Self-recovery equipment for stock or close-to-stock vehicles

[Bergum]

Hilift and chain. This can move your car in any direction.
Axe. To make good platform for the hilift, can fill a hole under the tire that has sunken in. To remove the tree that has you pinned in.
Ham radio, for when everything else fails.
Good friends, to help you with the car, the bonfire, and the good conversations...



B4x4.no

[John E]

has anyone thought about a short handled hoe to go along with a shovel?

Pulling sand/dirt away from an axle or differential can be a lot easier than trying to lift it out with just a shovel.

[I Leak Oil]

Can't have too many ExPo hoes....

[robert]

Lots of folks seem to prefer the floor-jack over a bottle jack since they are more stable. You see them in a decent number of desert trucks. I know I don't have room for one though.

[I Leak Oil]

I can't afford to give up the space or extra weight of a floor jack either. Plus, I've found a bottle jack to be far more useful and fits in much tighter spots.
If time is what you're looking to save a floor jack is certainly your friend.

[Snarky]

My FJ was the MOST plastic cladded vehicle. That doesnt affect the hi-lifts use as a winch from factory recovery points.

My truck had OEM tube sliders, you can use a high lift with an adapter for these to lift up tires and slide traction material under them. I would get a set of sliders (you can see if your dealership can offer you some factory ones for your vehicle) and a hi-lift. Plus get the tube adapter and the equipment to use it as a winch. It's a multitool.

I did have my Hi-lift mounted to the factory roof rack for a while. Most vehicles have these.

Conversely you can carry a hundred pound winch on a receiver plater, and mount it to the rear when you go out. It'll pull you out of the obstacle not get you through. Less useful than a hi-lift for self recovery, 5 times more expensive. Probably 40 pounds heavier.

[olsen_karl]

I have a Hi-Lift "lift mate" adapter that lets you jack up a vehicle by the wheels:
http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/lift-mate.html

Haven't used it yet though. Looks like it should work fine.

[HillbillyfromAL]

I have a Hi-Lift "lift mate" adapter that lets you jack up a vehicle by the wheels:
http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/lift-mate.html

Haven't used it yet though. Looks like it should work fine.

These words are usually heard when said object fails to perform its function


Try it out or don't bother to carry it. Not just wheel adapters but any recovery gear. A hi-lift/farm jack is a great multi purpose tool, but people should really take the time to learn how to use it. Same goes for winch, axe, shovel you name it. Tow straps are not designed for and should never be used as a tree strap. It would safer to take the cable/rope around the tree, and yes it will most likely damage the tree. After seeing a shackle, hook and wire go through the windshield and rear window of a truck because they decided to use the tow strap for a winch anchor I would never let someone do it without at least warning them and clearing the area.

[Metcalf]

Tow straps are not designed for and should never be used as a tree strap. It would safer to take the cable/rope around the tree, and yes it will most likely damage the tree. After seeing a shackle, hook and wire go through the windshield and rear window of a truck because they decided to use the tow strap for a winch anchor I would never let someone do it without at least warning them and clearing the area.

While I agree that tow straps are not ideal to use for a tree strap, I don't generally see THAT big of a difference. A tow strap is going to be dynamic, but is rated for the full vehicle capacity if not more. Most tow straps are rated at 20-30K if not more.

How was the tow strap rigged that failed?

[TwoTrack]

My FJ was the MOST plastic cladded vehicle. That doesnt affect the hi-lifts use as a winch from factory recovery points.

I have Ford Ranger, stock bumpers with no sliders. I do have 2 factory tow hooks in the front and a L3 hitch in the back. I have used the hi-lift 4 times to winch myself out of situations I shouldn't of been in to begin with. It does take some time but when you're stuck you aren't going anywhere fast anyway.

I have a Hi-Lift "lift mate" adapter that lets you jack up a vehicle by the wheels. Haven't used it yet though. Looks like it should work fine.

I also have this and its incredible. I can use it on the two front tow hooks to lift the entire front, I can use it on my L3 hitch to lift the back and I can lift any tire. I've lifted the rear a few times to "repair" the tracks so I could drive out.

Even for a stock vehicle the Hi-Lift is a great tool IMO. It's my go to tool, right after my shovel.