I have seen some video's of people using them as come alongs as well as jacks, all though if your only going to use it for that it might be cheaper to just buy a come along.

 

That's true, if you don't have a winch, a hi-lift can be used as a come-a-long. But an actual come-a-long is cheaper, easier to use and safer to use than a hi-lift jack.

 

as far as your tire deflators go i have these and they work good.

only takes a second to set them up and are pretty close every time. i have used them 3 or 4 times and have them set for 15 psi.

and as for an air compressor, this is the one that i have. works good for stock size tires and is kind of quick. not going to set a record with it but, it gets the job done for a decent price. it comes with an inline gauge that isnt spot-on accurate, but it will get you close. i just carry a tire gauge anyway to check what i am air down at and what i put back in before i hit the highway.

of course these are just my suggestions. i own both of these items and would buy them again. the tire deflators are the best price i could find and look to be the same thing that 4 wheel parts sells for a much cheaper price. there are better air compressors out there, but i didnt want to spend a lot of money. i am pleased with what i have and how it works.

good luck with the wheeling and your purchases.

 

hi-lift jacks can definitely be helpful for many different purposes. For changing tires when wheeling, for use as a come-a-long like said above. It can even be used to brake a bead on a tire if needed. I think the biggest reason tho is if you get a flat tire and are in truck with bigger tires than stock and lifted, and are off roading your stock jack is not going to do a thing for you, the high lift tho will be able to lift it high enough to put your spare on. I view high-lift jacks as one of those things that is good to have so that hopefully you wont ever need it. It always seems that when you don't have something is when you really need it.

 

I use the stock scissor jack on the Blazer with a little adapter to put it under the axle to change a tire. I carry a F/S pickup scissor jack on the Jeep. I can change a 44" tire with the bigger scissor jack, and I don't have to worry about it killing me when the truck falls on me.

 

i have actually used my hi lift a few times offroad. my front bumper is kinda high and have had a few blown beads and flats in my years out there. and i even used it as a come along to become unstuck with my first s10. what a pain in the butt, took like a hour to move 5 feet but its better then sitting out there all night.

one thing i recommend keeping with your highlift too is like a 12x12 inch piece of metal or thick wood, if you find yourself needed the highlift in the mud it will just dig right into the ground

also i agree dont use those cheep crappy tow straps with hooks. those are more for pulling, like if you break down on the road and need to be pulled a block home, but for a 6000lb truck slamming you out of a mud hole, get at least a 27,000lb strap. i ran one of those for about 5 years in my fullsized truck, never broke it, finally retired it when it got really cut up

on a die note, dont get too big. i have a 65,000lb strap at home and that thing has no bungee. its like using a chain

 

agreed about that big as strap. my buddy keeps a few huge straps they keep in the dump trucks at his dads work and they are rock hard. you cant even roll the thing up!!

as for high lifts i never really use it either. only when i slide my truck off the trailer and have to jack the wheels off from catching on ****. they are so unstable its crazy. and if you have a truck as big as mine it is fully extended before the tire comes off the ground since the only good points you can jack with the high lift are the bumpers. then you are jacking up the suspension and have to wait untill the springs go through their decompression cycle. just a huge PITA but they have their uses. like getting stuck brake drums off.

 

You can use them to straighten a cab so you can install a windshield, and close the door again. Redneck shop press.

 

you just made me remember another time, towing the s10 to the offroad park i got a flat on the trailer. that jack was made for car trailers, very simple to mount and use.

i wonder if you can use two high lifts to compress a spring to change a strut