Uncle Jon’s Rookie Mistakes: Rushing a High-Lift Jack Operation
Written By Uncle Jon
I thought I was making quick work of a tire change on a slick clay incline, right up until that mechanical monster decided to show me who was actually in control.
Years back, I had a rear tire pinned in a deep rut and needed to lift the bumper high enough to stack some traction boards underneath. I set up my high-lift jack, cranked the vehicle up, and got the job done fast. But I got sloppy when it came time to bring it back down. I reached in with one hand on the top bar while carelessly letting the handle down with the other, completely stepping into the sweep of the steel bar. The handle slipped out of my grip, caught the full weight of the truck, and came whipping back up like a sledgehammer, missing my jaw by less than an inch before clattering off the frame.
That near-miss made one thing crystal clear: high-lift jacks are unforgiving mechanical beasts that require your absolute, undivided attention every single second they carry a load. The moment you rush or lose respect for the kinetic tension stored in that handle, you are courting a trip to the emergency room.
If you want to avoid my mistake, never place any part of your head, arm, or body inside the arc of the jack handle while raising or lowering a load. Stop taking your eyes off the mechanism, and never attempt to operate one without total control over the handle's movement.
Instead, always keep a firm, two-handed grip on the handle until it is fully locked in the upright position against the steel bar. Position your body to the side of the jack so if the handle ever does kick back, it swings safely past you, and make sure the jack is set on a wide, stable base before you take the vehicle's weight off the ground.
