Carry your Hi-Lift AND 3 lights on your hood!
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS COPYRIGHT 2011 BY JeepGunner.com
ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED.
ANY AND ALL LINKS TO THIS PAGE MUST NOT SHOW THIS PAGE IN "FRAMES".
The Hi-Lift jack is a necessary tool for off-road adventures. I have used mine several times to help others out - people that really should have had their own - and have used it for many of my own tasks. They work very well to change the tires on Palomino tent trailers! If you plan to go off road, get and carry a Hi-Lift.
If you ask any 10 people how they carry their Hi-Lift jack on the trail, you will find that about half never carry one because they can't find a place to carry it - especially on a mostly stock TJ. The other 5 will give you answers ranging from an aftermarket bumper with swing-out tire carrier/Hi-Lift holder to mounting it using bungee cords and tying it to their roll bar. An aftermarket bumper is great - but I certainly don't recommend the bungee cords.
We found a much better solution at the 2005 SEMA Show. I have seen hood mounts that will take a Hi-Lift before, but I was unable to contact the one company that I heard of that made them. While visiting with KC HiLiTES at SEMA, Michael showed me their new TJ Hood Mount Utility Bar. He had one shipped to us the next week and we got to work. It has been a welcome addition.
It comes in a relatively plain brown box with some good instructions and new mounting hardware for the hood hinge bolts. The mounting hardware is better than the factory hood hinge bolts, and those are the only things you need to work with to mount the bar. It is a very easy installation.
When you unpack the bar itself you will find that it is made of some good, hefty metal - far better than the other hood mount I once encountered on the trail. You don't need to worry about having your Hi-Lift go flying in the event of a collision with this product. Some might worry that it will hit the windshield if the hood is raised. You don't need to worry about any of it, it works fine.
The top of the Utility Bar has two channels designed to take one carriage bolt each. These bolts point upwards and are fully adjustable. You just set the Hi-Lift over these bolts, and an included wing nut on each bolt is used to secure the Hi-Lift. All of the hardware you need is included, and this is a true bolt-on kit.
Installation consists of removing the six factory bolts holding the hood onto the hood hinges, placing the Utility Bar over the hinges, and affixing it with the bolts and lock washers included. You will need a Torx 40 screwdriver or socket bit to remove the factory bolts. They are not re-used in this installation.
After the new bolts are tightened, if you don't want to install any lights you are done. Slide the carriage bolts in, set your Hi-Lift on top, secure it with the wing nuts, and go.
We have liked having the Hi-Lift on the hood better than any other way we have carried it. Just make sure that you give it a lube treatment every few months to keep it in optimum condition. We did find that the Hi-Lift Handle Keeper works better for us than the Daystar Jack Handle Isolator. The Hi-Lift product can be removed without taking off the top clamp/clevis.
The Hood Mount Utility Bar also has three tabs to mount three standard lights. KC HiLiTES recommends their #1762 2"x6" rectangular Competition Light. These are spot lights. They can be mounted so that they are underneath the tabs, ending up just above the hood between the hood and the utility bar - making a very low-profile installation. You can also mount lights above the tabs - just make sure that you don't obstruct the drivers view. We experimented with a number of setups and found several that worked - including having the center light sitting above the tab. Use what works for you. We keep the center light aimed straight, and the other two lights aimed off to the sides.
The light mounts are standard tabs and lights are mounted using the nuts and bolts included with the lights. The wiring is the most difficult part of the installation - and it's not hard.
We used a KC HiLiTES #6315 2-light Deluxe Wiring Harness kit and a KC HiLiTES #6316 2-light Add-On Wiring Harness for this installation. This setup will handle up to four lights, but we used only three of the connections (since there are only three tabs for lights on the Utility Bar). The fourth light connection is sitting under the hood awaiting some potential future use.
Because we are making this a permanent part of our Project Jeep, we elected to drill a hole in the hood just under the Utility Bar, through which we passed the wiring. As there are several support channels under the hood, you need to find a location that you can safely drill through - taking into account the routing of the wires underneath. We found an ideal spot, and used it.
When we were done we cleaned all of the wiring up and used cable ties to secure it. There is enough flex in the cables to allow the hood to open, but not enough to let them touch any operating components under the hood.
The KC HiLiTES wiring kits include everything you need. You get the relays, switch, wiring, and some cable ties to clean it all up.
We mounted the switch on the lower center bezel on the dash, and the relays on the inside of the firewall near the batteries.
The rest of the wiring was very simple, and there is plenty of wire to reach just about any location - certainly more than was needed to reach the Hood Mount Utility Bar. Everything is run through a protective grommet we used in the small hole in the hood.
The only issue we encountered was making sure that the wires clear the path of the washer jets. The jets can also be adjusted by placing a small needle into the opening, and re-aiming them if required. Zip-ties can be used to hold the wires out of the way. There is a place to use them on the bottom of the Utility Bar.
Another question I am often asked is if the Hi-Lift hits the antennas when the hood is raised. When the base is positioned as shown, there is no problem.
You will also find that the Hi-Lift sits better if you take the metal clip that holds the handle to the body and turn it up before putting the Hi-Lift on the Utility Bar. The follow photo will show you what we mean.
The last tweak was that we found it better to switch to a Hi-Lift Handle Keeper rather than the Daystar unit we had been using. It is designed to slide over the top clamp/clevis, making the jack easier to use overall. It has not come off when driving on or off-road.
Lastly, here is how the whole thing looks together...
And here is how it helps to light up the night...
So how does the whole thing hold up?
I am happy to report that after trips to Moab and many other off-road and rock crawling trails in Utah, it has held up fine. The Hi-Lift has never come loose, and we have been through some pretty hard maneuvers on the trail. The bar itself could not be any more solid, and I can't find any drawbacks to it. It has my solid recommendation.
We especially recommend it to anyone in SAR. It keeps the Hi-Lift in easy reach AND gives you the ability to add more lights. That's always a good thing.
James Bell Jr.
For More Information Contact:
HC HiLiTES
PO Box 155
Williams, AZ 86046
928-635-2607 Voice