Speaking of bottle jacks. I just used the bottle jack that comes stock on my Gen2 - I've never seen a better working unit with alot of extention for such a small size. I may start looking for some extras...Gotta love the Mitsu. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Only problem is the unit isn't tall enough. With my 33's, the unit just barely has enough lift to raise the tire 1/2" up off the pavement. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I've gone with either a big monstrosity of a floor jack or my hilift.

Oh, after the initial incident in Utah several years ago where my jack had not been oiled, I now relube mine every 2-3 months.

Regarding danger, yes they can be if you aren't careful when switching from lifting to lowering, the arm has a tendency to kick back. Not severely, but enough to smart quite a bit if you're not careful. You just need to be careful when lowering for the first 3-4 strokes of the hilift. (boy, in a different state of mind, that would sound quite obscene.. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />)

You have to apply downward pressure to the jack arm on the way up when lowering your vehicle, versus applying the pressure when pushing it down during the lifting.

Yeah, don't run with a hi-lift in one hand, running full speed, after dark, over a bunch of unstable boulders.

But that actually illustrates a good point... I broke my leg because i was being a complete idiot .. the same goes for any time you are actually using the jack.

The jacks are tools, and tools should ALWAYS be respected both in care and in caution. Never get under a vehicle that is supported by only a jack or two, never get under a vehicle that is not redundantly supported. Keep your jack clean and lubed. Don't be afraid to throw away a jack that looks like it's had too many hard seasons... if it's shank is bent and the locking pawls are chewed up and won't slide anymore.. either rebuild it or chuck it, your health is worth more than the $60 a jack is gonna cost.

The jacks are also a necessity of serious 4 wheeling, which is an inherently dangerous sport.

But what's more dangerous? To go out and live, and possibly die? Or to sit at home and probably never live?

Yea buddy. I'd rather take the chance, assess the risk, manage things accordingly, and live large.

Or, as Ted Nugent once said, "You come into the world at Point A and you go out at Point B. And in between, Kick Maximum Ass..."

Man, you aint kidding. I bought a couple of aftermarket ones for my business over the years, all many times larger, and the stupid things went half as high as the stock little Mitsu one and went slow as hell. I now get junkyard Mitsu jacks for the business if I need one. Rays point is good also, some of us have so much lift and tires that you need a huge tower of rocks or lumber to use a regular bottle jack. For big rigs a high lift becomes a requirement in the sticks.

i like my 60" hilift i got last x-mas ... i never wheel without it ... comes in very handy when used safely ... i keep it in the garage when not wheeling so it doesn't rust

i've wrenched on my rig so much this past year i can now grab the hilift with one hand from atop my roof rack and lower it down ... my handshake is stronger now too ... benefits of hilift go far beyond wheeling uses <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

No more dangerous than using a come along, with under rated wire rope, to unstuck your truck.

Every tool can be dangerous, you just have to know the ways it can become unsafe, and work with these things in mind.

Had a guy die running to class in undergrad in about '72, when he fell and the pencil in his pants pocket pierced the big artery just below his groin and he bled to death in about 3 minutes. Carpe diem! I'll take my chances with a high lift over picking the truck up by hand...

I've never used a high lift, but aren't they basically the same type of jack (just bigger) that came with most American made cars a few decades ago? I've been thinking about buying one for some time. Right now I take along a Toyota bottle jack and a few pieces of oak when wheeling.

Similar in concept but entirely different execution with a hilift being a far stronger design.