Hi-Lift Jack Usage With Hitch Receiver

[falbhan]

Hi Everyone,

I've wondered if a person could have an L shaped bar fabricated that
could go in either the front or rear receiver that could be rotated
for either right or left side usage with a Hi-Lift jack. Not an
engineer so I don't know whether the receiver could handle the loads,
but if it could the bar probably wouldn't have to be too large in size.

Anybody ever tried something like this? Or know of the feasibility?

Thanks,

Al

[Jeffrey]

I strongly coinsidered a Hi-Lift for my 4x4 SMB. I concluded it won't work. Think of how high you will have to jack the body up to finally get the tire of the ground. Go for a hydraulic bottle/axle jack. Mine is also air powered from my compressor.

[jage]

I've got a 72" hi-lift

The problem with the receiver, from an engineering standpoint, is it's in the middle of the truck. You only want to lift 1 wheel. If you have the stock bumper you can use the hi-lift J hook attachment to fit the bumper. Not sure if bumper jacks are "OK" with the stock ford van bumpers.

[Buji]

Jeffrey, the smallest air/hydaulic jack I could find was this one at harbor freight:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=95553

I've been looking around to see if I can find one with an axle block top or something that appeals more before I get this one.

What do you have?

[Velogeo]

I've got this one, from Sears, on my shopping list:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... d=air+jack

It has a lower, but adequate, capacity, longer range and weighs less. But it's twice as much.

[falbhan]

Originally Posted by jage

The problem with the receiver, from an engineering standpoint, is it's in the middle of the truck. You only want to lift 1 wheel.

That's why I was thinking about the L shaped bar that would come out of the receiver and go out to the side of the van. This would allow for lifting only one side. I'm just not sure about the twisting force on the receiver. The L bar could be built up large enough to meet the needs.

Thoughts anyone else?

[falbhan]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey

I strongly coinsidered a Hi-Lift for my 4x4 SMB. I concluded it won't work. Think of how high you will have to jack the body up to finally get the tire of the ground. Go for a hydraulic bottle/axle jack. Mine is also air powered from my compressor.

Supposedly you can wrap a chain around the frame and axle so that as the van is lifted by the Hi-Lift the suspension will not be able to extend, thereby greatly reducing the amount of lift needed to change a tire.

Anybody ever tried this maneuver?

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by falbhan

Supposedly you can wrap a chain around the frame and axle so that as the van is lifted by the Hi-Lift the suspension will not be able to extend, thereby greatly reducing the amount of lift needed to change a tire.

Anybody ever tried this maneuver?

Yes, but not on a Sportsmobile. Be sure to use a positive locking device (of appropriate load rating) to secure the chain. A strong shackle, if properly oriented, works well.


Herb

[jage]

Originally Posted by falbhan

That's why I was thinking about the L shaped bar that would come out of the receiver and go out to the side of the van. This would allow for lifting only one side. I'm just not sure about the twisting force on the receiver. The L bar could be built up large enough to meet the needs.

Thoughts anyone else?

Yeah, that's not going to work. The receiver isn't meant to take torsion and getting an L bar that is beefy enough itself... even if the receiver and lever part of the L bar could take it, the leg of the bar would just twist- at some point you're down to 2" receiver size and I don't think any material will take the twisting at that size.

It's possible you could use the receiver and a J-hook together with a bar to have the receiver take some of the load off the stock bumper- placing the jack 2/3 of the way down on the bar... but you're getting kind of complex and the bar winds up above the bumper so you have to extend down to the hitch... basically what I'm saying is you need an attachment point outboard of the hitch to prevent torsion on the hitch.

[falbhan]

Originally Posted by jage

Yeah, that's not going to work.

That's sort of what I was thinking, but had to ask. Thanks for the input.