HI-LIFT Jacking
- Thread starter Nottajeep
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Nothing wrong with a hi lift. It has its purpose and is a safe and versatile piece of equipment when used as designed. I.e winching, lifting higher than an exhaust jack, pulling items, can be used as a 'jaws of life'. It isn't the perfect tool for everything but like I said, if used correctly and safely it can perform a variety of functions pretty well.
I have a TJM high lift that is good when i get stuck, it is a really good recovery device.
The Radflo jack is good for when changing tires is needed. I use mine on my RZR and buggy to put paddle tires on all the time.
Just depends what the use is.
My feeling is this particular Radflo jack is not a good fit for the 100. The GVWR of the LC100 is almost 7k lbs. A good rule of thumb on buying a jack would be 3/4 of the GVWR. When I change tires or work on the brakes, I'll jack up one side (two wheels off the ground). That lift/raise will have already exceeded the jack's capacity (2200 lbs). And any jack used at full or above capacity will not last long... if it really could handle it, it would have a higher capacity, right?
The Radflo does look like a easier jack to use for changing tires than the Hi-Lift. But if the other selling points are weight and size... the OE bottle jack wins on both accounts. Plus, it's paid for already.
If it's a jack that you would leave at home for changing tires, then I'd prefer a floorjack instead as it allows me to jack the vehicle up and change tires without getting the body sky high.
The Radflo does look like a easier jack to use for changing tires than the Hi-Lift. But if the other selling points are weight and size... the OE bottle jack wins on both accounts. Plus, it's paid for already.
If it's a jack that you would leave at home for changing tires, then I'd prefer a floorjack instead as it allows me to jack the vehicle up and change tires without getting the body sky high.
I was thinking the same thing! I haven't even moved mine around after buying it. I literally don't even know if the damn thing works! Can anyone say mall rated.
Read the whole discussion, I'm still not sure why some folks would decide *not* to have a Hi-Lift. You can probably borrow one *when* you need it 
Mine has been used many times, and not just for changing a tire or stacking things under a tire, although it is good at that. Stop and think for second about vehicle recovery scenarios, and how useful it would be to have a tool that could apply a few tons of force in any direction you need it to. Bottle jacks are good for that, but what if you need something longer with more travel?
Example I'm thinking of is where a friend of mine had his front wheels turned hard right, into an embankment on the downhill side of the vehicle. His rear axle was sitting on a stump on the uphill side of the vehicle. And he was heading downhill down the trail. Couldn't go forward or backward. Sure someone behind could have given him a yank or winch from behind, but he was the tailgunner that day. We used the Hi-Lift sideways on his front bumper to push the nose of the vehicle away from the embankment, so he could turn the wheels. Then I put the jack on the back bumper, and lifted the rear of the vehicle enough that he could drive forward off the stump.
Recovery took like 10 minutes, it's very handy to have a tool that can move heavy things. And that was really a pretty low-stress scenario. What if the vehicle wasn't on it's wheels?
Nobody wants to scratch their Hundy, but if s*** gets real and the vehicle is more than hung up, it's good to be prepared.
Mine has been used many times, and not just for changing a tire or stacking things under a tire, although it is good at that. Stop and think for second about vehicle recovery scenarios, and how useful it would be to have a tool that could apply a few tons of force in any direction you need it to. Bottle jacks are good for that, but what if you need something longer with more travel?
Example I'm thinking of is where a friend of mine had his front wheels turned hard right, into an embankment on the downhill side of the vehicle. His rear axle was sitting on a stump on the uphill side of the vehicle. And he was heading downhill down the trail. Couldn't go forward or backward. Sure someone behind could have given him a yank or winch from behind, but he was the tailgunner that day. We used the Hi-Lift sideways on his front bumper to push the nose of the vehicle away from the embankment, so he could turn the wheels. Then I put the jack on the back bumper, and lifted the rear of the vehicle enough that he could drive forward off the stump.
Recovery took like 10 minutes, it's very handy to have a tool that can move heavy things. And that was really a pretty low-stress scenario. What if the vehicle wasn't on it's wheels?
Nobody wants to scratch their Hundy, but if s*** gets real and the vehicle is more than hung up, it's good to be prepared.
