grandchildren will be able to use it) and not to be underestimated - the ability to pull yourself backwards, out of trouble, rather than further in. Good exercise as well!

[AndyG]

Interesting,
I am guessing the integrated pulley halves your effective pulling distance , cable is 8 mm, price looks about the same as a magnum winch unless you can buy it locally, due to freight, (Magnum is 298 plus handle 30 + cable 127 ). If my vehicle was lightly laden probably worth considering. Fully loaded then the magnum with a block.

[75RR]

Interesting,
"I am guessing the integrated pulley halves your effective pulling distance"

Doubles the pulling distance, halves the effort.