I think I found a good spot for a Hi-Lift in the 05+ that seems to be pretty solid. I bought the 4 foot version and found that it actually fits under the rear seats. The seats lock down tight and hold the jack down solid enough that it doesn't rattle or slide back and forth or side to side. The seats come down snug, so I don't believe that the weight of the jack could force the seat bottoms to come undone in a rollover. I like that it's out of the way and not taking up any space on the inside. I had considered getting the mount for it if that plan failed, but it's nice that it's not on the exterior collecting dirt and mud. What do you guys think as far as the seats popping open on a roll over?

The key questions are:

How strong, rather than how snug, the clips that hold the seat in are...

...and, is there a funny looking bulge/wear hole forming beneath the seats?



On the older X's like mine, the 48" jack fits behind the rear seat backs, and is easy to store there...and I have also put it ontop of the rear seats, belted down, w/o a problem.

On the newer X's, If the undersides of the rear seats is jack puncture/rub resistant...and the clips are strong enough, I think its a great spot.



Also - You might be able to upgrade the clips to latches, etc...that WOULD be strong enough, and/or add a plate to the seat bottoms to protect them from jack intrusion, etc.



Take some pics, it sounds interesting.

Do you sacrifice comfortability when you sit on the seats at all?

Also, I'm not sure if its anything like the first Gen., where under the seat cushions is metal (should be). But if so, maybe consider drilling a couple holes and bolting your jack down, like maybe with some wing nuts.

Roll overs are something to consider, but i would be more worried about offroading over large bumps and steep declines (possibly at the same time)... or something. Or maybe the comfortability of passenger when going over speed bumps. or the possibility of when you go over speed bumps, it pops a seat cushion. [Razz]

Point is, it would be nice to secure it with hardware.

I've got mine thrown in right behind the seats in the cargo area. I have no problems in getting it from either dropping the seats or by the hatch.

I bolted vertically on my spare tire carrier.

I used to have it on the roof until I came to the conclusion that it was just dangerous up there. Putting up there took some effort, and god forbid it ever unbolted itself and fell off the consequences would be catastrophic for the person behind me, or on the trail blasting through my rear window,or into my roof, etc..

I kept it inside as well, but didnt like the idea of having a 40+lb projectile in the event of a severe accident or rollover. I personally wouldnt keep it inside the truck unless it was BOLTED down.. But that's just me.

Yeah - I used the seatbelts to hold it down on the back seat, or tie down straps to secure it behind the back seats in the cargo area...you absolutely want it to stay still...and be accessible if needed.

If he puts a plate under the rear seats and installs a sturdy latching mechanism, I think it could work though, albeit on the pre-'05's, there's just not that kind of clearance.

I'd love to see a pic or three showing the room there on the '05+'s though.

Yeah, I will post pics of it, but you guys will have to be patient for the pics. A couple months ago, I dropped my wifes camera in the drink while taking a picture of a fish I had caught. I did get her a new one for Christmas, but I will try to get her sisters so that I can post them here for you to see before that. I did check the comfort of the seat with and without the jack and didn't notice a change as far as rear passengers are concerned. They were pretty uncomfortable both ways. After placing the jack under the seat, I sat on the seat and bounced around for a few on it to see if I would notice it being there; it does leave a small "footprint" in the rugging under the seat where the jack makes contact, but I didn't notice any deformation in the metal under the seat. It puts just enough pressure along the jack bar to keep it tight. I tried pulling and tugging on it by sliding my hand under the front of the seat and grabbing onto it and it doesn't move . I found it only fits one way this snug; by placing the top of the jack toward the driver's side and the handle of the jack towards the front of the car. Any other way and the runner on the jack won't fit right underneath the seat. Oh, you do have to remove the foot plate on the jack. I just put the cotter pin back into the plate and slid it under the rug flap where the factory jack is. I took the truck for a spin down a few rough roads to check out the rattle factor, hit a rocky trail to check for shift. I'll tell ya, it didn't move a mm. I'm thinking just to be safe, I may screw down a mounting plate, or something to that effect, to where the top and bottom of the jack hit the floor for running a mounting strap through just to be safe if I do roll. I think between the strap and the seat bottoms down snug, the bottoms won't pop open. Anyway, :rolleyes: I will post pics as soon as possible.

On a sidebar, what do the little truck icons mean under my name?

that's your rating, the more trucks you have the more helpful you've been, the less trucks you have the more of a troll the rest of XOC has made you out to be

If you go to your "Profile" you can see the options to rate others, and set your preferences, etc.

The icons are supposed to be a troll warning, but a lot of people tend to use it to express disagreement with your post even if you weren't trolling,

IE: You accidentally wander into a political discussion, and post anything.



If you are especialy helpful, people may rate you with 5 trucks. The same thing can happen in the political threads...one side trolls you, the other side trucks you.

etc.

I bolted my hi-lift into the Utili-track on my '05 using a 4x4 Rac.

I guess you don't normally have too much gear back there.



If I put mine there, It would take me 1/2 hour to get at it if I needed it.

the jack location under the seat bottoms, can the seat backs still fold down flat?

You know, I haven't tried to see if it did. But, the seat bottoms have to be removed in order to fold the seat backs down flat. The seat bottoms are what is helping to keep that jack tight and in place under the seats. So, if you were to actually remove them, I don't think it would be very safe to keep the jack down there. If you fold the seats down flat frequently, I think that a different placement option would be a better idea.

you don't have to remove the seat bottoms to lay the seats flat in the 05's.

Oh, yeah, you're right. Seat bottoms tuck right up against the back of the front seats. I still wouldn't do that with the jack on the floor under there, though. By the way, sorry no pics yet. I actually thought about unwrapping the camera, taking a few shots, wrapping it back up, and putting it back under the tree. Would that make me a bad person?

I wouldn't do it either. Not for safety sake as if the seats are folded down you probably have enough weaight on the back of them to hold them there, but the fact that then the jack would be up against the front of the seat backs.

I'm gonna just mount mine on the roof rack and be done with it.

I, like most off-roaders, have a high lift jack. I have owned said high lift jack for about 8 years. I have yet to use high-lift jack for anything except show and tell. I suppose with certain suspension failures, it would come in handy for repair. I was wondering how many others have a high lift jack they have never used?

I rotate my own tires...if you ever have to change a flat or re-seat a blown bead, etc...it comes in handy.

I use the winch to do the unstuck routine, but I can't really use the winch as a jack.

I spun a t-bar in the Pine Barrens for example...I blew a bead at Paragon....w/o a hi-lift, there's no way I could have repaired it.

But, most of the time.....its just along for the ride...pretty much just like my spare tire, which, as I've never had to use the spare offroad....at least not on the X...had to on the Jeeps once in a blue moon.

So, I carry a spare tire and a hi-lift around for nothing most of the time....but, its that tiny percentage that they can be handy that justifies it.

And for the small cost of the hi-lift, it gives you a pieces of mind knowing ya got it if ya need it.

For those with an 05/06, where the heck can you use your jack?

My 05 is cursed with plastic bumpers. Short of getting the hook accessory that goes through the wheel, where can you use your jack? If you've added an aftermarket bumper or sliders it would be useful.

Even for us Pre 05's only way is after market sliders, bumpers. Me it's the Sliders.

That's a great point....without sliders, a hi-lift is not going to be of much use....

They do make tire slings, and other accessories, that can allow you to use it w/o sliders....but, if you are off roading, you really need sliders anyway.

Yes, same on the new generation X's. No where to use the jack on it stock.

Sliders are not high on my list here in FL. Not much in the way of rocks to worry about. Sugar sand and gooey mud are an issue though.

I have seen people pick up the ass end of their vehicles using the hitch. Would probably have to use the wheel hooks to do anything with the front end.