After about 15 years of use, it was decided to renovate the Hi-Lift.
The Hi-Lift was disassembled, and all its parts were checked and found to be in good condition, meaning - no bends and no wear. Special attention should be given to the shear bolt. All parts were sprayed with paint remover, and after sanding with various steel brushes, both electric and manual, the parts were dipped in rust converter. After about 15 minutes, the parts were rinsed with water and came out like new. They were then dried, cleaned with turpentine, and painted with a layer of matte black Marite. The operating handle was painted with smooth black Marite. The Hi-Lift was not painted with its original bright red color so that it would not attract too much attention when mounted on the roof rack. The Hi-Lift was reassembled and lightly greased. Do not use regular grease or machine oil; use white grease, WD40, Teflon spray, or silicone. The pivot pin at the bottom of the Hi-Lift was replaced with a bolt and a cap nut, making it easy to disconnect the base if necessary.
To anchor the Hi-Lift to the roof rack, two L-shaped brackets were made from galvanized sheet metal. One side is attached to the roof rack, and the other side supports the Hi-Lift during anchoring and disassembly. The two bolts connecting the bracket to the roof rack are long enough to go through the Hi-Lift itself, and with the help of two wide washers and two wing nuts, the anchoring is easy. Rubber rings were installed on the bolts between the bracket and the Hi-Lift, originally from used shock absorbers, serving as shock absorbers for the Hi-Lift.
To prevent rattling noises from the handle, a holder from Daystar was installed on it. A great article on disassembling and assembling the Hi-Lift can be found here. Instructions for the Hi-Lift from the company website (PDF).