Hi Lift Mounts

[WhiteJT8541]

why are people down on the hi-lifts? I have owned a couple with previous wranglers and thought they were great. My JT is not lifted so I think stock jack will work even with 34s however, what are others using (with lifts) if not Hi-Lift? and why is it better?

a hi-lift has a time and place for off road recovery and emergency vehicle extraction. Never, and this is my $.02, ever try and change a tire with a hi lift. Can it be done? Yes. Dangerous and unwise? In my opinion, yes. Block of wood and a bottle jack or the nifty little orange block that fits your factory scissor jack.

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[fuelcell1]

I appreciate everybody weighing in! Makes sense

 

[JWest]

Mounted Hi-lift Jack, Fiskar Axe and Krazy Beaver Shovel to bed with EAG hood jack mount and Dominion Off Road axe and shovel bracket. Mounted hood brackets with rivet nuts to the bed.

 

[Space Invader]

Nothing. For the most part they’re not useful. I don’t carry one. Mostly fashion statements.

I used mine two weeks ago. I keep mine rattling around underneath the back seat, and I want to know about other mounting options! So please, don't be a downer and discourage people from Jeeping the way they see fit.

 

[BLK HOLE]

I used mine two weeks ago. I keep mine rattling around underneath the back seat, and I want to know about other mounting options! So please, don't be a downer and discourage people from Jeeping the way they see fit.

You didn't need it there tho. Its added unnecessary danger. For example...I had a blowout on the trail a few weeks back. Nothing a scissor jack couldn't handle faster and safer. For reference I was up an obstacle when this happened. I just backed down off the rocks and changed the tire.

Anyway...the hi-lift might get a few cases where they can legit be used...but most of the time they're just used because they exist in the vehicle. I've seen them used for tire changes countless times when it wasn't needed, even as a winch when a snatch block would be better.

 

[Papa_smurf]

watch a vehicle fall off a hi-lift and you'll not want to go near one again. Very dangerous.

That said, i have one that has come in handy for farm use, but gotta know it's limitations, and block up the vehicle as you go so if it falls it only drops an inch or two.

 

[G8R]

I have a different perspective. But first for me, a Hi Lift is primarily a recovery tool not a flat tire changing tool.

I feel there are not infrequent times when a Hi-Lift is not only safer but the only tool that works. There are situations where you are bogged and getting under the truck can not only be difficult but nearly impossible. A bottle/scissor jack has a very limited location of use and you must be under the axle with enough clearance to get it there and stability to operate it. With a Hi Lift you do not have to get under the vehicle, you have many more lifting locations to choose from and there are situations where jacking in unstable terrain is the only option. In these situations a Hi Lift is superior and safer in my opinion.

In my life I have changed way more flat tires with the standard scissor or hydraulic but there have been many situations where those jacks would not have worked or were more dangerous. Thus I carry both types. I use the standard axle jack most of the time and when ever possible. If I can move the vehicle to stable ground to use an axle jack I will do so. When in mud and sand I feel a Hi Lift is much easier, safer, more reliable to use. I rarely ever get into sand but I am almost certain to encounter mud when I am out in the mountains.

Have you tried digging a 8 inch deep hole under the axle when you can't even get your body under the frame to access the location? Let alone the ability to maneuver the shovel in that extremely tight space once you do get your body under? Then, you not only have to dig a hole for the jack but you have to dig it big enough to block the jack from penetrating further into the mud. Also, scissor jacks do not work well when caked with mud. I have had them become impossible to use when the threads get fully caked in. Last, you have to also dig out a channel to connect to the jack to operate it with the long handle. I have also had flats on very rocky terrain which then resulted in being hi centered on the axles. There was no way to dig and no way to get a axle jack under the vehicle. A Hi Lift worked easily. There are also times you get bogged and just need to lift the tire to block the wheels to gain more clearance. A Hi Lift is superior, faster, and safer in my opinion. Having the ability to lift a tire directly to chain up is much easier with a Hi Lift and many times has been nearly impossible with a axle jack. A Hi Lift can be used as a winch (total pain in the ass though).

Generally for changing a flat tire, a axle jack is safer and every attempt should be made to use these instead of a Hi Lift. But there are limited situations where a Hi Lift is actually the better option. I carry both types because the frequency of situations occurring to me is enough to warrant it.

 

[WhatExit?]

I used mine two weeks ago. I keep mine rattling around underneath the back seat, and I want to know about other mounting options! So please, don't be a downer and discourage people from Jeeping the way they see fit.

Hi-Lift Jacks are likely the most dangerous piece of equipment a vehicle owner can use off or on road

 

[G8R]

watch a vehicle fall off a hi-lift and you'll not want to go near one again. Very dangerous.

That said, i have one that has come in handy for farm use, but gotta know it's limitations, and block up the vehicle as you go so if it falls it only drops an inch or two.

I agree with this. I have also seen vehicles slide off axle jacks. I have also used Hi Lift specifically to enable letting the vehicle slide off purposely. I have also seen a Hi Lift cause significant damage to the fender of a vehicle. I have also seen a Hi Lift smack someone in the face when they let go of the handle at the wrong time, loosing several teeth. But I can also imagine what would happen to me if I were under the vehicle with a hydraulic jack and have the vehicle move. Winch line failures are far more dangerous than any Hi Lift situation in my opinion.

 

[Space Invader]

This thread should focus on the mounting of High Lift Jacks, as opposed to the wisdom of their use.

 

[G8R]

This thread should focus on the mounting of High Lift Jacks, as opposed to the wisdom of their use.

Yes you are correct. Sorry for my own Hi Lift Political rants... Anyway, I mounted mine on the BRI racks inside my covered bed so that everyone at the Mall can look at how cool it looks inside where nobody can see it.

 

[Bullet]

Yes you are correct. Sorry for my own Hi Lift Political rants... Anyway, I mounted mine on the BRI racks inside my covered bed so that everyone at the Mall can look at how cool it looks inside where nobody can see it.

Nice setup! What make/model is that storage box under the maxtrax?

 

[Space Invader]

Well, I ended up hoeing my own road on this one. I wanted a no-drill solution that was rock solid, subtle, simple, and hopefully inexpensive enough to be a stop gap until I had an integrated solution with my future grand master plan incorporating a cargo tray, roof rack, truck rack, etc. I didn't want it to affect my gas mileage, so I didn't want to put it on the hood or side of the truck like a lot of JL mounts that I could have bought.

Through trial and error, lots of caliper measurements, and pulled together parts from McMaster-Carr, I got there. I had to shorten some threads with a hacksaw, and I had to stack a few more washers than I would have liked, and I made the wrong choice on the first set of T-Slot Nuts that I got, but in the end, it worked out and I'm pleased!

I haven't put this to the test off road, but it looks and fits great. Also, the mounts are rated to a combined 180 pounds in sheer, which is 6.5 time more than the weight of the jack. If anyone else wants to follow, here is what to do:

Buy this stuff:

• Two Fully Threaded Black-Oxide Steel T-Slot Nut 3/8"-16 Thread Size, for 5/8" Wide Slot $3.54 Each
• Two packs of five Black-Oxide 18-8 Stainless Steel Washer Oversized, 3/8" Screw Size, 0.406" ID, 2" OD $7.18 per pack of 5
• Two Corrosion-Resistant Vibration-Damping Sandwich Mount with Stud, 3/8"-16 Thread, 370 lbs. Capacity $10.38 Each
• Two Ribbed Plastic Comfort-Grip Knob 3/8"-16 Threaded Hole, 2-1/2" Diameter Head $3.88 Each
• Two 16 x 3/8-in Coated Steel Hex Nut (for correcting the thread on the cut stud) $0.33 each.
• I used a hack saw to cut the studs.
• I kept things lubricated with WD40 when I was cutting.

The whole thing cost $50.

I went with corrosion resistant hardware everywhere I could, but the knob has a Zinc-Plated Steel insert. I expect that to deteriorate first.

The T-Slot nut is the perfect dimensions to slide into the gladiator cargo rails. The nut wont slide past the heads of the fasteners holding the cargo rails to the jeep if the threaded stud is sticking through the back, so don't tighten it all the way until it is situated where you want it to stay. I may end up using these nuts for other mounts in the future. It's a perfect fit in both the base width, the height, and the slot width. All three should be precise for best results.

The vibration dampening mounts are two inch diameter, which is the width of the Hi-Lift jack's main bar. The washers are this same width. The Hi-Lift runner is thicker than the vibration dampening mounts with washers, so I had to stack four washers thick on the jack side. Not ideal, but it's the most reasonable solution I could identify. Also, the studs are too long on the vibration dampening mounts, so I followed the instructions in this video () and shortened the mount with a hacksaw and some nuts I got at Lowes, but you might pick up some from McMaster-Carr. You might skip these, although they could make the difference between messing up the threads on the vibration dampening mounts.

The knobs were the best I could find, but I would have liked to have more options. Specifically, I'd like one that is stainless steel. Oh well. The knob has a hub of 1&1/4" which is the precise width of the flat section of the Hi-Lift bar, so it seats in very well. and locates the Hi-Lift jack holes in the center of the fastener stack.

The diameter of the oversized washers and the vibration dampening mounts are the thickness of the Hi-Lift jack bar, although their diameter is greater than the height of the jeep's cargo rails. I ended up stacking four thick to provide clearance for the width of the Hi-Lift runner. The Hi-Lift runner is thicker than the vibration dampening mount with a washer on each side. If you are feeling spendy, you can buy thick oversized washers, but they cost more than five times as much. You would be buying less because they are thicker... you do the math. Maybe I could have gotten away with three washers instead of two between the mount and the jack, but I wanted a bit more clearance to make sure nothing makes contact when I hit big bumps. Maybe I could have had two thick washers... but that would have been cutting it close. The vibration dampening mounts are designed to flex, after all.

So once you have everything, do this:

1. Cut the studs to be a bit longer than the height of the nut. You could probably cut them shorter than the nut to make everything slide easier, but that's too close for comfort for me. (I didn't have a vice, so I used the cargo rails themselves to hold things in place while I cut. This galled the back of the rails.
2. Loosely build up two stacks with
   1. the t-Slot Nut,
   2. One washer
   3. the modified vibration isolation mount (with the short side going into the nut)
   4. four more washers
   5. the knob
3. insert the stacks into the cargo rail and position them as desired. Keep the isolation mount from being screwed to far into the nut to enable movement across the cargo rail fasteners.
4. When the stacks are positioned generally where you need them, screw in the vibration dampening mounts
5. take the knobs off
6. mount the Hi-Lift jack on the studs of the vibration dampening mounts.
7. screw the knobs on
8. tighten everything up!

I had enough room to install the Hi-Lift jack with it's foot installed beside my ham radio antenna mounted on the same rail. It also fit within the Yakima Overhaul towers as well! What do you all think? Is this a reasonable solution? Does it cost too much.

 

[G8R]

Nice setup! What make/model is that storage box under the maxtrax?

Sorry for the long delay in responding.

This is an SKB iSeries case. http://www.skbcases.com/industrial/products/prod-detail.php?d=s17lf1&id=796&s=s#.Xkth12hKg2w

 

[Blade1668]

Nice job on the Hi-Lift mount. For my LJ I just welded a 1/2 bolt(s) on roll bar clamps from Rockhard and used steel spacers, washers and wingnuts..... To much of the whip out C.C. n buy today. un-like years past with now how can I do this.
On older Jeeps you could use the handle to sleeve steering linkage after straighten out from trail damage, not so much luck doing that with a bottle jack. It works I know.

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