Hi-lift on rear bumper

[KyleT]

so, i don't think it would last long enough on there to rust, first time off road and i would rip that sucker off on something...

every flat I have ever had i used the factory jack. it works great.

the only time I have ever used the hilift outside of in my garage as a space waster, was to get some room to cut the factory resonator off after i pinched it shut...

i only take it with me off road becuase i feel bad that i got the thing and just know that the one time i dont take it, there would be a situation where it might actually help me...

wait, you are driving around with it on there all the time??? why?

 

[fishEH]

On the poseur thing, yeah, everything on a 4x4 is poseur if you don't off-road and use it. Hell, most people buy a 4x4 to be poseur, and never off-road it. If that's the only good place I have to carry it right now, why should I give a damn about what people think from an image standpoint?

Very true. I see these ridiculously lifted brand new chevy, ford, and dodge trucks driving around all the time. $50000 off the lot with big blinged rims and weak sauce tires. I know they will never see any serious off roading, maybe a dirt road if they're lucky.
Then there is the polar opposite. A Dodge V10 truck near me. Crazy high lift with 46" tires. Its been for sale for 2 years. What the hell are you going to do with a pick up with 46" tires? I bet that thing is a real treat to drive down the road.

Every piece of equipment we have is poseur if we don't use it. Like the shovel on my ladder. Despite it's usefulness off road, it screams POSEUR the other 95% of the time.

If you want to have a 60" Hi Lift then do it. The rear bumper probably isn't the best place for it but you did a nice job mounting it. Stick it on the frickin spare when you go off roading. Keep it in the garage the rest of the time. The more crap you have hanging off your truck the more crap you have to worry about getting stolen in the parking lot.

 

[aliastel]

so, i don't think it would last long enough on there to rust, first time off road and i would rip that sucker off on something...

every flat I have ever had i used the factory jack. it works great.

the only time I have ever used the hilift outside of in my garage as a space waster, was to get some room to cut the factory resonator off after i pinched it shut...

i only take it with me off road becuase i feel bad that i got the thing and just know that the one time i dont take it, there would be a situation where it might actually help me...

wait, you are driving around with it on there all the time??? why?

Only carry it when off-road or when I am traveling to go somewhere off-road. After an experience where I broke a vehicle trying to get it unstuck without some sort of recovery tool, and one in which the Hi-Lift allowed me to get unstuck when there was no one else to pull me out, I am a believer in them when there is no other way. I also don't think I would want to rely on the factory jack to change a tire in some off-road conditions. With a lift-mate, I can use the jack just fine without jacking points. The bumper is OK for for now, but of course it is not ideal. It doesn't really get hung up off-road as long as a turn the jack upwards. After all, the stock receiver sits way lower and you scrape on this before anything else. I'm going to put it up on the rack when I build mine, or on my ARB when I get it. As far as rust, I won't have it on there in winter, unless off-road. I keep it coated in WD-40 and have had it soaked time and again and have had no problems with it rusting. I have been wheeling for over twenty years now, and back when I started this was a common piece of equipment on 4x4's. People kept them on the vehicle 24/7 and they just continued to work fine year after year. There are a lot of old, beat up Hi-Lifts still in service and they work just fine if you maintain them. Most of the anti-Hi-Lift posts on here are pretty clearly from those who have never used them much because they only wheel on weekends with a bunch of other people to winch or pull them out. On a long unsupported expedition, it becomes a much more useful tool.

David

 

[Storm Trooper]

Don't take what everyone says personally.

First of all yes it would be BEST inside the vehicle and it wont last long outside of the vehicle just because of the elements. Desn't even require salt.

However it is a tool, it can be used for MANY different things, and there may be that day you wish you had it. If you MUST keep it on the outside of the vehicle. The roof rack or the spare tire will only be a little better, but not much at all. If your dead set to have it on 100% of the time then Id say take it off and clean/GREASE it HEAVILY once a month. Also look into a cover it'll add a little protection also.

 

[rrc.swb]

Here is a pic of my Hi-lift installed on the stock rear bumper. I don't have a roof rack or strong front brush guard yet, so I mounted it here with 4xRAC mounts. It has worked well here so far, but it was a PITA to get to the nuts on the back of the bumper when I mounted it. It would be easier, maybe, to just remove the bumper and reinstall it after adding the mounts. I flip it up the other way when off-road to give a little more departure clearance. However, given the stock hitch, it doesn't decrease departure in most circumstances. I may move it to the top of the brush guard, when I install the ARB I have planned.

Hey David,

The location of the Hi-Lift is decreasing your departure angle. You can potentially damage it, along with the bumper/truck.

I've seen them installed in the rear passenger area. Thus, protecting your investment and the truck.

 

[aliastel]

Hey David,

The location of the Hi-Lift is decreasing your departure angle. You can potentially damage it, along with the bumper/truck.

I've seen them installed in the rear passenger area. Thus, protecting your investment and the truck.

Well, I really do get tired of repeating over and over again, for those who don't read the thread first, which is most of the posters here for some reason, that it does not decrease departure angle because the factory hitch will hit and drag first, not the jack, and that when I flip the jack up for off-road, it is actually above the level of the stock bumper. The only way it could be a problem off-road is if I dropped off a step with just the right angle, and landed on it square. So that blows that reasoning right out the window.

Along with this goes the legion of people who say I can't use it at all without jacking points, which isn't true, because if they had read the thread they would see that I use a lift-mate to lift from the wheel, not the chassis.

So on those two points, let's have it settled . . .


Now, what I really asked is are there any other suggestions for where to put it on my vehicle when I go off-roading besides the rear bumper, given that it's too big to fit inside, and I don't have a suitable front brushguard or roof rack at the moment to mount it on. Someone mentioned the rear spare, and besides the weight on the rear door, that is a consideration.

Don't really need any more advice on this from this forum, since the guys at Expo have already come up with some good alternatives and solutions, which don't involve how stupid it is to use a Hi-Lift in the first place and why even bother . . .

 

[rrc.swb]

Well, I really do get tired of repeating over and over again, for those who don't read the thread first, which is most of the posters here for some reason, that it does not decrease departure angle because the factory hitch will hit and drag first, not the jack, and that when I flip the jack up for off-road, it is actually above the level of the stock bumper. The only way it could be a problem off-road is if I dropped off a step with just the right angle, and landed on it square. So that blows that reasoning right out the window.

Along with this goes the legion of people who say I can't use it at all without jacking points, which isn't true, because if they had read the thread they would see that I use a lift-mate to lift from the wheel, not the chassis.

So on those two points, let's have it settled . . .


Now, what I really asked is are there any other suggestions for where to put it on my vehicle when I go off-roading besides the rear bumper, given that it's too big to fit inside, and I don't have a suitable front brushguard or roof rack at the moment to mount it on. Someone mentioned the rear spare, and besides the weight on the rear door, that is a consideration.

Don't really need any more advice on this from this forum, since the guys at Expo have already come up with some good alternatives and solutions, which don't involve how stupid it is to use a Hi-Lift in the first place and why even bother . . .

good for you.

 

[rovercanus]

Please don't go away. I find you entertaining. If you think your hi-lift won't get ripped off because your hitch is lower, you don't have much experience.
Taking advice from Expo, that's rich.

 

[aliastel]

Please don't go away. I find you entertaining. If you think your hi-lift won't get ripped off because your hitch is lower, you don't have much experience.
Taking advice from Expo, that's rich.

Called out the dog(s), I see . . . The funny thing is I see so many of the very one's who trash Expo here, hanging out over there on the forums everyday. Must be a guilty addiction or something . . Maybe those of you who love hanging out at Expo should change your tag names, so you can enjoy yourselves without the rest of Dweb finding out . . .

 

[rovercanus]

Called out the dog(s), I see . . . The funny thing is I see so many of the very one's who trash Expo here, hanging out over there on the forums everyday. Must be a guilty addiction or something . . Maybe those of you who love hanging out at Expo should change your tag names, so you can enjoy yourselves without the rest of Dweb finding out . . .

May be you should just post on Expo so everyone can agree with you. I go to Expo for the silly factor.
If you ever actually go wheeling, leave room to throw your bumper in the back of your truck.

 

[marc olivares]

oh man, that's a terrible spot for a high lift...

Franks right, the best place for a high lift is in the garage

 

[aliastel]

I go to Expo for the silly factor.

Yeah . . . yeah . . . I know, doing recon on the enemy . . .

 

[rovercanus]

Yeah . . . yeah . . . I know, doing recon on the enemy . . .

They are not the enemy, they are entertainment.

 

[rrc.swb]

May be you should just post on Expo so everyone can agree with you. I go to Expo for the silly factor.
If you ever actually go wheeling, leave room to throw your bumper in the back of your truck.

Funny thing is, I never mentioned anything he was ranting about. just tried to save his investment.

 

[macklow]

I don't know why no one has suggested this, but the high-lift 605 will fit perfectly behind the front seats laying on the floor.

provides a nice footrest for your passengers, too.

Just leave it in the garage when you're attacking mall-rated trails.

OOOPS! just noticed rrc.swb mentioned the rear passenger area earlier. sorry for my excellent attention to detail in this thread.

 

[rrc.swb]

I don't know why no one has suggested this, but the high-lift 605 will fit perfectly behind the front seats laying on the floor.

provides a nice footrest for your passengers, too.

Just leave it in the garage when you're attacking mall-rated trails.

OOOPS! just noticed rrc.swb mentioned the rear passenger area earlier. sorry for my excellent attention to detail in this thread.

Yes I did... But he went off on a tangent.

 

[Mongo]

I said it on the thread over on expo...but he didn't want to listen

 

[benlittle]

May be you should just post on Expo so everyone can agree with you. I go to Expo for the silly factor.
If you ever actually go wheeling, leave room to throw your bumper in the back of your truck.

Expo is nothing but bad advice and bad implementation perpetuating bad advice and bad implementation. Totally entertaining!!

 

[Mongo]

now there's a genius over on expo saying that they are NOT dangerous...

 

[stu454]

Don't try to correct him; you'll get banned.