60" jack vs 48" Jack

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depends on lift and jacking points. but usually if used with a ratchet strap to control droop the 48 should be fine.
 
The 48 is a PITA to store and carry around,I can only imagine a 60:eek:
I carry a piece of old railway sleeper for adding height to the hilift.
I turn the lump of wood on its end and its a stool for round the campfire ,or on the flat side its a mini workbench;)
 
The problem with the 48" jack is that it may not be able to get your rig off the groung. An 80 with 2.5" OEM Heavy suspension will keep it's wheels on the ground if lifted witha 48" HiLift jack.

Tires usually go in cumbersome situations. For the easy situations in leveled ground, you have the bottle jack that came with the vehicle. If using really big tires, you can use the HiLift Show/Mud plastic base to give it some lift.

But there are times when the HiLift is the way to go. When getting stuck on something or needing to change a tire on a steep trail. You can have the 48" HiLift all the way up and the tires will be firmly on the ground. Ratchet straps are great. But not always the solution.

Depending on your rig, you may want to go with the 60". If you know somebody with a 48" jack, try it out first. Then decide.

Regards

Alvaro
 
I just got the 60" model for christmas and I love it. It gets my 60's tires off the ground with plenty of room to spare, and mine has a 2" lift and 33's. I also found out that the 60" model fits perfectly in front of the rear bench seat on the floor if you remove the top shackle mount point as well as the foot. I love it!
 
60

plus it may be possible to just cut it shorter if it proves too long after all (check the end first to make sure that's OK, of course) but kind of hard to stretch the 48... :)
 
We only bother with the 48s on the farm, but I can see where a 60" would be nice for some vehicles. When your are moding your vehicle, think of jack points. I'm planning on adding a couple of loops to each end of the rock sliders and bumpers. That way I can slip the high lift in and jack her up with no worry about it sliding about.
 
I dont have a winch. Wish I did but dont. So, I rely on every chain, strap, jack, and come-along I got to get me out of an ugly situation. The 48", which I own, has saved me in time and frustration in 90% of off-road instances. I like the 48 in my 40 because I can rest it on the rear wheel well under the seat and it will not move while allowing easy access. Because of this, I prefer the 48 in my 40. But, if you happen to use that jack for other uses like pulling and towing because a certain come along seized up, get the 60". If i could somehow fit a 60 in my 40 in someway that I like I would without blinking my eye once get one. that way I know I'd be covered anytime instead of the 5% chance that my 48 just wont lift my axles high enough.
 
MidLife,

What do you drive?

Regards

Alvaro
 
Alvaro,

I drive a stock 97 FZJ80. Its blue and completely stock. I just bought some 255/85/16 tires.


It is leaking slightly from the driver's side axle but not much. When I'm done fixing it I'll take it out. I just bought most everything I need to repair it and baseline it except for the FSM, 54mm Socket and some of the tools I need.

I'm also going to get the basic recovery gear before I go: tire repair kit, jack, basic tools

I'm looking forward to some adventure.
 
e9999 said:
60

plus it may be possible to just cut it shorter if it proves too long after all (check the end first to make sure that's OK, of course) but kind of hard to stretch the 48... :)
Click to expand...

Did just that, wish I didn't have to. It ended up being too tall for my mounting location. 60" is best IMO.
 
HawkDriver said:
Did just that, wish I didn't have to. It ended up being too tall for my mounting location. 60" is best IMO.
Click to expand...


how'd you stretch it? :D
 
I just got the 60 because my BJ74 has a 4" and 33s
 
Yes, go 60" if there is any chance you would need to put a block under a 48" to get some height. It is a bad idea to put something in between your jack and the ground - even on flat ground. A couple weeks ago my neighbour was re-arching the springs on the back of his F350 and he was using his Hi-lift on a big wood block on nearly flat ground. The front wheels were blocked with bricks. I had just mentioned to him how dangerous a hilift can be especially when you get nailed in the chin from the bar when jacking down. EXPERIENCE:bang: Anyways, 5 minutes later the jack came toppling down. Even on flat ground there is a lot of lateral force pushing it out. Good thing my neighbour wasn't under his truck when it happened. When he got it jacked up again, he bocked the frame up and took the pressure off the hilift before getting under.
 
I would say 48" just because the length of the 60" makes it VERY unstable at height..

If getting the tire off the ground is that big of a deal carry a ratchet strap around with you and strap the axle to the frame before you lift.
 
go with the 60"

get the right one the first time.
 
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