Need some oppinions..

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

i've been extremely broke lately, well, last 6 months anyway.
well, i picked up another xj, because mine had expensive repairs that i couldnt do alone..

right now my jeep is stock height, sometime next month i plan to put my 3" lift on it..

my question is, i have about $3-400 to spend on the jeep, and im just going threw the list of necessitys, i no longer have any trail tools, i have a spare but no jack, with the lift i'll need a hi-jack (48") and i only have one shackle left, no tow strap, etc i just happened to loose stuff in the course of this last year.

but i've been thinkin about a locker (aussie)

should i spend the money on a locker in this situation? my wants are on one shoulder, my needs are on the other.. and im tired of lookin like a crack head tweekin back and forth:confused1

heres my list of needs
shackle/strap
hi-lift
Elcheapo 204pc Tool set for trail
tire gauge
small first aid kit

wants
aussie locker
760x joints for my front shafts
more fog lights...

i never wheel alone, but yet i feel irresponsible if i dont have the basic tools in the crowd. i already have towpoints front and rear. and a sparetire.
i dont wanna have to rely on someone else if i get stuck with no strap, or if i need to change my tire.. but yet i know most people already have this stuff. so is it an easy answer? just stick with what i need?

i can always get the locker later.. but then the evil side says i can get the other stuff later..

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

opinions* cant type worth crap today

[mojojojo]

my thoughts on hi-lifts for what its worth....

one of the first purchases everyone seems to make (including me). but yet they seem to be the last tool used on the trail.

when you are jacking up a lifted vehicle on uneven ground it takes forever to max out the suspension before the rig is actually off the ground. i have used the hi-lift handle as a tool more than the the jack itself. in the 3+ years i have had mine i think i actually used it 1 time and it was only to stabelize the rig while it was up on a cpl bottle jacks.

save the money and go buy a cpl cheap jackstands and a cpl bottle jacks from a junk yard.



they sure look cool mounted on a tough lookin rig though

:cheers:

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

hmm what if i just picked up a cheap farm jack (hi-lift replica)

i know using a hi-lift can be scary.. but will bottlejacks be ideal for trailside?
taken jackstands on a wheelin trip sounds scary. if for some reason something happened, i dont really want one comin at me! :eye:

[mojojojo]

here is my experience. . .

typically when i have needed to raise the vehicle it is the axle or tire that needs to come off the ground. so a bottle jack has served me well. the axles are only 15 - 18" off the ground depending on tire size. i keep 2 bottle jacks and a cpl blocks of wood under the rear seat and a jackstand tucked away safely inside the rubbermaid bin in the back. the only times i have seen a hi-lift put to good use has been when someone needed a lil lift off of a rock or obstical or when suspension issues need addressed. they are great for drooping the rear leaves to change a u-bolt or broken leaf for example.

i guess my theory (right or wrong) is, would you rather spend 15 minutes jacking up the rig 4 feet till the suspension unloads and the tire comes off the ground or spend 3 minutes popping a bottle jack under the axle and then setting it safely down on a sturdy jack stand ?

i'm not saying don't get one or you wont need one. just putting a priority on it.

and as for the cheap "farm jack". i purchased my first and last one of those 10+ years ago. 3 words - hunk O' shit !
just my opinion. . .

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

here is my experience. . .

typically when i have needed to raise the vehicle it is the axle or tire that needs to come off the ground. so a bottle jack has served me well. the axles are only 15 - 18" off the ground depending on tire size. i keep 2 bottle jacks and a cpl blocks of wood under the rear seat and a jackstand tucked away safely inside the rubbermaid bin in the back. the only times i have seen a hi-lift put to good use has been when someone needed a lil lift off of a rock or obstical or when suspension issues need addressed. they are great for drooping the rear leaves to change a u-bolt or broken leaf for example.

i guess my theory (right or wrong) is, would you rather spend 15 minutes jacking up the rig 4 feet till the suspension unloads and the tire comes off the ground or spend 3 minutes popping a bottle jack under the axle and then setting it safely down on a sturdy jack stand ?

i'm not saying don't get one or you wont need one. just putting a priority on it.

and as for the cheap "farm jack". i purchased my first and last one of those 10+ years ago. 3 words - hunk O' shit !
just my opinion. . .
Well' you've been doing this awhile, and i respect your opinion, a hi-lift is kind of expensive, annoying to store etc, so i think i'll just stick to the bottle jacks i already have. thanks for the tip. for now it will save me a few coins, and i can always buy one later if i ever find myself "wishing i had one" :paperwork

[ECKSJAY]

when you are jacking up a lifted vehicle on uneven ground it takes forever to max out the suspension before the rig is actually off the ground.

Ratchet strap around the axle and back onto the body takes care of that. I can have a tire off the ground in a few clicks of the hi-lift. ;)

[Bruno™]

Ratchet strap around the axle and back onto the body takes care of that. I can have a tire off the ground in a few clicks of the hi-lift. ;)

Never thought of that. Makes mucho sense though, will keep that in mind if the time comes....*when* the time comes.

-Lyle

[Muddy Beast]

Ratchet strap around the axle and back onto the body takes care of that. I can have a tire off the ground in a few clicks of the hi-lift. ;)

The trick is, where on the "body"? I know of that technique...but could never figure out where I would put the straps.

~Scott

[2xtreme]

Just my opinion.
1. I can't imagine wheeling without a hi-lift. I have used mine so many times on and off the trail I couldn't come close to counting. In fact, I have used it on several occasion more than a 1/2 dozen times on the same trail. Bottle jacks can be unreliable and unsafe on the trail.

2. If you are broke. Don't lift the jeep or go wheeling. Spend the money on what you NEED (food, shelter, etc) then pay off debt, then put it away for a "rainy day".

Again, just my opinions,
Michael

[ECKSJAY]

The trick is, where on the "body"? I know of that technique...but could never figure out where I would put the straps.

~Scott

Drill a hole. Put a bolt there. Put a winch bumper on, use the spots there... There are all kinds of places to put the hooks. :D

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Just my opinion.
1. I can't imagine wheeling without a hi-lift. I have used mine so many times on and off the trail I couldn't come close to counting. In fact, I have used it on several occasion more than a 1/2 dozen times on the same trail. Bottle jacks can be unreliable and unsafe on the trail.

2. If you are broke. Don't lift the jeep or go wheeling. Spend the money on what you NEED (food, shelter, etc) then pay off debt, then put it away for a "rainy day".

Again, just my opinions,
Michael


#1: thanks for your input. im still up in the air.

#2: this has nothing to do with personal finances, i was meaning broke as in, no hobby money. my jeep is my hobby. sometimes you have to scale back, and i have for awhile, i find it is time to get some needed stuff taken care of with this hobby and have some fun again:farmer:

[mud1059]

March is membership month.

If I were you, I'd spend it on school. It's an investment in one's future. :)