High Lift Jacks

Should of mentioned also that I saw a vehicle jacked up from the bullbar in the mud with a hilift and it moved to the side falling off the jack.

Leroy

Yes I was thinking of getting one but had reservations. Have even more reservations now! Don't think it is the right tool for me.

I once had one of those bull-bag jacks but when it came time to use it I discovered a hole in my exhaust (that was down in the mud) that made it useless.

Sounds like a good hand winch may be the go. I have one and they are hard work but a saviour if really needed.

Leroy

P.S. I now have an electric!

In the hands of one who has received training in the correct operation of the HL jack, they are better than not having one. Imagine being stuck in a rut and not having anything to give that little bit of lift.

Solution is to liaise with a local 4WD club and get as much hands-on training and help from like-minded people. You will find a lot of people who have experienced the shortfalls (pun?) of the jacks where their vehicles have fallen off them, but they come to understand the importance of securing the vehicle to the jack.

There will be times when you will wish you had bought the one you saw in the shop.

Hop under your truck and have a look for somewhere to hook it onto, remembering there are adaptors available to secure the lifting point to your vehicle. Consider a piece of an old tyre to go between the bumber and the metal of the jack. It might protect it somewhat.

Remember safety is foremost, especially when having others around the vehicle. Make sure you have everyone (especially kids) well away from the vehicle.

I have been in situations where I would still be there today if it were not for the HL jack. I found out the hard way that I should have chained it to the vehicle and should have had a larger base plate for it to be bolted temporarily to. With experience being the best teacher and hindsight (I think it's really called criticism from armchair experts [ mates? ]) I think I have a fair idea of how to use them now.

Drop in to your local 4WD equipment outlet and tap their wealth of experience.

All the best.

you are right they are potentially dangerous as are split rims andsnatch straps and winches etc. It would be wrong to think that just because these things are sold over the counter at autopro by a kid making cash after school that they are safe without adequate training and knowing the risks and how to minimise them. When I started work we were given an induction on all these things. We use hublifters on our l/c utes and I reckon they are the way to go. This field season I have used the hi lift 4 times 3 when I was hung up on stumps and once when bogged on the edge of a salt lake to jack the vehicle out of the mud and placing bog boards under the wheels letting the tyres down and just driving out on top of the crust

Jack is quite correct.....I have seen a vehicle turned a full 180 degrees in it's own body length by the "raise then push off" method. Safe in the right hands....don't try to lift a vehicle with plastic bumper.

I used mine on our recent Cape York trip when Pud's camper trailer shocky came adrift and the coil spring popped out. I raised the back end of his TrakShak with the high lift so the coil could be put back in place. A normal jack simply wouldn't have been able to get the body up high enough.

I disagree we use hub lifters for the work vehicles and have no bullbar fittings and they work a treat, the times I have used a high lift jack there is no way the standard yota jack would have done the job. one particulary bad hang up I got needed us to jack nearly to the top of the high lift with hub lifters to get it off. also the idea of crawling under a vehicle bogged in a salt lake sound messy