GEAR
Higher Grade know-how on high-lift jacks
Ahigh-lift jack is probably the most useful, multi-purpose piece of equipment that you can take with on a 4x4 excursion. But it can also be dangerous. Broken jaws, snapped wrists, chopped fingers and blue toenails are just a few of the injuries you can get if you aren’t extremely careful when using a high-lift jack. But it’s not all bad news. You can use it for more than just changing a tyre. This month we’ll show you how to use a high-lift jack properly – and also what you shouldn’t be using it for.
VERSATILE IMPACT PLAYER
Just like Bobby Skinstad, who could come from the bench and play for the Bokke as an eighth man, flank, or even help out as a lock, a high-lift jack can be used for more than just raising your vehicle. The original high-lift jack, the Hi-Lift Jack®, has been sold since 1915, and was used for a variety of tasks, primarily on farms. From the lifting of heavy equipment, pulling out fence poles, straightening bent poles and putting up wire fences. Even emergency teams used high-lift jacks to force open car wrecks before the invention of hydraulic Jaws of Life. These days, they are primarily used in 4x4 applications. Whether it’s to help with a recovery, to raise your vehicle or just to look cool while you drive to the mall, a 4x4 and a high-lift jack go together like peanut butter and jam.
STAND FIRM
To ensure that your high-lift jack works properly when lifting your vehicle, first make sure that the base is standing firmly on the ground. And yes, at first the base will feel somewhat unstable, but it’s designed that way. The reason is that it allows the track to lean in the right direction when weight is placed on it, without bending the track or lifting the base off the ground. Always be careful when you raise your vehicle, as the track will move closer to the vehicle’s body with every stroke. This can mean that it ends up pressing against the body, causing damage. Use a base plate for sandy terrain to prevent the jack’s base from sinking into the ground and leaving your vehicle stuck where it is.
HOW IT WORKS
A high-lift jack consists of a long steel or cast-iron track, a base and a mechanism that runs up and down the track. The mechanism has two pins that run into sequential holes with the up-and-down motion of the lever, and in such a way moves the mechanism up or down, depending in what direction you want it to work. To choose between up or down is as simple as setting the small lever switch. If the switch is turned upwards, the jack’s mechanism will move up, and if it’s turned downwards, then the mechanism will move down. With each motion of the lever, the entire mechanism moves one hole further up or down along the track. It’s as easy as that.
KEEP IT CLEAN
As everyone knows, high-lift jacks are often mounted onto vehicles, but seldom do you see the mechanism being protected against the elements. Rain and dust can get between the moving parts and stick to the grease, which makes the moving parts as sticky as the Springboks’ game plan. There are a variety of bags, covers and other ways in which you can protect it and keep the moving parts of your jack clean. It’s important, because you don’t want to realise your jack’s not working just when you need it most. A bag like this costs less than your first beer in Chobe, so buying one is a good investment.