anyone have a review on a hilift jack?

[ChesapeakeRover]

Unless you have sliders where are you going to use it on an lr3??? I have used one on the rear at the hitch reciever but that is the only spot on a stock LR3 that I would use one.

You can always use it as a "poor man's winch" in conjunction with the Off-Road kit from High-Lift in order to get yourself out of sticky situations too

 

[yrbender]

You can always use it as a "poor man's winch" in conjunction with the Off-Road kit from High-Lift in order to get yourself out of sticky situations too

Got the kit. Thats the plan.

 

[nwoods]

HiLifts are tools that have many great uses and offer bulletproof simplicity. The basic design has been around over 40 years. Sadly, their weaknesses have not been improved on much either.

First, they work best with RS sliders with the www.WabFab.com slider attachment:

Second, they are potentially very dangerous to use if you aren't paying attention to what you are doing. I HIGHLY recommend attending specific HiLift training course, or watching Bill Burke's "Getting Unstuck" video.

I never carried a hilift with my LR3, but I always do with my Jeep. I have used mine half a dozen times in the past 12 months. It is a good tool, but you need to be calm, clear headed, slow and deliberate when you use one, or you will regret it.

Third: Keep it lubed up and in good working order. I remember one time not long ago we had FIVE HiLifts all fail to go back down, mine was one of them. Never again! I now lube mine periodically, and check it regularly.

 

[yrbender]

Thanks for the review Nathan. Are you talking about the danger in winching or in jack use or both? I hope I never have to use it as a winch but its a great option if your alone and dont have a winch. I'm going with arb bull bar and winch as soon as I can swing it.

 

[nwoods]

Are you talking about the danger in winching or in jack use or both? I hope I never have to use it as a winch but its a great option if your alone and dont have a winch.

I'm talking about using it as a Jack. You open a whole separate range of safety observances when using it as a winch, but in general, people seem more alert at such times.

The key to safe HiLift operation can be summarized as follows:
1. Set base of jack a bit closer to the vehicle, so that the top of jack is angled away from your sheet metal.
2. NEVER take your hand off the handle unless it is in the vertical position
3. Your hand on the jack handle should be facing down, with positive pressure to prevent it from pumping on its own should it decend.
4. NEVER hold the jack in such a way that your fingers can get smashed by the jack handle should it decend quickly, making the handle pump up and down very quickly and forcefully.
5. NEVER put your head anywhere inside the arc created between jack handle and top of jack. That handle will break your jaw or worse.

Here is a photo of the right way:

Here is a photo of the right way to set up a self-winch using the HiLift. Takes about forever, but it works.

 

[yrbender]

Great info. Thanks again man. Im going to get some practice with it in the driveway first. I know the winch will be a PIA to set up but it beats walking.

 

[roberto_fuego]

thanks for the post that was very helpful.

have a great day

RF