[Bigorange]

I hear these high lift jacks are called "jaw breakers". I have never used one. Any instructional do's and don'ts would be appreciated.

 

[shrubeck]

Yeah, don't use one.

But if you do... Try to go as vertically as possible. Otherwise the bottom can kick out, the top can kick out, or the whole thing can fall over sideways taking the Jeep with it. Don't ever get under a vehicle that is supported by only a high lift. Basically just have some common sense and be careful. Always assume it's going to fall over or do something violent and keep yourself out of the way.

It's a shame they're so damn useful, because I really hate using them. I also recommend a small bottle jack for changing tires.

 

[jeepjones]

Just be really careful when you do use one and never ever get your head in between the handle and the jack post, if it lets go you'll find out why they are called jaw breakers.

 

[computeruser]

Practice on something low-risk first. Get a sense of how it works before you need it in the field.

For what it's worth, I no longer carry a HiLift in my Jeep, preferring the Land Rover OEM hydraulic bottle jack for tire changing and most other purposes. I do tote one or two of the HiLift Off-Road Base units with me to use with the LandRover jack when venturing away from pavement.

 

[rrich]

I carry a 1/4" steel plate as a base, about a foot square. It helps in sand and mud. It's also come in handy for other things too. Just make sure it's tied down so it won't become a missile in a rollover or accident.
Good as a base for the Hi-Lift or under a bottle jack.

 

[Piper54]

somebody makes a nice big plastic base for Hi Lift jacks.

 

[jkaufman_95]

I once had mine SLIGHTLY tilted and my jeep slipped off and dropped down maybe 8-12 inches to the right? Scared the sh** out of me. NEVER. NEVER. EVER. (get my seriousness here?) get under a vehicle that is on a hi lift. EVER.

 

[scgeek12]

Ive only used mine once and I hope to never use it again. (except maybe for winching)

 

[a_springfield]

I wonder if half the people that have them on their jeep know how to use one. I only used it once and was scared $h!+less

 

[DeFazio]

Using a hilift is scary but I will always have one on my jeep. One week my jeep was in the shop so I took a chevy blazer on some lite trails. I got to this area where the depth of the water table was zero and it was like gelatin and I sunk (I didn't have at's but that wouldn't have helped) I was there for six hours. In that time a bronco came and ripped its front bumper off trying to pull me out. The worst part was the 'mud' formed a seal around the base of the car so it was like suctioned in. When you tried to did your hole would immediately fill with water again. Around 515 it started to get dark and a lot colder so we dug some more, jacked up the back and put a couple 2x4s under the tires and behind the car did the same with the front, popped it in 4-low and flew out of there. The thing is my parents didn't know I went offroading...woops. that jack saved me

 

[DeFazio]

* when it got colder the mud started to solidify making it possible to dig for more than five seconds

 

[jkaufman_95]

I carry mine pretty much just because of my rescue 42 jack mate, lots of nice features

 

[JAYBICON]

I have one and it was handy when i was wheeling my PSD .Drilled holes in the rear bumper for a jack point, when I got stuck between two offset trees, used a come along, jack rear up, pulled rear over 6" at a time until jack fell over repeat until foward progress through trees with out ripping mirror's off. and now i have a rubicon and still will always have my hi-lift with me

 

[Jerry Bransford]

One thing I've noticed about Hi-Lift jacks is that the more experienced the Jeeper and the more often he offroads, the less likely it is that he still carries a Hi-Lift. There may be some situations where a Hi-Lift is the only way out but in 15+ years of wheeling TJs, I've yet to have that situation. I stopped carrying my Hi-Lift probably ten years ago and haven't been in a situation where it was actually required. My Hi-Lift lives in my shed and I doubt it will come out other than to give it to a friend or maybe sell it.

The thoughts some have of using it for a winch are usually history after the first time they actually use it for one.

 

[opcocrg]

The thoughts some have of using it for a winch are usually history after the first time they actually use it for one.

I fried the motor on my winch and used my Hi-Lift to finish the job of pulling the Jeep out of the ditch once.............

IT SUCKED :banghead:

It did work, but my god was it a time consuming and highly physical undertaking.

 

[s14sh3r]

We always called them farm jacks. I've seen them used for a lot of different things, but only rarely to lift a vehicle. I've seen a pickup fall off one it wasn't pretty and almost crushed my uncle. When lowering something heavy, you need to have a good grip on the handle or it will flip up, this is the "jaw breaker" part

They can definitely come in handy, but you need to have a healthy respect for it.

 

[necromancer_tat]

I like my high lift, it works well for what I use it for. Just be careful how you use it, and make sure the tires aren't going to roll after you lift your rig. If you lift your rig and it doesn't look stable, then lower it back down and reposition the jack and try again. A little bit of common sense is always helpful as well.

 

[thaimonkee]

I just bought a Hi Lift jack only because I dont know what other jack to get for lifted jeeps. The OEM bottle jack doesnt even come close to lifting up the jeep if I were to get a flat.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

The OEM bottle jack doesnt even come close to lifting up the jeep if I were to get a flat.

Absolutely it does, suspension lift height doesn't affect anything like that since a suspension lift doesn't affect the height of the axle where the OE jack lifts from. The OE factory bottle jack is fully capable of changing up to a 37" tire.

This is a pic of my factory jack lifting my axle with a 35" tire.

 

[kfdjason7620]

As they teach in fire academy and its also pretty much common sense, if you lift an inch, crib(block) an inch. That way if it drops, its only an inch. Ive had my hi-lift for a long time now and have never had the first problem