Any news on when ARB's new 'JACK' will be available in US?

pluton

Adventurer
Hi-Lift or the new ARB jack is arguably one of the most unsafe ways to service or change a tire. Another obvious down fall IMO is its not mechanical and add in the suggested cost I cant see any reason to own one.

A factory Toyota jack with an Jack Adapter is a much more reliable and safe way to service or change a tire.
I always have the factory Toyota jack with 1x1' plywood squares attachable to the base, and if going really remote I'll bring either a Humvee scissors jack ($40 on ebay) or an aluminum floor jack. I once bought a HiLift. Carried it a couple of times, then realized there was no way to use it on the mostly stock vehicle. I think I tossed it into the trash.
 

old .45

Observer
About the video...... that guy is doing something VERY stupid... he should have the handle secured up right to the jack mast..... put your other hand on top of the mast to help stablise it... wear gloves! yYou can be in a world of hurt if something fails or slips, also get rid of the cotter pin there are better options to hold the foot on...... same, same with the jack handle. this guy looks like an amateur. Oh once lifted it might be a good idea to put a jack stand under the axle al while wrestling with a spare tire. Lot's of bad practices here to say the least. Would not want to go on any trips with him! my .02 worth
 

sonoronos

Usually broken down on the side of the road
I've always wondered why someone hasn't just copied the Hi-Lift using forged 7075 aluminum for the beam, 6061 for the handle, etc. Lots of weight could be saved, and still keep the jack in the realm of reason price wise. A very light #4,000 pound version would be great for most of us.

Due to the way that the hi-lift jack operates, aluminum - even 7075 - would probably not last very long in the beam. You'd probably have a big chance of stress-facturing in the holes of the beam.

7075 aluminum's elastic modulus is almost a third that of steel. You'd have to beef up the cross section of the beam quite a bit to match the stiffness of the stock steel beam. This is very important because of the way that the hi-lift works (its very operation depends on the beam stiffness being high.) The cost of a 7075 beam of that thickness would be very, very expensive.

The aluminum handle might make some small difference in weight, but unfortunately, it would be a fraction of the total weight of the jack. You could always just use your own aluminum tube on your existing hi-lift :)
 

RacerAV

Active member
Unfortunately, I think options for good strong jacks will be limited by liability concerns. I've always wondered why someone hasn't just copied the Hi-Lift using forged 7075 aluminum for the beam, 6061 for the handle, etc. Lots of weight could be saved, and still keep the jack in the realm of reason price wise. A very light #4,000 pound version would be great for most of us.
ive always thought the same things...
 

sonoronos

Usually broken down on the side of the road
I think as long as you are mindful of the beam stiffness of the AGM product, it should probably be superior to the steel beam in most other respects. The pin loading on the holes might be an issue over time (due to a combination of fatigue limit and shear strength), but probably not within the life of the hi-lift when it comes to how often most off-roaders use their hi-lift (not often :))

I guess of all the uses for 7075-T651, a hi-lift beam is a decent one - it's a simple structure and there's no welding involved.
 
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