ASK ARB – hi-lift
vs x-jack

Dear ARB,

I am trying to decide whether a Hi-Lift jack or exhaust jack will best suit my purpose. I am new to 4WDing, having recently purchased a Holden Rodeo 4×4 space cab to carry a slide-on camper for regular adventures into the Outback, coast and country. The camper weighs about 800kg loaded.

Being a space cab and with tray space taken up by the camper, storage is limited. My travels could be anywhere from the Birdsville Track to Fraser Island to Woods Point, so ideally it would be adaptable to different conditions. Also, I recently had an Old Man Emu suspension kit plus air bags fitted. What sort of jack would be best and are there considerations in using either of the jacks with air bag suspension?

Thanking you in advance for answering my query.

Regards,

Clare Riddoch

Hi Clare,

Thanks for your enquiry and welcome to the wide world of 4wheelin’.

When it comes to choosing an off road jack, the first thing to consider is what it will be used for and how it may be attached to your vehicle. Generally speaking, off road jacks can be quite unstable as they lift the vehicle, and for this reason you should never get under a vehicle supported by this type of jack alone. For the same reasons, the manufacturers of these jacks will also not recommend them for changing a flat tyre. So their use is mainly as a recovery tool.

Often, a vehicle can become bogged in sand so quickly that before you know it, you are down to the chassis rails with sand flying in all directions. An exhaust jack is a fantastic way of lifting a vehicle on sand due to its wide footprint. The jack won’t sink and the vehicle can be lifted very quickly without effort so that the holes under each wheel can be back-filled. Lower tyre pressures are then all that’s usually needed to get you on your way again.

Exhaust jacks are placed under the body of the vehicle away from any sharp protrusions. The thing to note is that with your vehicle being a cab chassis, this jack is really suitable for the front of the vehicle but may struggle on the rear as the tray body may be higher than the full extension of the jack.

A Hi-Lift jack is available in two lengths, 48 inch and 60 inch. These jacks have many uses from lifting vehicles, winching or clamping, to being used as a hoist. There are many accessories available to connect them to a bull bar, bumper, wheel hub or rim, and there is also an off road base available that helps distribute the load the jack places on the ground when being used in sand or soft soil.

A Hi-Lift jack may be more suitable to your needs as it is capable of lifting both the front and rear of your vehicle even if it is down to the chassis in a bog. It will take a little more effort due to manual operation and can be a little harder to store, but with so many uses it’s a handy tool to have with you no matter where you travel.

With regards to air bag assisted suspension, this should not affect your choice of jack. Remember, these jacks are primarily designed to lift the body of your vehicle which allows the suspension to ‘hang’.

If you’d like a demonstration on either jack, get yourself down to one of our stores where our sales team will be more than happy to show you.

Mark ‘Lowmount’ Lowry
(Manager – Product Development & Evaluation)