Land Rover Joe
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2011
- Posts
- 111
- Reaction score
- 3
Oh captain my captain,
This is a great thread. Thanks for everyone’s input. I have used hi-lift’s all over Africa, and when used properly, are amazing and powerful tools for vehicle recovery (even rescue with the Hi-Lift Xtreme).
First, I use a hard-to-find product called Jackguard to mount the jack. It is a hard plastic case which the Hi-Lift fits into. The Hi Lift is very sensitive to dust and corrosion. Most folks slap the thing onto a bumper fully exposed to all the elements. Be prepared to do some major cleaning and lubricating if you need it (especially in dusty desert environments).
I mounted the Jackguard to my roof rack (Vanguard by former Rover Racks) by bolting it onto the plywood flooring I custom made. I like jacks mounted on the roof rack because I normally don’t use them (they are big, bulky, and hence out of the way) but they are easily available if I need them.
Guru Disco Mike is right: the jack is useless on an LR4 if you don’t have jacking points. I got around this by installing Rover Rack’s “frame slider” with step and have jacked successfully with my Hi Lift. I have pictures! It is a bit tricky, but if you take your time and are deliberate, it can be done safely. You do need the steps to give you the 2.5" offset from the bodywork...as discussed already.
!BUT…!... The frame sliders are not frame sliders at all. They are actually sill sliders (or protectors) which are critical in helping to keep big rocks from bashing your sills and doors; but don’t do anything for the actual frame. Thus, jacking from the sills risks bending the sills and giving you a really big headache. I spoke with a Land Rover engineer when he was doing some contract service work here in the bush, and he agreed: the best solution would be to custom build “outriggers” from the frame in order to have safe and secure Hi-Lift jack points (purpose built). Tactical Rovers builds a full-size “frame slider / skid plate / nerf bar” for the LR3 (should fit the LR4) which extends out from installation points on the frame and then bolts onto the sill as well. This may be an alternative solution as the steel plate ought to be strong enough to transfer the weight of the truck by the Hi-Lift onto the frame. I have some sketched out ideas to make the “ideal” construction, but I don’t have the metal-working know-how (and don’t trust anyone where I am) to actually fabricate my idea, which would be a purpose-built frame-slider / skid plate / sill protector / nerf bar / hi lift jack point outrigger. In terms of bumpers...the field for LR4 after-market bumpers is still rather small.
The X-Jack is really a great alternative which I have also used and recommend. The advantage of the X-Jack is that it can be used in a lot more (and a lot more hairy) situations that the Hi-Lift (deep sand, deep mud) and is fairly easy to use…even a bit fun. However, it is in my opinion more dangerous than the Hi Lift because it is rather uncontrolled and one never knows which way the thing is going to inflate under the vehicle in a recovery situation. Plus, in the LR4, you need to have something which covers the one exhaust as our twin exhausts won’t allow the inflation of the X-Jack. I use a portable air compressor with the LR4, but that takes a lot more time (which is better for control) and spouse patience (“On the video it took only 30 seconds! What’s wrong with you!?!”) When headed out into the bush, I carry the Hi-Lift, the X-Jack, and a bigger/stronger scissor jack than the factory jack (and sometimes a 3-ton bottle jack too). Regardless, if you are using the truck for groceries…just call AAA and they can come change your tire. If you are doing serious off-road work, having the ability and option to use any of the recovery means available can save your bacon (and a lot of time). I would invest in all the jacks and the accessories to use them.
Finally, the Hi-Lift Mate is a great piece a kit and really a wonderful. But totally useless on the NAS LR4 stock. The air suspension automatically (even when the car is turned off) compensates for vehicle height (measured by the lift sensors). Thus, as you jack the vehicle from the wheel…the air suspension lifts the vehicle higher and higher! So, you get to the maximum extension on the hi-lift and the wheel is still barely on the ground (I have tried that too).
I always carry the Hi Lift and Hi Lift Mate with me because they have a lot of uses and one never knows when there will be a friend in need on the trail. Since you can use the Lift-Mate on 98.5% of the vehicles out there (like the wife’s Nissan Sentra), it is a really useful accessory.
Hope that helps!
Land Rover Joe
This is a great thread. Thanks for everyone’s input. I have used hi-lift’s all over Africa, and when used properly, are amazing and powerful tools for vehicle recovery (even rescue with the Hi-Lift Xtreme).
First, I use a hard-to-find product called Jackguard to mount the jack. It is a hard plastic case which the Hi-Lift fits into. The Hi Lift is very sensitive to dust and corrosion. Most folks slap the thing onto a bumper fully exposed to all the elements. Be prepared to do some major cleaning and lubricating if you need it (especially in dusty desert environments).
I mounted the Jackguard to my roof rack (Vanguard by former Rover Racks) by bolting it onto the plywood flooring I custom made. I like jacks mounted on the roof rack because I normally don’t use them (they are big, bulky, and hence out of the way) but they are easily available if I need them.
Guru Disco Mike is right: the jack is useless on an LR4 if you don’t have jacking points. I got around this by installing Rover Rack’s “frame slider” with step and have jacked successfully with my Hi Lift. I have pictures! It is a bit tricky, but if you take your time and are deliberate, it can be done safely. You do need the steps to give you the 2.5" offset from the bodywork...as discussed already.
!BUT…!... The frame sliders are not frame sliders at all. They are actually sill sliders (or protectors) which are critical in helping to keep big rocks from bashing your sills and doors; but don’t do anything for the actual frame. Thus, jacking from the sills risks bending the sills and giving you a really big headache. I spoke with a Land Rover engineer when he was doing some contract service work here in the bush, and he agreed: the best solution would be to custom build “outriggers” from the frame in order to have safe and secure Hi-Lift jack points (purpose built). Tactical Rovers builds a full-size “frame slider / skid plate / nerf bar” for the LR3 (should fit the LR4) which extends out from installation points on the frame and then bolts onto the sill as well. This may be an alternative solution as the steel plate ought to be strong enough to transfer the weight of the truck by the Hi-Lift onto the frame. I have some sketched out ideas to make the “ideal” construction, but I don’t have the metal-working know-how (and don’t trust anyone where I am) to actually fabricate my idea, which would be a purpose-built frame-slider / skid plate / sill protector / nerf bar / hi lift jack point outrigger. In terms of bumpers...the field for LR4 after-market bumpers is still rather small.
The X-Jack is really a great alternative which I have also used and recommend. The advantage of the X-Jack is that it can be used in a lot more (and a lot more hairy) situations that the Hi-Lift (deep sand, deep mud) and is fairly easy to use…even a bit fun. However, it is in my opinion more dangerous than the Hi Lift because it is rather uncontrolled and one never knows which way the thing is going to inflate under the vehicle in a recovery situation. Plus, in the LR4, you need to have something which covers the one exhaust as our twin exhausts won’t allow the inflation of the X-Jack. I use a portable air compressor with the LR4, but that takes a lot more time (which is better for control) and spouse patience (“On the video it took only 30 seconds! What’s wrong with you!?!”) When headed out into the bush, I carry the Hi-Lift, the X-Jack, and a bigger/stronger scissor jack than the factory jack (and sometimes a 3-ton bottle jack too). Regardless, if you are using the truck for groceries…just call AAA and they can come change your tire. If you are doing serious off-road work, having the ability and option to use any of the recovery means available can save your bacon (and a lot of time). I would invest in all the jacks and the accessories to use them.
Finally, the Hi-Lift Mate is a great piece a kit and really a wonderful. But totally useless on the NAS LR4 stock. The air suspension automatically (even when the car is turned off) compensates for vehicle height (measured by the lift sensors). Thus, as you jack the vehicle from the wheel…the air suspension lifts the vehicle higher and higher! So, you get to the maximum extension on the hi-lift and the wheel is still barely on the ground (I have tried that too).
I always carry the Hi Lift and Hi Lift Mate with me because they have a lot of uses and one never knows when there will be a friend in need on the trail. Since you can use the Lift-Mate on 98.5% of the vehicles out there (like the wife’s Nissan Sentra), it is a really useful accessory.
Hope that helps!
Land Rover Joe
