A few comments from clients on recent training.

Monday, November 16, 2009 at 3:52pm

Anza Borrego State Park classes done through the local national history association 11/14-11/15/09 - http://www.abdnha.org/
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Bill, Just wanted to let you know I learned a lot as usual and most important had a great time doing it. As a teacher I am most impressed by your ability to engender trust to the point that people in the class will do something that they would never try on their own. Tom T.
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Bill - Thanks for yet another great couple of days under your tutelage. I already polished your apple when we finished up yesterday out in Borrego but again, I really appreciate all the great information and the opportunity to put hands-on, recovery wise. I found the course just as helpful, perhaps even a little more, the second time around.

...but being active in the shooting sports and instruction, I see a fair amount of supposed guru's who are big on attitude and philosophy and short on the real stuff. Thanks for being the other kind and for your dedication to introducing the sport. Randy H.
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Bill, Having taken your beginning and advanced course twice thru the Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Assn. I have been highly impressed by your technical knowledge and hands-on experience with what you teach. I had my daughter Suzanne take this course when she had just purchased her brand spanking new FJ cruiser (only one week old) and we climbed the rock road into Sheep Cyn. My younger daughter Alisha and my young cousin Ryan will take your Nov. 14-15 courses next month.

It has been an awakening for me to experience what my old Grand Cherokee can still do (and not do) as I have driven since I was around 9 yrs old, but never a 4x4. Your recovery techniques have given me the confidence I lacked to go places I never would have attempted before. I've been able to utilize your recovery techniques in various ways since I am aware of the limits and capabilities I now possess.

Your teaching methods I find superb, especially as there's nothing as good as "hands-on" learning. You have taught your students to not "wildly" go but "sensibly" go where one hasn't gone before.

As a senior (69) on a fixed retirement income, your courses thru the ABDNHA at your reduced rates have enabled, not only me, but the family members I love to experience and learn what you have to share. Mary Anne P.
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Pacific Northwest:
Hi Bill, I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for this past weeks Trail Leader Training in the Central Cascades. Although I had significant off-road trip experience as a leader, I was blown away at how much I did not know prior to the training. Humbling to say the least.

Suffice to say, I feel way more confident as a trail leader now having attended one of your classes.
Again, muchos gracias! I respect your leadership and your trail presence made it way more enjoyable. Dan C.
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Dusy Ershim Trail:
The Dusy trip was just awesome. Bill was fantastic as usual. I never fail to learns tons from him (though I think you'd have to try really hard not to :). Thanks again. Paul

A personal message from Bill Burke

Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 4:01pm

Twenty-three years ago this month, Rachel and I started 4-Wheeling America. At the time I had recently returned from the Camel Trophy Driver Training course taught by the Land Rover demonstrations team in England. In 1986 Land Rover hadn’t made it to the USA as yet; that was in 1987 with the launch of the Range Rover. Mostly it was Detroits and carburetors and Gumbo Mudders. Mark Smith had taken some Jeeps through the Darien Gap, Harry Lewellyn was teaching some 4x4 classes in So Cal and our sport was just on the edge of the automotive technical breakthrough of fuel injection, long travel suspension and traction enhancement devices. We’ve come a long way, baby!! The sophisticated engine and drivetrain management systems have changed vehicle choice and the gear that goes along with it all.

Over the past couple of years there has been a surge of Off-Road trainers as well. I have always offered trips and training classes that would help my clients be safer, more skillful, adaptable and responsible out there, wherever “there” is!

I haven’t tried to change the face of what we do for sport, recreation, work or mission. Some have come on the scene with a big splash trying to change the name of what it is we do with our vehicles. Others are trying to share their limited experience hiding behind fancy educational degrees that may give them an intellectual edge, but not a real world skill set from which to pool their off-road teaching knowledge. I worry about my clients and potential customers who get mesmerized by the smoke and mirrors of it all. Indeed, I am asked often enough that I write this note to you all now after 23 years, I am finally writing it.

You can call your hobby, vocation, passion, mission parameter, work, travel style anything you like. But it still boils down to operating a vehicle in technical terrain. Whether you are Overlanding, Expeditioning, long-distance camping, back-country camping, fishing, hunting, rock-hounding, photographing the scenery, ‘wheeling or searching for “the bad guys,” consider the reputation and duration that a lifetime of experience and 23 years in business can bring. And don’t forget my dazzling smile!

Rachel and I are committed to offering the best, real world experience and knowledge-based training to you at a reasonable cost in time and money. And we look forward to another 23 years serving your needs for recreation, industrial, military and government 4-wheel drive training.

When making your plans to travel the back country, we hope you’ll visit http://www.bb4wa.com/ and consider our upcoming trips this Fall and Winter in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park (CA), in Moab (UT) and in Southern Arizona.

I hope to see you on the trail.
Bill Burke
http://www.bb4wa.com

How to Use the Hi-Lift Jack as a Hand Winch by Bill Burke

Friday, July 31, 2009 at 8:50am

I have been using the Hi-Lift jack for over 40 years and have never, yep – never - had one break or fail to work! When I was “introduced” to what was called a Swamp Jack the guys that taught me were construction workers in the rigging industry. They took all aspects of recovery seriously. You see, I learned to use the Hi-Lift as a kid to help fix hunting half-tracks, re-align grass rakes on airboats and as a hand winch to get the trucks up slippery boat ramps. All in the Everglades’ swamps with the cutest of critters watching for the opportunity to capitalize on a silly human falling into the murky tannic waters. Can you say: “Gator bait?”

The adults in the hunting crew usually made us kids do all the work. We had to jump into the Sawgrass or Cypress Knee swamp to get the ‘tracks’ or boats back on the route. The first time I used a “swamp-jack” was to pull a tread (much like a bull-dozer tread but lighter) back onto one of the idler wheels. The tread slipped off while the driver was trying to power out of a gator hole we dropped into. My friend and I jumped off into the neck deep water and his dad dropped the Hi-Lift down to us. We attached a chain to the center of the tread and then to the nose of the HLJ. We hooked the top clamp over the 3” angle iron front bumper support between the front wheel and frame.

As we levered the handle in tandem, the loose track began to be pulled forward. Once it aligned with the front idler wheel, my friend held the jack and I used a 4 foot long pry bar to lever the tread over the wheel while one of the adults pushed. Finishing up with adjusting the idler wheel we hopped on board and continued the hunt for big lunker bass!

The ‘adults’ I hunted and fished with were very keen on safety when operating these rigs and the equipment associated with it. I learned at an early age how important safety standards of equipment operation were from these Florida Crackers!

So to get to the point of this article: How to use the Hi-Lift Jack as a hand winch. I shall now endeavor to untangle the entire mass of information!

The Hi-Lift Jack Company has been in operation and owned by the same family for over 100 years. The various attachments and the jack it self are reliable, useful and safe; safe if used according to the directions, lubricated and broken in properly. All the horror stories surrounding the HLJ are from people using the jack improperly, in un-safe conditions, not lubricating the parts and mostly from not understanding the dynamics of this fantastic lever action tool. I will give you some hints about breaking a jack in at the end of this article.

In my HLJ kit I carry an assortment of ¾” Screw Pin shackles (Bow or D type), 12 feet of 3/8” T-70 chain with attached hold hooks, 30 (or more) feet of 3/8” Amsteel Blue winch extension line (you could use 5/16”), two tree straps or rigging slings (3”or4” wide), a rolled up magazine (green tree limb works, 1” Schedule 80 PVC, or other “bung”) of quality paper and at least 80 pages. I also carry all the HLJ accessories like the Lift Mate, Off Road Base and the Off Road Kit. This all makes the HLJ very versatile in all tasks.

The ‘tested’ load is 7000 pounds and the ‘rated’ load is 4660 pounds for all the Hi-Lift Jack jacks. For hand winching the jack is rated at 5000 pounds. The reason I mention these numbers is to give you the industry standards for the safe use and rating of the HLJ. The rated lifting load is reduced for the 60” jacks when working with the top 12” of the jack. These numbers are for the Hi-Lift Jack – there are other lifting jacks out there. The HLJ is the only jack I trust and use – period!

Remember that when we perform our Stuck Assessment and calculate the Mire Factor the GVW of the stuck vehicle may be over the 5000 lb rating of the HLJ – true! However unless the rig is dead-pan stuck we usually are dealing with rolling resistance which is much less than the actual weight of the vehicle. So do the 360 Walk Around and fulfill the Stuck Assessment properly.

There are all sorts of warnings and safety guidelines for safe use of the HLJ. Read and understand them. Break it in, practice with it at home and lubricate it. Refer to the diagram for the parts as labeled. Identifying the parts correctly will help with using this reliable tool properly.

There are very subtle differences between the models of the HLJ line. Color, length and some of the metal parts vary slightly. They all perform the same.

The ‘top clamp’ device on the basic jack is similar to the ‘Extreme Jack’ top clamp in use. The adaptable Extreme Jack top clamp can also be used in place of the ‘foot piece’ in rough terrain if there is concern of the base slipping or for emergency use (read the instructions). Either way during hand winching the top clamp should be ‘in-line’ with the ‘steel standard’. Only use the clamp as a clamp for, well, clamping; or for stringing barb wire for example. The clamp rating is significantly less than the max rating.

DO NOT attach anything to the hole on the bottom end of the ‘lifting nose’ it is a casting gusset and is only used for the safety bolts to keep the Lift Mate, Bumper Adapter or other approved accessories from slipping off the nose.

There are a few different ways to set this rigging up. As I explain it and in the pictures you will see one of those ways in which I rig it.

I generally keep the jack closest to the anchor point. That way I won’t have to move the jack along while the rig moves out of the stuck situation. I will detail a simple rigging - with a tree in just the right position and the sun shining and birds singing and all the equipment easy to get to – and no mosquitoes!

Attach a tree strap low around the tree in a sling rigging. Never choke a strap around a tree. Both eyelets of the strap connected to the ‘bow’ of the shackle and pass the pin of the shackle through the top clamp hole. Ensure the fastener holding the top clamp to the standard is tight!

I leave the foot piece (base) attached to keep the ‘running gear’ from sliding off during the re-rigging of the jack. There are a few ways to attach the chain to the ‘lifting nose’.

1) Wrap the chain in a short choke around the nose – short choke is a small hole. Long choke is a bigger hole.

2) Use a shackle on the nose and then attach the chain to the shackle.

3) HLJ makes an adapter that will attach to chain and will fit the nose of the jack cleanly. I use this device mostly as it is safest. Monitor #1 and #2 when loaded – the jack does get ‘wiggy!’

I like using #3 or the Off-Road Kit adapter since it makes connecting the chain(s) together much safer. Make sure that the chain link is inserted into the hook correctly. Chain used for this type recovery should have “grab” hooks installed on each end. The link must be held inside the mouth of the hook. If using welded link chain make sure the weld is facing out of the mouth – the load is on the non-welded side. Short or long ‘Choke’, make sure the rigging is clean.

Once the chain is installed on the nose of the HLJ stretch the chain out making sure it is straight. The links can twist so look along the length to see that the links align straightly.

If this length is about right for the recovery attach the chain directly to the vehicle recovery point using a rated shackle on a short choke. For a little more length you can use a second tree strap to reach to the recovery point. If you really need more reach, this is where the Amsteel Blue extension comes in to play.

Remember that all ropes, wire and synthetic, should have a thimble on the working end(s). There are many types of thimbles – standard, galvanized, crush-proof, stainless, deep shouldered etc.)

We now have a combination of straps, chains and jack stretching out between our anchor point and vehicle. Probably about 17 feet or so!

So let’s rig the Amsteel. Form a short choke on the loose end of chain. Place a shackle onto the chain and insert the thimble of one end of the Amsteel Blue onto the pin side of the shackle and close it with the screw pin.

Screw pins should be tightened then backed off about ¼ turn. This reduces the need to use a tool to loosen the pin if it gets overly tight during the extraction.

Run the Amsteel Blue out to the vehicle (or depending on rigging the tree). Attach with another shackle to the rated vehicle recovery point. You may have to use two shackles since the thimble on the rope may not link up to the vehicle recovery point because of the size and configuration of the actual connection.

To adjust the length of the Amsteel Blue you can always fold in in half, thirds, quarters or whatever, I use a ‘Chain Hitch.’ The chain hitch will allow you to customize the rope to the exact length. When using synthetic rope be aware that any bend in the rope will compromise the overall strength. Tight bends have more effect than wider bends. Since Amsteel Blue is very strong even with multiple bends while using the chain hitch, the HLJ will be the limiting factor in the rigging.

The Chain Hitch, Truckers Knot, or other alias is actually very easy to rig. It just takes practice. Keep the ‘bung’ close! At either end (I use the chain end) where the thimble is now attached to the screw pin, rotate the thimble around the screw pin taking the rope around. You will end up with 3 pieces of rope coming off the pin, -- a loop has just been formed (2 pieces) and the rope that goes back to the anchor the 3rd.

The loop is considered ‘standing’ and the single loose rope is called ‘working.’ Take the loop and make it longer so the bend is past the thicker part of the splice from the thimble. The rope will be ‘thinner.’ It doesn’t matter if the loop is on the right or left – but try to keep it on the same side as you make this series of loops. The working end will continue to be running to the anchor. Keep your hands away from each other and with the hand that is holding the loop use your fingers to reach through and pull (feed with the other hand) the working part through to form another loop.

Keep doing this until the rope gets tight as possible. You can do one big loop or several loops. To secure the rope at this point is called ‘putting it on a bight.’ Basically it just making a very small loop but not passing the working end through to make another loop. Take the ‘bung’ and insert it into the small-not-passed-through-loop and snug it up so the bung stops the rope from slipping and the loop from loosening. Easy, right? It does take practice!

I use a green limb, rolled up magazine, shackle pin or other larger diameter device, called a Bung, to be the stopping item to keep the chain hitch tight and on a bind. This is called putting the rope in a bight. If using a magazine it should have thick paper pages, over 80 pages in size and with Duct Tape wrapped around the middle where the rope will be on the bight. No, not the Rovers North catalogue but the Town and Country rag will work!

Once the rope is tightened as best as can be, grab hold of the chain and pull it tight. Like super tight! The chain is the last step in this rigging process. It is the most important link and must be as tight as possible. When ‘pulling’ chain and making the connection of the hook try to not pull on the hook with your hand holding it directly, since it may cause fumbling and you will have to hassle with the connection. I place my hand just behind the hook. The hook hangs loosely as I pull the chain tight using both hands. Let the hook grab a link by lifting up on the hook end making sure the link is secure in the hook.

Now it is time to work the jack. Be sure to engage the Reversing Latch in the upright position, keep the jack climbing mechanism out of the dirt or mud as best you can – use floor mats, carpet strips or a tarp. Stand erect and use your legs to lever the handle back and forth. It is helpful to have a buddy hold the base of the jack for stability while working the jack. You will have control of the jack so just stand up and work the handle and move the rig out of the stuck situation.

Vehicle safety is important. Having a driver in control of the rig is nice, brakes on when needed, steering control and maybe even helping with some slight wheel spin. Be sure to “chock and block” the wheels as needed when re-rigging the HLJ set up. If the vehicle has a tendency to move back into place the HLJ Off-Road kit helps keep this from happening. The kit has devices that will help hold the vehicle while you re-rig the HLJ for the next pull.

Once you have used up the jack length and have to re-rig the HLJ to get another pull make sure the vehicle will be stable. Move the reversing lever down (to the reverse direction) and work the handle to loosen the load on the jack. Be very careful here! The load on the handle can spring it back when lowering the mechanism. Hold onto the handle tightly and climb the mechanism “down” the I-beam standard. Once the load is off the jack climbing mechanism it should slide down to the base.

Tighten the chain (and/or rope also), engage the reversing lever up for lifting and start the process all over. You may have to re-rig a few times or the vehicle may come out after only one length of the jack.

Take your time, work slowly, methodically and calculated. Be patient and safe.

I know you will have many years of good service with the Hi-Lift Jack just like I have. A quality multi-use tool that every 4-wheeler should have!

See you on the trail.

BB

See more notes

Bill Burke's 4-Wheeling America's Notes

A few comments from clients on recent training.Nov 16, 2009

A personal message from Bill BurkeNov 16, 2009

How to Use the Hi-Lift Jack as a Hand Winch by Bill BurkeJul 31, 2009

Breaking in the Hi-Lift Jack by Bill BurkeJul 31, 2009

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