How To Use A High Lift Jack
Overview
Whether you’re bogged to the door sills, or hung up on a rock; the high lift jack can be one of your most valuable recovery tools. But they are also an incredibly tricky and dangerous type of car jacks to use if not done right.
Here’s the correct way to use your high lift jack.
Steps
Assessing the Situation
Before diving into the recovery, stop and assess the situation. Identify the danger zones and what may happen when the vehicle becomes dislodged. Plan your recovery to reduce any risk of injury.
The most effective way to use a high lift jack is with the wheel lift accessory (sold separately). This attaches to the spokes of both steel and alloy wheels, allowing the jack to lift directly off the wheel.
When a situation arises being stuck in soft sand or mud, the Ridge Ryder High Lift Jack Base Plate will make the job much easier.
This accessory increases the footprint of your high lift jack meaning every stroke of the handle goes into lifting the vehicle not sinking the jack.
Create a Stable Base and Setup
It may be necessary to create a flat area for the base of your high lift jack to perch on. This will ensure the procedure is as stable as possible.
Now grasp the handle on the jack and flick the direction lever to the lower position. You can now freely move the jack up and down.
Position the foot of the jack as close to the wheel as possible, and connect the wheel lift accessory threading the bolt supplied with the wheel lift, through the hole in the high lift jack.
Start Lifting
Now you can start lifting the vehicle. Flick the direction lever to the ‘raise’ position and operate the jack handle through its full motion.
You will need to bring the handle all the way up, and all the way down for the high lift jack to operate listen for the click at the end of each stroke.
**When raising or lowering the vehicle, always keep your face and as much of your body clear from the handle as possible to prevent injury should the handle slip from your grasp.
Fill Hole and Lower Safely
Lock the handle into the upright position when you are happy with the height of the vehicle, and fill the area under the raised wheel with rocks, logs or soil.
Once this is done, the vehicle can be lowered by flicking the direction lever to the ‘lower’ position.
Once you reach the lowest point of the jack handle, hold on tight as the handle will try to swing upwards rapidly.
Continue in this manner until the weight is removed from the jack and it falls clear of the vehicle.
Maintenance
If your high lift jack has seen a hard day on the tracks, be sure to give it a little basic maintenance.
Apply degreaser around the mechanism of your jack, allow it to penetrate the old lubricant and dirt before rinsing it clean.
Don’t forget to apply fresh lubricant such as lanolin oil or white lithium grease to the mechanism.
This process will ensure that your high lift jack operates trouble free the next time you need it.
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