The problem with Hi-Lifts and non-modified trucks, as Hobbs pointed out, is where to jack from without damaging the vehicle. Also, as Hobbs mentioned, it's not the safest of tools. Having said that, I own a couple and use them. They are a great tool if used responsibly.

I also took a rabbit trail to the ARB website. They have a Hi-Lift competitor that's hydraulic and (purportedly) much easier to use. With a correspondingly high price tag ($800+).

No worries about a bottle jack freezing down here.

Bottle jacks do not like COLD Weather...
That's your jack with something wrong with it (water probably) or the fluid in it (contaminated) and nothing to do with the genre.
These are hydraulic implements. With the correct fluid temperatures on the -100F range are fine. Not that you are likely to see that.
But I simply don't get carrying an additional jack in principle. How many flat tires have you guys had? I've driven like millions of miles in my personal vehicles and changed like 2 in the last 25 years. Now I get that some of that is luck, but some is replacing tires when they need replacement. But I have had no issues using the OEM jack (Ford F350) several times. FWIW>

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
Bottle jacks do not like COLD Weather...
That's your jack with something wrong with it (water probably) or the fluid in it (contaminated) and nothing to do with the genre.
These are hydraulic implements. With the correct fluid temperatures on the -100F range are fine. Not that you are likely to see that.
But I simply don't get carrying an additional jack in principle. How many flat tires have you guys had? I've driven like millions of miles in my personal vehicles and changed like 2 in the last 25 years. Now I get that some of that is luck, but some is replacing tires when they need replacement. But I have had no issues using the OEM jack (Ford F350) several times. FWIW>

Valid questions. I'll try and answer. The OP stated that he had two(2) jacks fail virtually at the same time and left him "in a pickle". So even having two on hand isn't enough sometimes. The OP's bottle jack and OEM scissor jack failed ... I also stated I had my Chrysler Jeep OEM scissor jack fail. I don't think either the OP nor I are the first ones to that dance. After seeing how quick a scissor jack can fail and how fast it lets the vehicle drop when it fails, I will only use one in an emergency situation now. I replaced my OEM scissor jack with another OEM scissor jack ... for emergencies.

As far as flat tires, I can't remember the last one and if you look at the picture of my vehicle I posted ... I only run Michelin tires which are replaced long before they ever wear out. But I do recall that for some reason flats seem to run in spurts. If you get one, you MIGHT soon get another one ... and that's even on perfectly good tires. So jacks for flats? ... for me not so much. BUT I do rotate my own tires and torque the lug nuts to spec with a torque wrench. Even a little over tightening (which isn't uncommon at a tire shop and some gorilla working) tends to warp my rotors and the resulting driving experience isn't unlike the sensation of needing a complete brake job when all that was wrong was the torque on the lug nuts. So I rotate my own tires and get it right. That means jacking my vehicle four(4) times EVERY time I rotate tires.

My other consideration is total safety. Scissor jack is fine maybe for occasional use but I've had my Jeep for 18yrs now and rotated a lot of tires while not replacing a single flat that I can remember (knock on wood) and scissor jacks are not the best tools in the box for repeated multi times a year use. Ask me how I know.

18yrs. That's a good while to own a vehicle. I've had to jack my Jeep up a bunch of times to replace worn components that those who keep a vehicle 5, 10yrs or even 15yrs may not have even given a thought to.

So scissor jacks are good for emergencies and I have one for that. But like my vehicle, I want a safe jack that is built for the long haul and meets the requirements for more than occasional use. The last thing I want to worry about when working on a vehicle is the jack ... or stands. So for me, safety overkill is absolutely necessary ... so is a backup. Don't want to find myself in a pickle.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
How many flat tires have you guys had? I've driven like millions of miles in my personal vehicles and changed like 2 in the last 25 years. Now I get that some of that is luck, but some is replacing tires when they need replacement. But I have had no issues using the OEM jack (Ford F350) several times. FWIW>

10 in the last 10 years:

I had three blowouts on three trailers and one delaminted tire on one trailer. The tires were between 9 months and 2 years old according to the date codes on the tires, had less than 2,000 miles on them, were properly inflated, and not overloaded. I even have the CAT scales tickets to prove it. The tires were China bombs. The one trailer was traded, but the 5th wheel and boat trailer now have US made Goodyears that have 10,000 - 15,000 miles on them with no probblems.

I have had one US made Toyo on my truck delamimate, but was able to put the spare on before it blew. It had 40,000 miles on it. One three other vehicles, I've had 4 Michelins and one Goodyear pick up nails or screws. These I plugged and reinflated with a portable compressor, before having them either professionally patched or replaced.

Of these, I've used a jack on the side of the road twice. A scissors jack on our travel trailer in the UP. A Harbor Freight Daytona floor jack I purchased in Kennesaw, GA on the boat trailer that I had to leave in the parking lot at Kennesaw State to go buy the jack.

With the Toyo on the truck, I did it in my garage with the same floor jack. The 5th wheel has hydraulics jacks built in and I just used them to lift the side of the trailer that needed it. I was able to borrow a jack at a Walmart to put the spare on the boat trailer. This was 500 miles before I bought the new jack in GA.

I'd have a plug kit and compressor, whatever kind of jack will lift what you are towing, some 4x6 and 2x10 pieces to place under the jack on soft ground or between the jack and frame of what you are jacking up to spread the load.

The Daytona jack I boughg is the Super Duty one that only comes in yellow and has a three year warranty. The other Daytonas have either 90 day or one year warranties. I don't remember.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189,

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I'd have a plug kit and compressor

I do too !!! ... mandatory to have in a vehicle I think LOL. Well those and like you, a couple of foot long (or so) lumber pieces.
EDIT: And keep a roll of TP in a zip-lock bag under the seat. Ya never know
EDIT 2: I use Red Top Optima batteries but keep a TOPVISION Battery Starter, 2200A Peak 21800mAH in the Jeep. If I ever need a jump start, no telling where I might be and I don't want to have to depend on finding someone willing to jump me off. The battery starter will get me going "right now". Ya never know. And if I jump someone else off, I don't have to put my vehicle's electrical systems under stress or worse.

I don’t count trailer tires in this discussion. I carry a zillion parts for towing that have nothing to do with the tow vehicle. Like at least two and sometimes three spares since when they go they take the whole side. Like a full hub and brake assembly. A separate jack. Sometimes depending on where and what I’m towing a full axle assembly. These are not parts I would carry for my towing truck but reflect the difference in reliability between the two.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
I don’t count trailer tires in this discussion.

It seemed fair to talk about them since this is the last sentence from the original post:

quote:

Originally posted by steelcityfishanddive:
I regularly tow a boat or follow others who are towing a boat so something with a decent lift capacity that's easy to deploy is preferred.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
^^^^^^^^^^ A High Lift Jack is an awesome thing to have. When I was a youngster I used one as you described on fencing. Getting a flat tire on the farm truck or implement due to the giant thorns on Osage Orange trees or Honey Locust trees. Usually on unlevel ground, the High Lift handled it all. Step on or touch up to one of those two trees the thorns will go right though your boots, even worse on regular clothing. Changed many farm tires with the High Jack.

I built and repaired miles of barb wire and electric wire fencing. Between that a a come along you've got it made. (I still have 3 or 4 Fence Pliers and still find uses for them to this day. Mighty fine invention).

It also will pull up a fence post out of the ground very easily. Don't waste your time and energy digging a post out of the ground.

Sorry for the ramble, brings back memories.
.

I have similar memories of high lift Jack's. With all the new attachments they are better than ever. When I was in high school I used obstrectics chains, a rope and the winching function of the jack to gently pull a calf out of a exhausted heifer that had given up , was down on her side and I couldn't get her back on her feet.
I have used them jack up the front end a loaded Chevy C65 tandem grain truck., (25 tons ?) To take off a flat tire. Then using the same jack to bread the bead on a 10.00 X20 tire on a split ring wheel. The Handel makes a great cheater bar for for wrenches, or chain binders.
It is also a great weapon. I have used them to lift implements and move them around. Endless use.
The down side is that if the user doesn't understand levers, cams, gravity, kenetic energy, escape plans springs, pivot point and refuses to respect arc swing of the handle it will try to kill him, at least break his jaw and knock out his teeth.

I’ve thought about the Hi Lift jack in the past and came to the conclusion it wouldn't work for me. Maybe I wasn’t thinking about it right so I’ll ask a couple questions. Could the wheel strap be used to lift from the wheel, stack blocks under the suspension behind the wheel, then lower the vehicle onto the blocks to change the tire? Would this only work if the wheels stick out past the fenders? In other words, will the vertical bar of the lift be hitting the fenders? On a boat trailer, that vertical bar is going to bang into the boat if you try to get the jack on the frame, correct? Even with the wheel strap, the vertical bar will be against the trailer's fender and hitting the side of the boat if the boat flairs out past the fenders, correct?

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I’ve thought about the Hi Lift jack in the past and came to the conclusion it wouldn't work for me. Maybe I wasn’t thinking about it right so I’ll ask a couple questions. Could the wheel strap be used to lift from the wheel, stack blocks under the suspension behind the wheel, then lower the vehicle onto the blocks to change the tire? Would this only work if the wheels stick out past the fenders? In other words, will the vertical bar of the lift be hitting the fenders? On a boat trailer, that vertical bar is going to bang into the boat if you try to get the jack on the frame, correct? Even with the wheel strap, the vertical bar will be against the trailer's fender and hitting the side of the boat if the boat flairs out past the fenders, correct?

Closest I can get to answering your question is with this (found) image of a Lift-Mate, yellow nylon web with plastic/rubber coated steel hooks that securely attach to the spokes of a wheel. Would be some rub damage if not for the cloth (I've used a towel or wool blanket) between the Hi-Lift jack and vehicle. Could still do some pressure damage.

My dad broke his jaw on both sides and shattered it in the middle with a Hi-Lift jack, lost 17 teeth in the incident. One of the pins failed to catch and the lift dropped and when the pin did catch the handle flew up and hit him.

I had one of those crappy scissor jacks twist and collapse while I was jacking up my wifes Hyundai. Luckily I had some blocks under the frame. Saved me from chance of injury.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:
OEM scissor jack failed in my jeep. Got one of these Unijacks from Powerbuilt. It's a bottle jack and jack stand, all in one. Lot safer than a bottle jack alone. If the bottle jack part of this thing happens to fail, the stand part of it will hold in place as it incrementally rachet locks going up. Plus, once lifted, the weight sits entirely on the locked in place stand, rather than the bottle jack which is totally dependent on hydraulic pressure to hold.

The one I got is rated 6000lbs and at an initial minimum height of 11", just does fit under my Jeep with all tires inflated.

I replaced the OEM scissor jack with another OEM scissor jack and will use it just to get enough height to slip the unijack under, if need be. Such as might be the case, depending on terrain and other variables.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod..._title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for that, I just ordered one. Amazon had an open package one for $65 so I picked that one up. That will come in handy, I do not like using bottle jacks due to instability but that will solve the problem.

For those who have never had to change a tire, it might be worth your time to use the OEM jack in your vehicle to be sure it will work.

I had a 2009 Nissan Xterra. Friend and I both in our mid 70s were on a backcountry road for a fishing trip. Had a flat. Discovered the jack that came with the truck would not lift it enough to get the tire off, much less put the spare on. Luckily, I had some short pieces of 2x10 for firewood and was able to get the tire changed.

Made a visit to the dealer that sold me the Xterra. "Well, sir, you must be doing something wrong!" I admitted operator error was always a possibility in my case so please show me how to change a tire. Fast forward to the mechanic saying "This won't lift the vehicle etc etc.

Did some research and found that Nissan had been aware of the problem over several model years and did nothing about it. The much newer Xterras on the lot had the exact same jack.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
Thanks for that, I just ordered one. Amazon had an open package one for $65 so I picked that one up. That will come in handy, I do not like using bottle jacks due to instability but that will solve the problem.

Hope you're as happy with it as I am. Just take time to become familiar with it. It's a little different than any jack I've ever used before. In addition to the video of the jack I posted on page one of this thread which explains it pretty good, there are other videos of it on youtube as well as a video on the Amazon product page that I linked to. Once I became familiar with it, jacking and releasing while sitting on a work table without a load, I then and only then tried it out on my vehicle just to see it in action ... before I ever found myself in a pickle and needed it "now".

I'm leery of "open box" and also hope it arrives fully functional and in good shape too for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbs:

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
Thanks for that, I just ordered one. Amazon had an open package one for $65 so I picked that one up. That will come in handy, I do not like using bottle jacks due to instability but that will solve the problem.

Hope you're as happy with it as I am. Just take time to become familiar with it. It's a little different than any jack I've ever used before. In addition to the video of the jack I posted on page one of this thread which explains it pretty good, there are other videos of it on youtube as well as a video on the Amazon product page that I linked to. Once I became familiar with it, jacking and releasing while sitting on a work table, I then and only then tried it out on my vehicle just to see it in action ... before I ever found myself in a pickle and needed it "now".

I'm leery of "open box" and also hope it arrives fully functional and in good shape too for sure.

Every Amazon open box item I have purchased was fine, I will only be using this for my trailer and ATV.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
Every Amazon open box item I have purchased was fine, I will only be using this for my trailer and ATV.

Well, that's encouraging ... Be sure to let us know what you think about it when it arrives. I think if only using on a trailer and ATV, I might have chosen the 4000lb version but without knowing, there may be some height considerations too I guess.

That Unijack looks like the cats ass... I have a 3/4 ton and a 1 ton pickup and tow heavy trailers. I keep my tires in excellent shape but things happen at the worst times.

Always have a couple spares for each trailer and each truck has plug kits and compressors but still having the ability to raise and stabilize any corner of the truck or trailer is a big bonus. I'm ordering a couple for each truck.

Call me crazy but on big trips I carry a full size floor jack...