Nearly everyone I know who owns a Hi-Lift jack also owns one of the ubiquitous red plastic base plates, which hugely enhance flotation in soft sand or mud. Recently ARB introduced their own base plate, which is of course designed to accept the rounded base of the ARB hydraulic jack. However, ARB cleverly molded the recess so it will also accept a Hi-Lift, and furthermore I found it fits many bottle jacks as well, which the red Hi-Lift base plate will not. So if you have a Hi-Lift but haven’t yet bought a base for it, consider the more versatile ARB version. Bonus: If you ever decide to spring for that pricey but superb ARB Jack, you’ll be ahead of the game.
What are the best options for safely mounting a Hi-Lift Jack in a Wrangler?
A lot of people I see driving Wranglers around Denver have a Hi-Lift bolted on somewhere, bumper, back door hinges, etc.
What's the best option for a properly and safely secured Hi-Lift? I don't want to be drilling holes. And by properly secured, I assume not just thrown in the back of the Jeep, either.
I think the best I've seen so far is this http://www.quadratec.com/products/92200_9001.htm mounting on the back of the roll cage, where the jack is actually inside and so won't get dirty/rusty, driven into or fall off.
- David Mallinson, Denver, CO, USA (via email)