High Lift Jack Installation
by Bill Maloney (OVLR)
I recently installed a Hi-Lift Jack on the bulkhead of my 88 behind the front seats. The mounting kit I used is made by Hi-Lift and if you are unable to source one locally send $15.95 (include shipping) to:
Bloomfield Manufacturing Co,
Dept. JP
P.O. 228
Bloomfield, IN 47424
Hi-Lift also sells their jack under other names. Mine was a "Hired-Hand" from Sears - it lists the same parent company address & PO box on the label.
When asking on the Internet about possible locations I got received the following suggestions:
FRONT BUMPER - Easy access but exposed to the elements and pilfering
REAR RH OUTER PANEL VERTICALLY - Same as above but not as exposed as on the front. Sandy Grice (Rover Owners of Virginia) has his mounted this way - a nice set up
ALONG ONE OF THE WHEEL WELLS HORIZONTALLY FRONT TO BACK - I felt this would take up too much floor space - I pack a lot of stuff when travelling
USING THE SPARE TIRE MOUNT BEHIND THE SEAT TO SECURE THE JACK WITH THE ENDS
RESTING ON THE WHEEL WELLS - This would have been the easiest and most cost effective solution. However, it protruded further from the bulkhead than I liked and I still would have had to figure how to lock it up
I ended up mounting the jack against the seatbase bulkhead horizontally using the Hi Lift Jack mounting kit. The drawback to this location is that you have to unload whatever you have packed in the back to get at it and the ratchet mechanism must be covered to prevent anything contacting it from getting greasy. Since most of my limited off roading has been done with the vehicle unloaded, I wasn't too concerned about accessibility. The benefits are that it's relatively secure, out of the elements, and takes up little space in the vehicle. It may not be everybody's first choice but it works for me.
When installing, sit in the back facing the bulkhead with legs crossed. Use your knees to support the jack as you determine where you want the brackets located. Keep in mind the jack needs to be able to swing out and up to be removed so be sure you clear the body cappings before marking your first bracket location. Do the bottom bracket first. Mark its outline with a grease pencil or sharp crayon. Drill one hole (1/4"), bolt it up, then drill the second using the bracket as a template. Undo the bracket and use a larger drill bit with your fingers to remove burrs from the holes. If possible cut a piece of steel scrap to fit the dimensions of the bracket, drill holes to match and use it as a backing plate on the front of the bulkhead. If not, use large flat washers on the opposite side. Cut 2 peices of rubber inner tube or a similar material to place between the bracket and bulkhead and backing plate and bulkhead to prevent steel to aluminum contact (and differential corrosion). Bolt the bracket up and mount the jack with the top bracket secured to the jack. Mark its location and drill and install as the bottom bracket. Mount and lock the jack (a lock is included in the mounting kit) and you're done. Don't forget to cover the ratchet mechanism as you may have things in the vehicle contacting it.
Reprinted from the Ottawa Valley Land Rovers newsletter, July, 1994
