Using high lift jack as a winch

[Jimmyb]

Don't have a winch but have a high lift jack?

To turn your Hi-Lift jack into an even more versatile tool, ARB has a number of accessories specifically designed to be used in conjunction with it.

If you’ve ever needed to just winch a vehicle forwards, backwards or sideways for half a metre or maybe a couple of metres then the HiLift winching kit may be for you. Using a length of chain, a couple of shackles and some winch straps it is possible to use your HiLift as a winch without the need for this kit.

However…. this kit makes winching easier, safer and faster. It enables tension to be maintained in the rigging when winching any further than about 300mm, as most of the stroke length of the jack is used up just pulling everything tight, and negates the need to chock wheels, etc. Trust me on this as I’ve winched a few times using a HiLift without this kit and it’s frustrating and slow.



To assemble the winching set up firstly install the tensioner bracket onto the main jack shaft by removing the jack base plate. Now install the winching bracket onto the nose of the lifting section. Next step is to turn the bolted clamp on top of the jack so its inline with the jack shaft. This lug is then shackled to the strap from your anchor point. In the photos we are winching the camper trailer using the Patrol as the anchor, and ignoring for the sake of this story the perfectly functional electric winch – ahh the irony!

At the other end of the jack the winching bracket hook goes onto our length of chain. After that it’s just a matter of raising and lowering the jack handle, with some effort involved, until the travelling section reaches the top of the jack.

At this point the tensioning hook, attached to the base of the jack, is hooked onto the chain. Now the jack can be reversed and returned to the bottom of the jack.

This is continued until your vehicle is recovered or you wish you’d bought a longer drag chain. If this all sounds too complicated then refer to the excellent instructions that come with the kit.



So the HiLift jack, when using this kit, becomes a very usable winch and adds to its versatility as an offroad recovery tool. If you are already carrying a HiLift then you save several hundred dollars and about 50kg of additional weight by not needing a cable hand winch. This is slightly slower than a hand winch but recoveries should never be hurried and for short hauls this setup is ideal.

Both types require a similar amount of effort and careful planning and both will help you get back on the road again. The HiLift brand jack has a capacity of 2273kg (5000lbs) when used as a winch compared to 2500kg for the Tirfor cable hand winch used by many recreational four wheel drivers.

[Richard buttocks]

I used my highlift to pull a 80 series cruiser out of a mud hole once
Hardest thing ive ever done
Certainly not easy work.

[xdefender]

A hand winch is hard enough. But if thats all you have then it'll have do. I'd be useing a pole extention to make it easier.