Hi-Lift Jack

Bryan Lott published on
5 min, 887 words

Hi-Lift Jack

Parts

hilift-parts-diagram
1. Top clamp-clevis8. Handle socket15. Cross pin
2. Top clamp-clevis bolt & nut9. Pitman pin16. Climbing pin
3. Standard10. Pitman17. climbing pin spring
4. Reversing latch11. Hex bolt & nut18. Small running gear
5. Handle clip spring12. Large running gear19. Shear bolt & nut
6. Cap screw with washer13. Reversing switch spring20. Foot
7. Handle (w/ cotter pin)14. Reversing switch cam bar21. Handle

running-gear-diagram

Accessories

  • Lift Mate
    • Single most useful accessory
    • Used for lifting wheels
    • Substitution: a soft shackle, endless loop, or an appropriate length strap
  • Off-Road Base
    • Prevents the foot/base pushing into the ground
    • Substitution: a piece of > 3/4" plywood
  • Off-Road Kit (winching kit)
    • Mostly worthless unless you carry chain with removable hooks of the correct size.
    • Substitution: 3 carabiners, 2 x-locks, synthetic extensions
  • Bumper-Lift
    • Mostly worthless unless you have the specific ARB bumpers it was made for.
  • Handle-Keeper
    • Worth buying, keeps the handle upright and locked to the standard
    • The newer "quick-fist" style is even better than the kind that slides over the standard and handle
    • Substitution: anything to keep the handle in the upright position
  • FK-1 Fix-It-Kit
    • Worth buying for the shear pin alone
    • Cannot swap the shear pin for any bolt from the hardware store
  • First Reponder Jack Conversion Kit
    • The base is the primary thing here, the top clamp clevis comes with the Hi-Lift Extreme as well
  • Rescue 42 Jack Mate
    • Worth it if you can find it.
    • Significantly improved top clamp clevis that is rated for more than the jack

Ratings

  • 7,000lb tested capacity (shear bolt)
  • 4660lb WLL (rated capacity)

Uses

Lifting

  1. Secure the vehicle so as to prevent it from moving once lifted.
  2. Verify the reversing latch is in the upright position.
  3. Bring the jack to the lifting point.
  4. Pull the handle straight up until the nose of the jack is close or in contact with the lifting point.
  5. Holding the standard with one hand (keep thumbs out of pinch zones), cycle the handle through 2-3 clicks until the jack will stand on its own.
  6. Step back from the jack and verify it is in line with gravity (using trees nearby as a gauge if necessary).
  7. Continue cycling the jack putting two hands on or finding a second person to help cycle the jack until the necessary lifting is complete.
  8. Use the handle keeper to keep the jack in the upright position while working with the vehicle elevated. Caution! The jack and vehicle are both now unstable.
  9. When ready to lower, take off the handle keeper and keep the handle in the upright position. Verify your body is out of the way of the jack and vehicle. Smack the reversing latch with the palm of your hand.
  10. Carefully lower the handle until the trigger point. Put both hands on and push down, this will feel very weird until you've done it a few times.
  11. Resist the handle until it has cycled back to the "click" point.
  12. Repeat until the vehicle only has a little weight on the jack.
  13. Once the nose no longer has much weight on it, it will free fall. Make sure any body parts are out of the way.
  14. Reset the reversing latch to the up position.

Casting

This can be an effective way to move a high centered vehicle off of an obstacle.

  1. Verify that the vehicle, once it moves, will not fall back down on another obstacle and cause additional damage.
  2. Raise the vehicle.
  3. Have good communication with the driver of the vehicle.
  4. Verify the direction of travel and stand behind where the vehicle will move.
  5. Have the jack in the raise position.
  6. Have the handle of the jack down with two hands on.
  7. Your job is only to guide the jack away from the vehicle so that the jack does not get pinned under the vehicle.
  8. Have the driver slowly drive off the jack.
  9. As they do so, guide the jack away from the vehicle making sure to not put yourself in harms way.
  10. Repeat as necessary.

The same procedure can be used to turn a vehicle sideways.

  1. Set the jack at an angle leaning toward the direction of desired movement.
  2. This may require more or less angle. Distance is achieved with a greater angle. Height is achieved with a shallower angle. Depending on the terrain and obstacles, either may be necessary.
  3. Raise the jack and let the vehicle fall off of the jack as it reaches its unstable point.
  4. Do not try to stop the vehicle from falling or the jack from moving.

Spreading

Setting the area to be spread between the base/top clamp clevis and the nose of the jack (facing outward away from one another). Very similar to lifting.

Clamping

Setting the area to be clamped between the top clamp clevis and the nose of the jack (facing inward toward one another).

Winching