bottle jack or hi-lift?

[malone]

So, i've yet to get a flat since i got my LJ in June but i cant help but i'm wondering what to do when i get one.

The hi-lift jack seems excessive for the street but the factory bottle jack just isn't tall enough to reach the frame especially with the flexing of the suspension. I was thinking of bolting a block of wood to the base of the bottle jack, dont know how that would work though. I also read that you can strap the axle to the frame to limit the flex of the suspension. If so how? What do you guys do?

I've got a portable compressor that i can use if its a small leak but that wont help if its a complete blowout.

What do you guys use?

[nwquadriders]

I got my first flat a few weeks ago... Wheeling the day before and I got some dirt/mud in the bead, which made for a slow leak. Luckily, I had my flat in my driveway, so I just used a floor jack.

I'm not sure if the stock bottle jack will reach high enough, so I always have a couple of 10" x 10" x 1 3/4" LSL (composite wood beam material)in my Jeep. With those 2 pads, I should have no issue changing the tire.

I stopped by a house under construction close to my house, and asked the contractor if I could grab a couple of scraps to use as blocks. He gladly gave them to me figuring it was less crud for him to have to haul away. I drove off with 2 chunks just under 2' long each, so I cut 4 blocks... 2 for in the Jeep, and 2 for under jack stands in the garage.

[Belfast]

The stock bottle jack is not meant to meet the frame - even at stock. It is meant to jack up the axle itself. I got a flat at work one day and it is a pain to get that thing under the axle by the bum wheel. It worked fine with my 32" tires, would probably work fine with 33", maybe even 35".

I have thought a lot about a hi-lift, but I haven't been crazy about lugging it around all the time. I am security-paranoid ever since my first TJ got broken in to in my parent's driveway. Mounting outside is too easy for thieves, mounting inside takes up room and is more potential for rattles - and still isn't that secure in the summer months with the soft top. I would have to come up with some locking mechanism, which just complicates the decision even more.

I will probably end up with a hi-lift at some point since getting under the axle with dress slacks and a nice jacket is not a pretty sight.

[sylvanis]

Am I tempting fate by posting here? I have not yet had a flat since summer of 04.

So I'm sure that I'm due. I've thought about carrying the hi lift, just not a good place to keep it. I'm looking at the tire carrier and considering mounting it to that.


Belfast,

I'd not worry about someone stealing the hi lift. There's not much of a market to pawn a hi lift, like a stereo. I've had 4 Jeeps and they've been broken into 5 times. One time I even had the face with me when they stole the radio. If you're really worried about it, I know that there are products that allow you to mount a padlock to secure it.

[malone]

yeah, i really dont worry about anyone messing with my hi-lift. It would take em' 20 minutes to unbolt the damn thing from the tire swing. And that gives me enough time to come out catch em' and beat their a**. I need to get some big decals from the boxing, muay thai gym i go to and put them on my Jeep. Then nobody would mess with my sh*t.

Belfast- that makes alot more sense to put it up under the axle. I don't know why i thought it went under the frame. I might do like north west up there and keep some scrap wood back in my tub to put under it. That should work with no problem.

Yeah and Belfast, i have the same problem, i wear a suit everyday to work. Thats why i got the compressor. It would totally suck if i had to change a 35" tire with slacks and dress shirt on.

[cmhowell13]

if you are on good flat ground, bottle should be good for most times. hi lift has its advantages, but i have never owned one...yet. mostly because of what you guys hit on, where to store and the theft aspects.

have you seen....http://www.4wheelparts.com/PDT282293.aspx ...? came across it as an alternative to hi lift the other day. looks about the same, just produced by t-max, they also have recovery and winch kits too.

[nwquadriders]

I only carry my Hi Lift when on the trails, and it's been used 2 times now to help other folks out. They work really well when you need to do a quick tire change on the trail where you're parked on less than level ground. But...they aren't very steady once they get jacked up pretty high. I always carry a couple of ratchet straps and bungee cords.

-Use the ratchet straps to hold the jack in place (keep it from sliding or kicking out).
-Use the bungee cords to secure the jack handle up against the body of the jack.

The two times I have had to use mine were to help folks that had them mounted on their rigs full time. One guy's jack had rusted enough that it was just too stiff and too much of a pain to deal with, and the other guy's jack had the piece (which allows you to take the jack up or down) rattle off, and it was totally useless. Both of those cases were argument enough for me to not leave mine mounted to my rear tire carrier all year long.

[scrambler81]

It seems like the Hi-Lift has become the accessory of choice lately, all the cool Jeeps have one on the hood or bumper. However, I never see anybody use them. I saw a guy use one as a come-along once, but that's about it. I'm sure they come in handy when you are out cruising rocks and rough terrain like that, but where I live it's all mud and sand and deep water. It just seems like a lot of weight to carry for very little return. I've had mine for 10 or 12 years now, and it works great for replacing mailbox posts, and I also used it to replace the porch posts on my old house. Other than that, it's never left the garage.

[sylvanis]

scrambler81 said:

It seems like the Hi-Lift has become the accessory of choice lately, all the cool Jeeps have one on the hood or bumper. However, I never see anybody use them. I saw a guy use one as a come-along once, but that's about it. I'm sure they come in handy when you are out cruising rocks and rough terrain like that, but where I live it's all mud and sand and deep water. It just seems like a lot of weight to carry for very little return. I've had mine for 10 or 12 years now, and it works great for replacing mailbox posts, and I also used it to replace the porch posts on my old house. Other than that, it's never left the garage.

Oh they come in handy a lot more times. We've used one to lift a high centered JK 4dr on a log. Got some mud in a tire and used it to break the bead on a tire, changing tires on the trail.

I can see where it'd be partially useless in the sand though

[lynn]

I've used a high lift many times on the trail. A few times for flats in my CJ, a few times to lift off a high-centered rig, a few times to remove crap between a tire bead and wheel. It's a valuable tool. So far I haven't carried it in the LJ. My new swingout wont accomodate it and I haven't bothered to figure out where to mount it inside... but I will.
I don't like hood or bumper mounts.

[moneypit]

I have both. I went and got a larger bottle jack and bungeed it into the same spot the stock one mounts under the passenger seat. The hi lift I only carry when wheelin.

[timmy24540]

Hey lynn, check out the cheap and eay mods section. Thats how I did it. As for the hi lift it only goes if I am wheeling....The bottle jack will do with a block of wood straped to it.

[lynn]

Timmy, I've looked at your set up and plan to do the same. Thanks for posting that cool trick!
I'll shoot some pics when I get around to getting the parts and putting this together.