kingbobdole Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 So I got a high lift jack for my B-day and had some questions. 1. Where have you guys mounted yours at? I was thinking rear bumper, maybe take the bumper off and support it real well then apply jack. 2. Jack points with this thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 So I got a high lift jack for my B-day and had some questions. 1. Where have you guys mounted yours at? I was thinking rear bumper, maybe take the bumper off and support it real well then apply jack. 2. Jack points with this thing? high lifts are only really usefull if you have either the right tools or attachments or right "vehicles and accessories". for a subaru the best it will do is probably winch yourself outta sticky spots untill you have some beefy bumpers and rocker guards to jack from... depending whats all already on your rig, you could put it on your rear bumper, on a roof rack, or on the front bumper... heck, you could probably MAKE that thing into a bumper or rocker by itself, most highlifts i've seen are beefy as hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I've been thinking of buying one... mainly because my stock jack doesn't raise the car off the ground anymore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 when I first lifted my jeep, thats what i was thinking, and then I realized I could only jack from the trailer hitch or my front bumper, and on that car it would fall off the jack and roll before I ever got a tire off of the ground. a good sized floor jack is way better tool to have....but also weighs a good 100-150 lbs, but it cant winch you out of a mud puddle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P K Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 Hi-lift jacks are the shiznit. Aside from being a jack, they can also be used horizontally with straps or tow ropes as if it were a winch or come-along... 3 feet a time... but usually enough to get you out of a stuck moment. r/PK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazmataz Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I Agree Hi Lift jacks are the only way to go. hell i don't have a way to mount mine outside the car so its it the back of my wagon along with one of my rear haft shafts and some tools and tow straps. if you have an offroad suby hell jack it up off of the rocker panels under your doors, if you have done any serious offroading they are dented up anyway and if they aren't they soon will be so it won't matter.they do have an attachment that you can get for your bumpers too. they are definately a tool you should have if you are offroading as referance to what OZified stated. i use mine everytime i go out and besides who would want to carry around a big ole floor jack thats only used if you get a flat tire and for nothing else. hi lift jacks are universal they have many uses other then jacking up a vehicle. come on look around at all the real four wheelers they all have a hi lift jack that should tell you something right there. thay can are your FRIEND. Hi-lift jacks are the shiznit. Aside from being a jack, they can also be used horizontally with straps or tow ropes as if it were a winch or come-along... 3 feet a time... but usually enough to get you out of a stuck moment. r/PK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobmater Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I've been thinking of buying one... mainly because my stock jack doesn't raise the car off the ground anymore thats my problem also, but i do have a high lift jack.just no were to jack the car up at until i get my sturdy bumpers.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I didnt mean to slam farm jacks... they are friggin usefull, but if you have any decent travel in your suspension, its a lot harder to get a tire off the ground unless you have REALLY sturdy antisway bars but no offroader would have that :-p but then again, subarus dont have much suspension travel... just saying, a farm jack doesnt replace a floor jack when it comes to working on your car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I've been thinking of buying one... mainly because my stock jack doesn't raise the car off the ground anymore ditto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazmataz Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 the most common hi lift jacks used are either 48" or 60" they should be enough to lift most lifted subarus off of their wheel enough to change a tire or get it unstuck. my swaybar in the front is unhooked and it will lift it and plus has more room to go higher. i lift mine from the rocker panel just before or just after the tire depending on which one is being lifted off the ground. i used my 48" hi-lift on a dodge 3/4 ton p/u with 35's and a 6" lift last night and it took the tire off the ground to get it out of a ditch plus we also had to use it as a come-a-long when his broke to get it the rest of the way out. if your in a situation i'm sure you will find a spot. i know i would if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezapar Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I totally see the point of having one with a bigger rig. But after all the times I've been out with Soobs in the offroad we've only had reason to use one once. . . .We used part of the handle to sleeve a broken front strut on Lumpy Cam's Unhatched while we were at the Rubicon. The rest of the time it was me ribbing fellow Hatch Patrollers about lugging that extra 60 lbs while they were smoking their clutches trying to get over some obstacle. A small peice of plywood for footing, small floor jack and 3 2X6s nailed together for reach is all I ever needed. A come-along rocks to have period. I've used one of those many many many times. My advice being to bring some kind of block of wood that you can use under your rocker panels to distribute the load. The bumpers on the Soob aren't gonna take too many lifts with a high lift. They strap down to the roof rack pretty nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I'll have to chime in along with Zap. I have one. I have not used it. Tried to use it in my driveway once to check it out and to make sure it worked. Unfortunately, it wouldn't lift high enough to get my tire off the ground with my bumper. A winch weighs about the same, a come-a-long is easier to use and both are easier to store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MudisFun Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 The high lift rocks! But it is hard to find lift points if you don't have a good steel brushguard and rear bumper. The only problem is real muddy spots you have to use the rim of your spair tire as a base to jack on and things get messy wherever you keep your spair. Happy late birthday. Long live the tube bumbers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I, too, agree with Zap and QMan, there are other much better ways to get your tire off the ground. I went to wally world and got a 'superlift' SUV jack for $35, it'll lift both rear tires off the ground from the diff (front is way easier), and fits in the compartment in the floor of the wagon. A highlift is great, but unless you've got some rock sliders, and huge bumpers, there just isn't a good way to use one on a subie HOWEVER, a good friend of mine from the NSW (North Shore Wheelers...mostly jeeps) was looking at my wheels, and said you could hook it between the spokes of the wheels. Not pretty, but in a pinch, it'll get the car off the ground (kinda hard to change a tire though) cliff notes: Get a floor jack, some lumber, and a comealong.....cheaper....lighter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyosub Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 My vote on where to mount a highlift is; inside if you have the room (bolt it down good), or on the roof. Mounting it low in the back just covers/packs it with dust and mud, making it less dependable than a clean well oiled tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike W Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 I've got a $30 Northern Tool ripoff copy of a High Lift and love it. Only used it once in the woods to move the car sideways. Jacked front up and shoved it over get out from between the trees. Gotta have sturdy bumpers anyway for winching and tree bouncing. I have mine mounted just inside the rear hatch, just inside where the tail lights are. Installed big nuts in the unibody and run allen cap bolts through the jack to hold it down. Yeah it's heavy but so are the tools and everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 floor jack lighter than a highlift? YEAH RIGHT... a high lift weighs maybe 30-40lbs... my floor jack weighs about 100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 floor jack lighter than a highlift? YEAH RIGHT... a high lift weighs maybe 30-40lbs... my floor jack weighs about 100 depends on the floor jack, there are huge ones, and there are small ones. My floor jack weighs about the same as a high-lift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingbobdole Posted December 13, 2005 Author Share Posted December 13, 2005 I went to wally world and got a 'superlift' SUV jack for $35, it'll lift both rear tires off the ground from the diff (front is way easier), and fits in the compartment in the floor of the wagon. A highlift is great, but unless you've got some rock sliders, and huge bumpers, there just isn't a good way to use one on a subie cliff notes: Get a floor jack, some lumber, and a comealong.....cheaper....lighter Ummm is jacking off the rear diff really a good idea? Isnt it kinda held in by hopes and dreams and rubber mounts? That is my issue is that I have a full size spare, but no means to really get it on, I also carry a coma along, I love those things. I'm also thinking of removing the rear bumper and welding in some extra metal to the bottom of it to reenforce it and maybe help in the liftability... I also kinda want to cut up the front bumper and do the same for liftyness and I kinda wanna mount a winch:brow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumpy Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 I have used a HI lift jack many times but never on a subie four wheelin. Used it on my parts car, jacked up using the rear wheel well. Have a 48" one with a 9" bow in it from one of my projects, I can be hard on equipment at times. It's a China made 3.5 ton model instead of the standard 5 ton. Thats the first one I ever bent like that! Have a 60" non China model also with the top attachment for compressing things. Not sure if I will mount it on the subie or not but will always have one!! Stumpy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobmater Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 floor jack lighter than a highlift? YEAH RIGHT... a high lift weighs maybe 30-40lbs... my floor jack weighs about 100 my high lift jack weighs way!! more than my floor jack, i dont think Zap is talking about a huge floor jack.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezapar Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 Ummm is jacking off the rear diff really a good idea? Yeah, the best place in the rear of the car to lift it would be the rear diff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVBigBlue Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 "Originally Posted by kingbobdole Ummm is jacking off the rear diff really a good idea?" Uh....Ok.... why do I get the feeling I'm not the only one that is going to pass on making commments on this one.... hehehe.....:drunk: But seriously, I've had a couple hi-lift jacks. If you take your time, they can be many different tools, including a winch (albeit, 3 feet at a time...) BUT.... if you try and rush them, they WILL hurt you. And that's worth repeating..... if you don't pay attention....you WILL GET HURT. A hi-lift will come sideways quicker than you can blink.... A few things I have experience with...... You WILL NOT be able to lift a car by the diff directly with a high lift. A floor jack it is NOT. Bumpers? yes...Fenders, yes. Hubs....yes..... doors, not pretty,....but yes.,,,, a diff? no way... unless the car is hanging from a cliff or such. Not being careful? It WILL break/smash/tear/crush/compress something you didn't want damaged...... BUT....You can do things with a hi-lift that a normal jack can't do. Like what? Well, say your suburban is stuck in the mud (like mine was...) you lift the front end up as high as the jack will go, (both wheels in the air now....)push the jack (and lifted vehicle..) over to one side, and the whole front of the truck moves 2 foot to one side (out of the ruts it was in...), back on semi-solid ground. Do that a couple of times front and back, and you're back on solid ground.. Use it as a come-a-long.... you'd be surprised at what a 50 foot piece of cable and a come-a-long (hi-lift jack) can do......slowly.... Are they heavy? Yes. Are they worth the price? For a good one? Yes. Would I buy another $29 hi-lift? No. $159....yes I bought a $39 one two years ago, to replace the one stolen off my 'burb. I went cheap ......harbour freight cheap. I took it home, and being the paranoid b@st@rd that I am, I tested it. I stuck the lift arm in my 2inch receiver and started lifting...... I got a almost alll the weight off the tires when one fo the lift pins in the jack sheard off! Unfortunately for me, I didn't have anything else that would lift my 'burb high enouhg to get off the hi-lift. But a slight push to side....... I took the cheapo back and got my $$$ back, went down to NAPA and turned over my cash...expensive yes....but I dont' worry about it crapping out on me in the hills now. Mount0ing? I've had mine on a custom bumnpers, racks, etc. I know JIBS carries his behind his seats...heheheh..... On my '69 Willies, I used generic battery hold down clamps (j-bolts and cheapo wingnuts) to hold it down on the side of the bed..... definately..... CLAMP THE D@MN THING DOWN!!! a heavy steel object floating around in an accident you DO NOT want! A cheap one would probably be OK for something as light as suby, but you pay for waht you get. For a suby I thnk I would consider carrying a length of cable, a come-a-long, and shovel. These cars are so light compared to a 3/4 ton 'burb (~7100 lbs) that you could dig one out in a few hours. So? Friend or foe? My opinion would be that it really depends on what type of 'wheeling you're going to do, if you are going to be with other people (duh, you're not going 50 miles in the middle of nowhere by yourself are you??? ), and what situation you're going to put your suby in...... Just my 2 cents though..... NV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrap487 Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 GREAT post blue...seriously, everything i was gonna say and more, and said better... the hole lifting up and pushing over thing tho, I almost rolled my jeep doing something similar, no problems with a soob most likely tho, not enough suspension travel to cause problems(other than getting stuck in the first place ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n16ht5 Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 if you are going offroad, a hi lift is the 1st thing you should throw in your rig (besides a tow strap or two.) i keep my hi lift in my truck at all times along wiht all of my hand tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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