high-lift jack

[travis]

after reading about the truck being stuck in the wet sand i figured i would post this.people that offroad know what they are as im sure some other people do to.for those of you that dont know it will become your best friend if you ever get stuck in the sand and your by yourself.shovels work and are good to have but that takes time that you may not have.with a high-lift though(after you get used to using it) i can have the whole front end of my truck up off the ground in less than 30 seconds.after the tires are up then all you do is fill in the holes and let the jack down.setting the tires back on the ground or rocks or planks or whatever you have.the biggest think is just knowing how to use it when the time comes.for 40 bucks they are a good investment to make.another thing is to know where on you vehicle to use it.it needs to be a very solid point.
there are alot of good how to's on the web on how to use these.they have a ton of uses.

[Sam]

I think Oliver had something like that out there the other day. We had problems getting her going, though.

[igormothra]

Yes I do have one.... and the only reason we had a problem is: the thing is 40 years old and had been sitting outside for at least 10,(called the guy I got it from) so I think if I lube it up well I might be able to salvage it. The big problem with them is that they are notoriously unstable, but they are powerful and can pick a vehicle up rather far, and since you need to get way out of the sand I think that they are the ticket. If I can't salvage this one gonna buy new.

[fish-aholic]

Originally Posted by igormothra

notoriously unstable

That is an understatement. I know there is a need to clear out under the truck if you get stuck...but you MUST be very careful to keep your body clear of the vehicle when using a hi-lift

[Steve]

Don't forget that you need a wide, solid, level surface to plant the jack.
I use a 4' square piece of 3/4 marine plywood with a piece of oak directly under the jack. The 4' piece gives you a wide foot and the small piece of oak keeps the jack from going through the marine plywood. Not that the jack would go through it, but....

[travis]

the only time they are unstable for me is when the vehicle isnt realy stuck(when the tires are able to roll)then they should be blocked by something.like if i just use the jack in my driveway or something.they have rebuild kits for them also.you can get them at tractor supply and company

[travis]

Originally Posted by fish-aholic

That is an understatement. I know there is a need to clear out under the truck if you get stuck...but you MUST be very careful to keep your body clear of the vehicle when using a hi-lift

not with a highlift.the point is to get your tires off the ground and fill in the holes in with suff so the frame is not bottomed out anymore.no need for crawling underneath.

[igormothra]

Originally Posted by travis

not with a highlift.the point is to get your tires off the ground and fill in the holes in with suff so the frame is not bottomed out anymore.no need for crawling underneath.

That is the big plus to a hi lift is the fact that it will pick your vehicle up so high so you can get your wheels free.

[ocsnapper]

Thanks I might have to look into one... looks like it would make getting out of the sand easyer...

[Ed long]

I've had 1 ever since I bought my frist pu truck even pick up the back of
my 10 wheeler did a great job

[ffemtreed]

I used these hi lift jacks a lot when we did vehicle rescue training at the fire dept.

I will say they do work great for lifting. I will also say they should NEVER be used to support once something is lifted. You need to place some wood, or something to hold the weight of the vehicle, not the hi-lift jack.

Just look at the jack design, that small little lip is holding all that weight and transferring it to that small foot that is on the board. The slightest movement from your vehicle throws that jack off balance and poof, its down.

It might be a good quick fix for getting your vehicle up, but I would NEVER EVER be under a vehicle that is supported with just a high lift jack. Its just not worth the risk to save a couple minutes digging your vehicle out of the sand.