Agency 6 Jack Handle Keeper Review

Agency 6 HiLift Jack Handle

How Agency 6’s Jack Handle Keeper Prevents Hi-Lift Noise: A Product Overview & Trail-Tested Review

There are many essential recovery options on the market for off-roaders—one of them happens to be the popular Hi-Lift Jack which dates back as far to the 1800s.

Odds are you have seen them on every type of off-road vehicle at some point, and you yourself may very well own one of them, or know someone who does.

What Is A Hi-Lift Jack?

Using Hi-Lift Jack

The Hi-Lift Jack is a multi-use recovery product produced by the Bloomfield Manufacturing Company out of Indiana.

It dates back to over 100 years and is without a doubt one of the most versatile tools on the market.

There are many reasons and times when you might use the Hi-Lift Jack, some of those could be to jack up your 4Runner to change a tire, tie rod or possibly CV.

Perhaps another issue has come up and you need it for that. It also can be used as a winch to get you out of a tight spot on a trail.

More importantly, it can be used to fix broken parts, keep a vehicle from sliding sideways during recovery, and a whole lot more.

What’s That Noise?

If you have a Hi-Lift Jack or have ridden in a vehicle with someone who does, then you’ve probably heard that amazing ding and clunk it makes via the handlebar.

Sure you can turn the music up loud on your way to your destination, but once you hit the trail, the wind noise from the highway is gone and that noise is even louder and more frequent because of the bumps and rocks along the uneven terrain.

Times like these can be irritating, not only for you but everyone else in your party.

Nobody is going out to wheel to hear that irritating noise the entire time, which vividly draws a picture in your head of nails on a chalkboard.

The Noise Fix

There are many options on the market to fix the annoying rattle and clunk noise while on pavement or trail from the Hi-Lift Jack.

One of them happens to be from Hi-Lift themself. A piece of rubber which helps soak up the rattles.

Unfortunately, over time from both the sun and weather, the rubber breaks down and begins to crack and deteriorate. Meaning all that noise eventually comes back in the end.

Thankfully Agency 6 produces a Jack Handle Keeper specifically made and designed for use with the Hi-Lift Jacks.

Find it online: 

Because it is made from stainless steel you don’t have to worry about it breaking down over time, and because it’s an exact fit, when tightened down there is no movement, meaning to rattle.

How Does It Work?

The Jack Handle Keeper from Agency 6 is pretty simple and straight forward. The flat sections on the keeper go in-between the notches on the Hi-Lift Jack, as the circular sections go around the handle of the Hi-Lift which is used for raising and lowering the jack.

Once these are in place you use the simple knob bolt to tighten it down and done.

Agency 6 even put a lock hole on the Jack Handle Keeper, so if you for some reason decide to hit a hotel after a long week of off-roading on the road, you can lock the keeper in place so nobody can steal it. Of course if on the trail the entire time you don’t need to worry about that happening, but it’s nice to have that feature.

The Jack Handle Keeper is also offered in a red and black powder coat, as well as raw stainless steel for those of you who don’t want a color preference or may want it powder-coated a specific color.

Who Is Agency 6?

Agency 6 Hitch Recovery Shackle Block 2" Hitch Receiver

Agency 6 is located in Northern California and specializes in off-road products. Unlike many companies, Agency 6 makes everything here in the U.S.

That even includes using the steel produced in the United States. Their equipment is superior to just about anything you find on the market and has been tested to handle anything you throw at it.

Does The Jack Handle Keeper Work?

Sure, it’s easy to say something works because it looks good and sounds good, but does it? I went out to Death Valley for a few days earlier in March to take advantage of the cool weather.

If you’ve been to Death Valley then you know all about the washboard roads and flat out rock roads. The entire way to Death Valley on the highway I didn’t hear a peep, and to my surprise, on the off-road sections, I didn’t either.

Naturally, with metal on metal, I assumed there would possibly be a few times where you’d hear a noise, something I was willing to deal with, however, I was wrong.

Because of how tight the Jack Handle Keeper locks onto the sections of the Hi-Lift Jack, there is zero movements allowed, meaning contact between the Hi-Lift Jack and itself is non-existent, as is contact between the Jack Handle Keeper and Hi-Lift Jack.

Conclusion

If you are an avid off-roader and use the Hi-Lift Jack system, but are constantly finding yourself being annoyed by the rattling.

Whether it be on the rear bumper, your roof rack, or somewhere else you have you Hi-Lift mounted, the Jack Handle Keeper from Agency 6 is the fix for you.

If you happen to be looking for a good gift for an off-roader, assuming they have a Hi-Lift Jack, this would be one of the best cost-effective gifts to give.

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Tom in SoCal
Tom in SoCal
4 years ago

Hey T4R team
looking at getting one of these for the gobi rack (and the step22 parts mentioned below). What size and model would you recommend for 4Runner with #” lift? I noticed HiLift has multiple sizes (42/48/60″) and models – which model would you recommend today (9/2020) if you had to go buy a new one?

Derek C
Derek C
4 years ago

Hey, thanks for the review… something I NEED. Just wondering though, not that it’s anything but cosmetic, but how does the HiJack handle the metal to metal contact? I would think that there’s going to be wear ‘rings’ where it contacts

Justin
Justin
4 years ago
Reply to  Derek C

That’s exactly why I prefer the Step22 version. Step 22 makes amazing products as well.

Kevin
Kevin
4 years ago
Reply to  Justin

I have the step 22 one as well and love it

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