Hilift accidents - Pics

[lilpigzuk]

Just seen these on a UK forum, thought i would share

First guy lapse of concentration, lucky he didnt loose his eye



and dito on this one about lucky not loosing his eye. Dont use a hilift with Oily hands



Know of one guy in our club (years ago) knocked himself out when the handle flew out of his hands and smacked him in the head.

[Smurf]

I've done exactly the same, ended up in hospital for two days.
Lack of concentration while unloading an LJ80 body off a trailer at 3 in the morning after a 10 hour drive.

I landed on my ass when the handle hit me, 8 stitches to head.
One way to learn a lesson.
Very useful tool, but has the potential to be very very dangerous

[zookfest]

what is it that causes it to ping back and hit you also what sort of tips do you guys have to offer

[Windsock]

what is it that causes it to ping back and hit you also what sort of tips do you guys have to offer

The weight of the truck overtaking the ability of the elbow/shoulder/reflexes to keep up...

Keep the concentration focused and your head out of the handle range...

[safari_mulisha]

i think its honestly the most unpredictable and dangerous tool i own
i had my truck fall off one in the shed with no springs in it and it landed on the stock shocks
bent the top of them too
sacked it out with my 37s up by the gaurds

allso had one years ago when letting it down it got away from me and let itself down i just jumped clear and let it do its thing

[Jungle]

You gotta remember that the hi lift jack is not designed to lift and hold things in a secure position.
The flex at the foot allows you to push your vehicle off the jack when trying to lift it out of a rut.
I have used my hi lift jack to lift the front wheels clear of an obstacle and then drive forward over the jack and pick it out of the mud later. Only tip is to remove the handle before attempting this. Have never been able to get that bend out of the handle.

The other issue with the jack is when lowering it under load. After you hear the click as you push the handle down the weight of the vehicle is now trying to rip the handle upwards towards the top limit. If you don't have two hands on it, it will tend to take off and bounce up and down between the two limits until everything is sitting on the ground. Sometimes that includes the operator.

Best tip is to not ask someone to let the jack down unless you know they are practiced in it.

Jungle

[zookfest]

Thats a good idea, yea safety is high on my list.Ever since i chopped my mates finger off with the digger at work
It was the usual story-You dont realise til it happens sort of thing.Whitch is why we need to take care out in the bush as help is a wee way away

[furnace]

Been reading these with interest,they are bloody dangerous if not used right,i remember when i did a 4x4 training course a few years ago it was one of the things that was really stressed on us,they showed the things that could go wrong,very ,very interesting,i have been very carefull ever since and have seen some quite bad accidents with them

[mercutio]

all this talk is just convincing me not to buy one

[skid]

be a while since I've used one and then the other weekend taz01 spun a tyre at aotea and was changing it, so I thought I help coz he's always helping others.

so I offered to let the jack down once the new tyre was on.................

lucky I had my wits about me as I'd forgotten how much tension can be on them when you try to unload them and it caught me off guard...........

luckily I had a good hold on it and it never got away from me, but the potential was there for it to take off on me and to make it worse, taz01 has one of the really long ones, so it would of been interesting.

after reading this, he will be glad I let it down properly and had some control over it, luckily.

[mroffroader]

I Don't really have a problem with this? I have a genuine "highlift" not one of these crap arse "farm jacks" Maybe it's the very light vehicle i drive or maybe the real deal doesn't do this as apposed to the cheaper "farm jack" (I have owned both the cheap one and the real thing and I found the real thing is a slightly easier to use design???

[furnace]

I've got both the cheap shit one and the high lift,seems no differance they both will do it ..i've actually had the shit one for about 10 years and still going strong..not as good as the high lift though

[Sadam_Husain]

I've got both the cheap shit one and the high lift,seems no differance they both will do it ..i've actually had the shit one for about 10 years and still going strong..not as good as the high lift though

I've got a genuine Hi Lift made in the USA and it works just the same as the chinese farm jacks. They both suffer from a lack of lubrication around the pins from time to time and a wee bit of grease goes a long way to keeping the pins working properly

The 2 dangers are getting a chunk ripped out of your head by the handle when letting them down and the vehicle falling over. Three points of contact is usually the rule of thumb, once you jack up onto only 2 wheels things become unstable and the vehicle wants to crab around and fall over..... not that I've ever done it

[furnace]

Very good points,i've never really had problems either,just be careful.A good foot for the jack also helps,i also have a nylon rope on the foot so when you use it in water you can retreive it with out having to try and find it ..lol..
I always carry a can of chain lube with me for the jack [ thats motorcycle chain lube ] seems to work really well

[zookfest]

i got some good practice using 2 jacks having 2 trucks swapping tyre for tyre.If you have to put sumthing under the foot(the jack tops out before i get the tyre of the gronud) make sure its stable.Me and some mates used a rock under the foot over the coast.it sliiped out and the truck came down lesson learnt

[furnace]

i got some good practice using 2 jacks having 2 trucks swapping tyre for tyre.If you have to put something under the foot(the jack tops out before i get the tyre of the ground) make sure its stable.Me and some mates used a rock under the foot over the coast.it slipped out and the truck came down lesson learnt

Yeh it needs to be a good foot, i use a big piece of aluminum, I've had no problems with that at all,most places i use it are in bog holes with deep wheel ruts that's why i have a rope on the foot so it floats to the top when finished

[cornfarmer]

Used a Hi lift for about 5 years with no probs at all. You just have to weigh up if what your about to do with it is stupid or not. And if it is stupid DON'T F#CKN DO IT!!! It's a recovery tool, not a trolley jack!!!

[furnace]

Used a Hi lift for about 5 years with no probs at all. You just have to weigh up if what your about to do with it is stupid or not. And if it is stupid DON'T F#CKN DO IT!!! It's a recovery tool, not a trolley jack!!!

That's very true, i haven't had any probems either,BUT sometimes it's the only tool that will do the job dangerous or not,i have used it at times when i would have preferred not to but did'nt really have a choice, [ lfting when stuck diff's hard on the ground,whinch would'nt move the cruiser ] you just have to be careful.... i have hardly used mine for changing wheels ..lucky i guess

[safari_mulisha]

thats the whole calculated risk thing which we have to deal with every day even crossing the road

but soon it will all goto shit as kids cant climb trees at school and have to be wrapped in bubble wrap to stop them getting bruises and blood noises which in the end we will end up with a generation unable to evaluate risk and end up living on the couch and the extent of adventure is goin to another relm on world of warcraft or playing dungeons and dragons

[furnace]

all this talk is just convincing me not to buy one

Don't be put off buying one,they would be one of the best tools in your tool kit,they can be used for so many things...in my opinion they are more important than a winch [ for the ordinary 4x4er ]....JUST BE CAREFUL,

[flyingbrick]

So- Is there any brand which is more preferred over any other? Are the Trademe ones okay or is that just taking an unnecessary risk?

[Bubba]

Get yourself a GEN-U-WHINE Hi-Lift brand

I have had my "Farm Jack" for about 4 years now and had to replace a few pins, straighten it a few times and it still goes well, however with 20-20 hindsight I would buy a "Hi-Lift" Brand one next time.

I did give myself a nice wee black eye due to lack of attention and I have had a vechicle fall over when I used it wrong

Still, it's one of the best pieces of kit you can have, also great for roadside assistance

[mike]

Get yourself a GEN-U-WHINE Hi-Lift brand

I have had my "Farm Jack" for about 4 years now and had to replace a few pins, straighten it a few times and it still goes well, however with 20-20 hindsight I would buy a "Hi-Lift" Brand one next time.

I did give myself a nice wee black eye due to lack of attention and I have had a vechicle fall over when I used it wrong

Still, it's one of the best pieces of kit you can have, also great for roadside assistance

yup got my hi-lift in 1996, never pulled it apart, replaced anything and the only thing ive done is crc'ed it. Hell it lived on the front of the surf for two years! glad i bought it.

[giovanni]

I tried two WACO branded ones from two seperate supplyers and both f@*#ed up.
I tested them one after the other with a light to medium load.
Both jammed in the rat shit mechanism.
Would go up but not release to come down.

I eventually settled for a 5' POWERBUILT around $100 which has worked safely every time.
Just check them over for loose parts from time to time and like all my tools,keep em clean and lubed.

[Nick555]

Anyone tried the Runva brand of hi-lift jacks?
Misses bought me one as a suprise which is kool cos i did need one.
It is the 60" one so i am still trying to figure out how im going to mount it in or on the cruiser

[Sadam_Husain]

It is the 60" one so i am still trying to figure out how im going to mount it in or on the cruiser

Mate those 60" ones are pretty long, might have to stick a roofrack on your cruiser and stick it up there

[Nick555]

Yea they are bloody long, have been thinking about that the only prob is i can bearly fit the cruiser in some carparks and drive throughs the way it is and would be more interesting with a roof rack.

[skid]

Anyone tried the Runva brand of hi-lift jacks?
Misses bought me one as a suprise which is kool cos i did need one.
It is the 60" one so i am still trying to figure out how im going to mount it in or on the cruiser

http://4wdbits.co.nz/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=1259

http://4wdbits.co.nz/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=857

[Nick555]

My cruiser dont have the swing arm on back but will be able to find a spot for those brackets me thinks.
Thanks paul..whoops..i mean skid

[fweddy]

I had one of those spare wheel jack mounts - it broke - too much leverage.

If I mounted it too high it hit trees, if I mounted it too low it hit banks when I dropped off them, there was not really a good inbetween. And if you have the long one you will struggle. One time the handle even swung out the side.

Now I have it mounted between the bull bar and grille, where it gets washed more often than it needs, but in saying that it has never been seized or gunked up when I want it like it had been previously.