DIY Hi Lift Jack Accessories

Every time a Hi Lift thread comes up some one starts wring their hands and moaning about how dangerous they are. Of course it's usually the type of folks who think we should all be wrapped in government approved bubble wrap from womb to tomb.

They are a piece of machinery. They are in and of themselves not dangerous, it's the humans that do dangerous things with them. What we should do is let them continue on about their business and nature will remove them from the gene pool. The species might start to increase it's average IQ with their removal.

 

Could be new thread topic if not as already exist. Show us your hi-lift, handy man jack, fails lol

 

I've been on a fairly large off road gathering and seen two people struggle. One person couldn't figure out how to get the spare down from underneath. The other guy was close to a break down....I don't know what to do! I told him relax...you got plenty of help here, we'll get it.

 

On my jack it's a larger size and quite heavy. I purchased it for a different vehicle than my Tacoma and haven't come up with a mounting solution yet. For the time being I would most likely tie the snot out of it to a bar in the back. I did make some mounting brackets for a friend but the design has changed some. I'd like a bumper spare tire carrier with a jack mount built in as well.

 

Woah.

 

Here's a picture of hook mentioned earlier. Upon closer examination I'm not sure it would be a great lift point. I assume it was a solid one piece hook mounted to the frame. So unless splines it could unloosen. Or rotate

 

Yep. That would be good for pulling not for lifting. Unless you could interlock into that hook some how to keep it from rotating. Kind of like when you use 2 wrenches lock into each other to make a long wrench .

 

Ohhhh, I cringe when I see guys do that...but be a liar if I said I never... my initial thought was a box to slip over that hook but that's a no go as designed. I'm aware also of limiting factor of side load much like a shackle or eye bolt.

 

Damn that is cool!

 

I’ve had a HiLift for 25 years, used it a few times on the trail with my old Land Cruiser and to prop up a sagging fence at home, and I’ve had my Tacoma for 4 years but never thought to actually bring the jack in the truck until recently. Looking at ways to secure it, and I see lots of people attach to the bed tracks, there are products not to mention a thread or two here on that topic. But I wonder how strong that is ... seems like a lot of weight to hang from the few M4 or M5 screws that attach the bed tracks to the composite bed. Especially with a lot of washboard etc. Any experience here with that attachment or a better idea? I don’t have a rack.

 

Not owning a winch and sometimes getting up my driveway sometimes required one in a pinch, I made the components to turn a high lift into a hand winch. I never used it as such but it does work. The JackMate was purchased.

 

Any idea the name of the piece you are using to attach the chain to the lifting point? Been thinking of doing something similar with bow shackles and a machined piece to support it.

 

Been working my head around some of my own accessories. I have a garage machine shop and want to machine them out of aluminum but I need to figure out the engineering side to make sure I am comfortable with the load but also don't way over do it with thickness.

 

I honestly don't remember what it's called. It's been quite a while since I put this together.

For a Hi Lift jack accessory, I would not use aluminum. It's simply not strong enough for this application. Using the jack is a safety issue and if you're fabbing up something for it, this is the place to overbuild and over engineer. I used all steel in my build.

 

Strength isn't a problem with aluminum when using proper grades and thicknesses. 7075 is actually stronger than some steels and is easy to machine although can be cost prohibitive in some sizes. Other grades you just have to make sure to use the proper thicknesses to achieve the desired strength. Also with aluminum I would be machining from solid pieces which often results in a much stronger end result than bent and welded or cast steel parts.

 

Again, I'm not an engineer but in this arena, I would not use aluminum regardless of the grade. I just wouldn't feel comfortable using it. If things go sideways, the end result could be catastrophic. If you have the proper testing facility and the engineering knowledge that might be another story. Best of luck......

 

Did you do the engineering calculations or proper testing of your pieces? The concern is really the same regardless of material and there is definitely something to be said for purchasing rated parts.

 

No I did not but the steel I used was used in similar applications. I worked (retired now) in a very large metal fabrication facility where we'd build large structures as well as other items for sports arenas/stadiums. Perhaps you've seen some of our work. We've made most if not all of the goals for all the pro football stadiums. Towers, dugouts, and press booths were some other items we made.