hi lift jack question

[franklin40]

can I use a high lift jack on a stock fj62 bumper if I put it under the frame horn or do I need to add a special jack point?

 

[3jvj]

can I use a high lift jack on a stock fj62 bumper if I put it under the frame horn or do I need to add a special jack point?

My jaw hurts just reading your post.

Ive seen a highlift move a bunch of stuff.
Its just a question of slipping and damaging your rig. Im a huge fan of pick/lift points, even if its just a piece of square stock in a trailer hitch.

It depends on what you plan on needing it for (?).

Sent from my Pandora box, ya peckerwoods.

 

[lovetoski]

I've done it on my 60. The higher you go the less stable the truck and the less secure the jack is under the bumper.

 

[Irish11]

I worry about it slipping too. If you built some sort of extension that comes off the frame that might help. The 60 series are not light and it would not be that hard to have it slip out from under you if its not secure.

 

[2mbb]

here is what I did: https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/61928-hig-lift-jack-fit-fj60-bumper.html#post705189

From what I remember the rear perch worked pretty good. The front was OK. Because the truck was too precarious when lifted from under the front frame rail, I moved the lift point outboard. But the C-channel I used to beef up the front bumper was still a little weak. It worked OK, but I would not want to lift it every day from there.

 

[franklin40]

just looking at buying a jack but would only use it for flat tire changes for the time being. I'm planing on some bumpers with proper jack points in the not too distant future but maybe a year or so. there's no point getting one if it's not safe or won't work on the bumpers I have right now.

 

[Irish11]

You could use something like the lift-mate and pull from the tire then support under the axle. or use the lift mate with some strong chain on the front eyelets.

Hi-Lift Lift-Mate (LM-100) - lift vehicle wheel directly from the wheel | Hi Lift Jack Company


The hi-lift is a useful tool. It can be used as a winch, jaws of life, breaker bar, jack, and the list goes on. It can also do a ton of damage. I guess with great power comes great responsibility...

 

[rchalmers3]

Save your money, Franklin, the stock jack works well and is safer than lifting your vehicle by the bumper.

You do have the stock jack and tools I assume?

Rick

 

[fred]

The stock jack does work very well. But there are still times when you may find yourself needing to jack a rig up higher. (Usually I find that these are recovery situations...)

Hi-lIft makes (or used to make a widget for bumpers - consisted of a box fitting that slid over the lifting jaw of the Hi-Lift, that you'd slide a bolt through to retain it, and a short length of chain and a wide bumper hook.
You hold the hook along the bottom edge of your bumper, snug it up with the jack, and then lift it.
Have never damaged a metal bumper using this thing. Not sure how many people have damaged their plastic ones...

 

[Mace]

Hi-lift jacks suck (and are dangerous) for changing tires.

use a bottle jack of some sort for tires. Hi-lift Jacks are for recovery situations.

 

[Rigger]

I have a small floor jack in my FJ62. I think it is the easiest thing to use for changing tires. It's heavier than the stock jack, but probably same weight (or close) to a high lift jack. I got it at O'Reilly's for $25.

 

[franklin40]

I'm not wheeling much right now as I am in the building stage. I plan on making bumpers that a high lift will work well with and they are useful recovery tools. I plan on getting one eventually but if I can't use it now then I'd wait. it's not really a question of if but when. I have a lift on the truck so the bottle jack is maxed out just to get a tire off the ground which is a pain. I just want to know if the hi lift will be stable on the stock bumper and hatstand the bumper is strong enough. the po bent the bumper all up so I'm not worried about damaging it. I just don't want the truck to fall on me because of a precarious jack point.

 

[franklin40]

stupid spell check. there is nothing on my truck that has anything to do with a hatstand.

 

[Mace]

It will be dangerous.. The problem is that you have to unload the entire suspension before the tire will lift. So the body of the truck will be much higher than it needs to be. And very unstable.

What size tires do you have? I am running 35's and can easily change a tire with the stock bottle jack.

And that is with a highlift sitting on the rear bumper.

Hi-lift. Best and worst tool out there.
I know two people that have manages to break their jaws with one.

 

[2mbb]

I don't quite understand how a lift effects the use of the OEM bottle jack which is supposed to go under the axle. Bigger tires do, but not so much a lift, because a lift effects how the truck attaches to the axle but not how the axle touches the ground.

Some other ideas:

1. if you're tires are a couple of inches taller than stock, bring a piece of work or other spacer to put under the OEM bottle jack. This will still be much more stable than a hi-lift alone.

2. bring a heavy duty ratchet strap and strap the axle to the frame to keep the suspension compressed. Then you can get the tire off the ground with the hi-lift with much less lifting.

3. after market bumpers and a hi-lift will still be precarious. Especially with a lift because the bumper will be that much higher off the ground. Any lateral force or mis-alignment will make the truck want to fall off.

 

[franklin40]

now that I think about it I wasn't really making any sense with the lift comment. I was thinking about using the bottle jack to lift the truck when I was doing suspension work so wasn't under the axle at times but directly on the frame. of course it won't make a difference if I'm jacking on the axle. I have 33 inch tires so the bottle jack will probable work fine. maybe I'll wait for now and get one when it's time to outfit myself with recovery gear. I know they can be dangerous if not used properly. that's why I'm getting advice and I haven't used them before.

 

[fred]

A hunk of 4x4 or 4x6 under the bottle jack can make a big difference.
Generally handy item to have in the truck when in the wilderness.
Wheel chock, jack extender, firewood...

And you should NEVER be under your truck is it is lifted on a Hi-Lift! Madness.