River Raiders Hi-Lift Hood Mounts
- Thread starter mattfl
- Start date
mattfl
New member
I'm the only one in our group that carries one and it's saved us on the trails a few times.
mattfl
New member
In my little group of 15 guys who I wheel with regularly, I am literally the only person who carries one.
The times we've had to use it, nothing but a hi lift would have worked.
I don't think the last 8 or so pages have been about snorkels.
Must be a Florida thing. Out here in the west, everyone and their mother has one even on bone stock Jeeps. For many, it's the first thing they get :idontknow:
Never said there was "never" a need for one, just that I rarely find it "necessary". Got any pics of the time nothing but a hi-lift would have worked for you? If so, I'd love to see it just for my own educational purposes.
Got me there. I'll try to get that cleaned up in a minute. :yup:
mattfl
New member
I've got pics somewhere, but the last time I remember was we took a new guy out with us and he had somehow wedged his front drive shaft directly on top of a rather large rock. Didn't want to risk damage by pulling him off with a winch, so we used the hi lift to jack up the front of his jeep, removed said rock and carried on.
I have one too, makes a handy log splitter but that about it, I like my jaws just the way they are.
How high did you have to lift the front end of the Jeep before the axle finally started to lift off the rock?
mattfl
New member
We were almost to the top of the hi lift, so pretty high.
Funny enough, I found the pictures, and you'll never guess who it is we're getting unstuck, you're old racist pal dcr jeep. That was actually the second time we'd gotten him unstuck that day. First time we found him all by himself stuck up to his frame rails in mud and had to yank him outta that. That was the one and only time we've wheeled with him.
LOL!! No kidding? Now that's funny - thanks for sharing that
Okay, that's what I figured and to me, that's really dangerous to do. Of course, the problem here is that you have to raise a Jeep that high because the springs have to completely unload before the axle will go anywhere. To me, in this circumstance, a good bottle jack may have been the better tool to use as you could have put it right on the axle and lift it very little to free it of the rock. Of course, I wasn't there so I won't pretend to know for sure if it would have worked but more times than not, a good bottle jack is what I turn to over a hi-lift.
mattfl
New member
LOL!! No kidding? Now that's funny - thanks for sharing that
Okay, that's what I figured and to me, that's really dangerous to do. Of course, the problem here is that you have to raise a Jeep that high because the springs have to completely unload before the axle will go anywhere. To me, in this circumstance, a good bottle jack may have been the better tool to use as you could have put it right on the axle and lift it very little to free it of the rock. Of course, I wasn't there so I won't pretend to know for sure if it would have worked but more times than not, a good bottle jack is what I turn to over a hi-lift.
Agreed a bottle jack probably would have worked better. Probably something I should throw in my wheelin/tool bag for our trips from now on.
branman
-
Another little nugget of info for the bag of tricks, Thanks! :thumb:
Just a tip, if you have to resort to using a Hi-Lift in a circumstance like this, you can use a short chain with grab hooks or a heavy duty ratcheting trailer strap to secure the axle to the frame. That way, when you lift the Jeep, the axle will go with it and that way you won't have to lift it up as dangerously high as you had to.
I won't lie, Hi-Lifts scare me and only started carrying a 6-ton bottle jack because of it. I have been around one too many instances where we just got lucky that nobody got hurt.
hinrichs
Caught the Bug
Just using my hi-lift to try and break a bead yesterday was bad enough, jeep moved slightly and basically fell off 4 times but it was slow and I was able to hold it back, all tires were on the jeep so It couldn't have gone anywhere but still I don't think I'd ever use that jack to actually change a tire.
TheDuff
New member
I've had to use my hi lift once. Same scenario with a rock stuck between the DS, axle, and lower control arm. Was in soft sand, no other Jack, rock kept rolling with the jeep when I tried to move forward or back, so strap/winch was a no go. Was already on a slope and had to lift the jeep from the high side. Having to use nearly the entire 48" Jack to get the jeep high enough was pretty scary. Just operating the thing is stressful.
Think I'll add a bottle Jack and a chain to my recovery items.
I know when I got my jeep, I sure felt I NEEDED a high lift. Its mentioned all over the place and talked about like it's a must have item. Well 2 yrs later, I've used it that one time and hope to not have to use it again. I cringe seeing others use them and almost every time, the vehicle falls off the Jack. Definitely a dangerous tool.
Sent from my LG-D800 using WAYALIFE mobile app
Think I'll add a bottle Jack and a chain to my recovery items.
I know when I got my jeep, I sure felt I NEEDED a high lift. Its mentioned all over the place and talked about like it's a must have item. Well 2 yrs later, I've used it that one time and hope to not have to use it again. I cringe seeing others use them and almost every time, the vehicle falls off the Jack. Definitely a dangerous tool.
Sent from my LG-D800 using WAYALIFE mobile app
pvanweelden
New member
i said it a few months ago in another thread, but- whoever did the marketing for HiLift a few years ago did a great job. Everyone feels the need to get one as soon as they get a jeep or other 4x4. Then they buy the mounts, and all the accessories. :doh:
A good bottle jack and some 2x4's screwed together to make a base is all you need.
A good bottle jack and some 2x4's screwed together to make a base is all you need.
noroad
New member
Love bottle jacks hell i feel safer still using the stock one with some 2x4 left overs!
07streetbobrider
New member
This post made up my mind..been trying to figure out where to put my Hi Lift but reading this post got me thinking I really don't need it. Did save me back in the '90s as it was the only thing I had to get me (80 cj5) and a '89 full size blazer out of the mud by Slick Rock trail (Utica Reservoir). Also on Slick Rock got my full size Bronco axle hung up on a rock with just one vehicle (got there a day before everyone else) and used it to jack up and put rocks under the tire (no winch). I would have paid someone to do that as I had to jack it up so high and was very unstable...still have nightmares about that lol.
