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Hi lift in a tracker

crispins

FJB
Joined
May 21, 2020
Member Number
846
Messages
1,634
Loc
Pigeon Forge, TN
I am trying to figure out where to mount it.

Where have others mounted them?

I am wanting it on the inside of the vehicle.

Ideas?
 
I am trying to figure out where to mount it.

Where have others mounted them?

I am wanting it on the inside of the vehicle.

Ideas?
Split it up? Keep the mechanism strapped under the driver's seat. Bolt the I-bar wherever it fits, or weld a tube it can be slid into, pinned in place, etc.
 
Split it up? Keep the mechanism strapped under the driver's seat. Bolt the I-bar wherever it fits, or weld a tube it can be slid into, pinned in place, etc.
I was just hoping for an easy solution.

What I really need to do is pull the back seat out, pull all the carpet up, roll in bed liner and then develop a system of tying everything down with bins and shit.
 
I was just hoping for an easy solution.

What I really need to do is pull the back seat out, pull all the carpet up, roll in bed liner and then develop a system of tying everything down with bins and shit.
I'm fucking confused.

It's literally a 1 minute job to disassemble a hi-lift. The handle pulls out of the socket, you don't really need the cotter pin, same for the base. The mechanism slides right off the top of the jack.

I'm assuming you want to keep it inside to keep it functioning and not rust/jam. If that's the case, then only the mechanism has to be protected. Even if you must keep everything inside the cab, it can be packed easier disassembled.

If you need rapid deployment, then nothing is gonna beat having it mounted outside the cab.

What type of answer are you looking for?
 
I'm fucking confused.

It's literally a 1 minute job to disassemble a hi-lift. The handle pulls out of the socket, you don't really need the cotter pin, same for the base. The mechanism slides right off the top of the jack.

I'm assuming you want to keep it inside to keep it functioning and not rust/jam. If that's the case, then only the mechanism has to be protected. Even if you must keep everything inside the cab, it can be packed easier disassembled.

If you need rapid deployment, then nothing is gonna beat having it mounted outside the cab.

What type of answer are you looking for?
No no

I meant that right now I just keep pilling all my recovery gear and tools in the back between the rear seat and tailgate, I need to just take it all out, ditch the rear seat, and organize and tie down everything.

I was more thinking out loud.

Your suggestion is good.
 
I see zero benefits to disassembling it :homer:

I do know that you'll probably never use even near a 48". My old neighbor cut one down for his SxS, makes it a lot easier to mount in small rigs.

I'd mount it on tailgate. That way it swings out and is easy to get to.

I also never carry a high lift on the trail, just factory Toyota screw type bottle jack.
 
My hi lifts are kept in the workshop, where they're only slightly less dangerous, heavy and inconvenient than on the car. Everyone says "they're not dangerous if you use them right" and then nobody ever uses them right because the hassle of strapping the axle to chassis to prevent unloading the suspension to use a hilift safely is a massive pain. I stopped taking one with me when wheeling years ago. However, years ago I mounted one in a mate's samurai and the solution was to strip it down. The rail was bolted to the inside of the back door, the mechanism and foot plate went in a plastic tub behind the seat. Leaving them outside the vehicle guarantees they will jam up and not work when you need them without dousing them in WD-40 and freeing them up, which takes longer than dropping the mechanism onto the rail and putting the pin through the foot plate. For my car I just welded some rectangular tube spacers onto the stock jack to suit my tyre size. Lighter and easier to carry than a death stick.
 
I see zero benefits to disassembling it :homer:

I do know that you'll probably never use even near a 48". My old neighbor cut one down for his SxS, makes it a lot easier to mount in small rigs.

I'd mount it on tailgate. That way it swings out and is easy to get to.

I also never carry a high lift on the trail, just factory Toyota screw type bottle jack.
I only carry bottle jacks as well.

Usually plug everything anyways.

If there’s more than two guys ya’ll could just pick up the corner and slide something under it. It isn’t much more than a routine dead lift workout. :flipoff2:
 
On my Jeep I made a bracket that mounted it on top of the cowl tight to the windshield frame - much better than a hood mount. Worked decent. I don't have a good location for it on my buggy so it stays in the trailer.
 
The best place for a hilift is obviously where the most people can see it because tough guy sticker. Locally, that means a hilift, light bars and maxtrax are mounted on everyone’s car all the time as they’re driving around the suburbs.
 
Mine is mounted in the shed where it belongs. In 30 years of wheeling, I have yet to see a single instance of someone using a hilift on a trail that left me thinking "well damn, that worked pretty good...maybe I should start carrying one too".

PLENTY of times I got the fuck away from people using them, and being shocked that they left with their jaw intact though....

Most often it's some dipshit using it to change a tire and coming up with seriously sketchy methods to max out the suspension to get the tire off the ground....
 
My Harbor Freight bottle jack and come along are a million times more useful than a high lift while being cheaper and taking up less space.

That reminds me, I need to build a mount for them.
 
My Harbor Freight bottle jack and come along are a million times more useful than a high lift while being cheaper and taking up less space.

That reminds me, I need to build a mount for them.
Maasdam FTW! (better than cable come along).

1177811.jpg
 
My hi lifts are kept in the workshop, where they're only slightly less dangerous, heavy and inconvenient than on the car. Everyone says "they're not dangerous if you use them right" and then nobody ever uses them right because the hassle of strapping the axle to chassis to prevent unloading the suspension to use a hilift safely is a massive pain. I stopped taking one with me when wheeling years ago. However, years ago I mounted one in a mate's samurai and the solution was to strip it down. The rail was bolted to the inside of the back door, the mechanism and foot plate went in a plastic tub behind the seat. Leaving them outside the vehicle guarantees they will jam up and not work when you need them without dousing them in WD-40 and freeing them up, which takes longer than dropping the mechanism onto the rail and putting the pin through the foot plate. For my car I just welded some rectangular tube spacers onto the stock jack to suit my tyre size. Lighter and easier to carry than a death stick.


I just don't understand this. I can't count the number of times I've used a hilift to pick up and bump a vehicle over a foot or two, or strapped my axle and lifted it to change a tire or repair an axle, etc, or used it to jack a roof or door back up after someone rolled, or to pick a rig up to drag a log out...

I can't get on board with this idea that a bottle jack is better 100% of the time. 25%, sure.
 
I just don't understand this. I can't count the number of times I've used a hilift to pick up and bump a vehicle over a foot or two, or strapped my axle and lifted it to change a tire or repair an axle, etc, or used it to jack a roof or door back up after someone rolled, or to pick a rig up to drag a log out...

I can't get on board with this idea that a bottle jack is better 100% of the time. 25%, sure.
I'm right there with you. Yes I have used a HiLift to change a tire. It's not hard if you strap it. But I've used it just as much for things like getting out of being wedged in some boulders, extending a suspension to make adjustments / refill air shocks / unjam a jammed up coilover slider, jack up the suspension to do a weld repair underneath.......

Yes they can be dangerous.
Yes they can be useful.

Keep your noggin out of the way of the handle and you should be OK.
 
I carried a hi-lift in all my rigs for almost twenty years. Only time it was ever used, was to bend the a-pillar back after clipping a tree.
 
For me, because I do mostly wheeling alone (no other vehicles, always have a friend with me)

I want to have the max amount of recovery gear possible.
 
My hi lifts are kept in the workshop, where they're only slightly less dangerous, heavy and inconvenient than on the car. Everyone says "they're not dangerous if you use them right" and then nobody ever uses them right because the hassle of strapping the axle to chassis to prevent unloading the suspension to use a hilift safely is a massive pain. I stopped taking one with me when wheeling years ago.
The amount of times my hilift has saved my ass or my friends makes it totally worth it IMO.
When your axle is stuck between rocks, you need to move a tree, use the handle as an extension for a wrench, or a sleeve for a bent tie-rod etc...

It's safely bolted behind my seat:

6B9ECFFB-2661-4F03-A8FC-15B6320FAA76.jpeg


crispins I'd try to make a bracket that bolts / weld to the front of the rear seats. Something like that :

jgus-200-2seats-scaled.jpg
 
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The amount of times my hilift has saved my ass or my friends makes it totally worth it IMO.
When your axle is stuck between rocks, you need to move a tree, use the handle as an extension for a wrench, or a sleeve for a bent tie-rod etc...

It's safely bolted behind my seat:

6B9ECFFB-2661-4F03-A8FC-15B6320FAA76.jpeg


crispins I'd try to make a bracket that bolts / weld to the front of the rear seats. Something like that :

jgus-200-2seats-scaled.jpg
I agree. For myself, or others, I can't actually count how many times I have used one. Bailed me out plenty of times, albeit most of them sketchy but beat the alternative. The only reason I don't carry one on my buggy is I just don't have one anymore.
 
use the handle as an extension for a wrench, or a sleeve for a bent tie-rod
Without doubt, that's the most useful part of the jack. However, most hilifts sold now are cheap chinese copies and the handle is welded on.
 
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