Be prepared
Part of getting ready to go 4-wheeling is to check-out your equipment thoroughly before you leave. One of the most important things you should be thinking about, is checking-out your jack(s). A good serviceable jack is a very essential part of your off-road equipment.
A lot of us take our jacks for granted, meaning that - they seldom get serviced. When was the last time you inspected or serviced your jack? Without realizing it, your jack can be one of the most important pieces of your off-road equipment.
The most popular jack is the sheepherder's, or Hi-Lift jack, which is covered here more.
Maintenance
While we're tuning up that 4X4, let's tune up the jack also. A well tuned jack can be just as important as a well tuned 4X4. A few minutes taking care of our jack now, can save us hours of aggravation on the trail later. There's nothing worse than getting off-road and having jack failure. A little bit of cleaning, paint, lubrication, and we're on our way. For a well maintained jack, just follow these simple steps:
First: The jack must be thoroughly cleaned. Be sure to remove all rust from the climbing pins.
Secondly: After cleaning thoroughly, paint with a rust preventive paint. Allow a few days for the paint to dry before lubricating. Lubricate with a light oil such as WD-40.
The Hi-Lift jack must be kept rust free and well lubricated. Rust can cause the jack handle, cams, and the up/down control lever to seize. Rusty pins will not walk in gritty track perforations.
Make a thorough lubrication of your Hi-Lift jack a regular part of getting your gear together.
Pre-trip jack inspection
Operation * Safety precautions * Jack warnings
For your safety, read all operating instructions thoroughly before operating any jack. Safety always pays!
When operating a jack on or near a highway, be extremely careful of motor traffic. ALWAYS park on a firm, level surface as far from the edge of the roadway as possible before raising the vehicle.
Apply the parking brake firmly before jacking.
Before raising any object, make sure the jack is in a stable position. Always stabilize the load before lifting.
Passengers should not remain in vehicle when you are changing wheels, because their movement could cause the vehicle to slide off the jack.
Mobile loads must be chocked.
When raising or lowering a load, keep hands away from the moving parts in the jack's lifting mechanism. As with a winch, heavy work gloves should be used.
Always keep a firm grip on the steel handle of the jack, using both hands, when raising or lowering a load. Failure to do this could allow the handle to move rapidly upward striking the operator and causing possible injury.
Always place the steel handle in a vertical full upright position, parallel to the upright steel standard before moving the reversing latch to the lowering position. This will prevent the steel handle from moving up and down rapidly and possible injury to the operator.
When not operating the handle, it should be in the full upright position, parallel to the upright steel standard.
The complete lifting nose of the jack must be placed under the object to be raised.
To raise one wheel of a vehicle, the use of the bumper lift with the jack is recommended for additional safety and ease of lifting.
Additional precautions may be taken by inserting a 1/2" bolt through the upright steel standard immediately below the lifting mechanism.
For your safety
Getting unstuck
Sand
If you should happen to be stuck in sand, here are some pointers for getting yourself out.
Use your shovel to dig a path in front of one or more of your stuck wheels.
Use two (2) foot-square pieces of 3/4 inch plywood and a heavy duty jack (Hi-Lift will do nicely) which is capable of lifting the vehicle high enough to clear the ground by at least a tire thickness (the jack that came with the vehicle probably will not do). Use one of the plywood pieces as a base for the jack. It spreads the weight out over a larger area and will prevent the jack from sinking into the sand.
As soon as your tire is out of the sand, put something under it to provide traction. That is where the second piece of plywood comes in. You can also use your floor mat or an old piece of carpet under the wheel. Lower the vehicle. Now there is traction to slowly drive the vehicle out.
A shovel can be used to stoke gravel and rocks under the raised wheel when you're sand stuck.
Side stepping
There are many ways to get unstuck. The unique characteristics of the Hi-Lift jack offer us a Classic method of its very own. This technique is known by 4-wheelers everywhere as Side Stepping. Side stepping has to be one of the slickest tricks in the book.
A high centered vehicle can be returned to solid traction with a Hi-Lift jack by getting one axle at a time off the ground and then tipping the jack over.
It is not necessary to raise the vehicle excessively off the ground for this technique to work effectively. The safest and easiest method, is to make several jackings, moving the vehicle sideways 7 to 9 inches at a time.
As with any other move that involves a ton or two, this one can be dangerous. The jack can kick out and break your leg, or the vehicle can crush you if you're between the rig and a rock.
When utilizing the Side Stepping method, be extra careful by making sure all persons are clear of the vehicle.
Winching with a jack
When winching with a jack you will need the same sort of accessories that you would need with a bumper mounted electric winch. An anchor to winch to is an absolute necessity.
Lash the base of the jack to the vehicle with a chain. Reverse the ratchet head on the jack bar and attach one end of the tow strap to the arm on the ratchet head and the other end to an anchor.
As a winch or hoist, the jack requires the use of a chain for attaching the loads. The rated working capacity/load of the chain must be greater than the capacity of the jack.