As RichR states, Hi Lo recommend full up with the top. However, most hyd cylinders have some internal leakage and may creep down over time, thus the safety bar. That's why when lowering the top, Hi Lo states that the top be raised to the full up, then pull the safety lanyard then lower. As gary54 said, that little bit DOES take some stress off the cables. Just a little bit, but some. The importance of the safety bar prevents injury should a catastrophic failure of the hyd system occur.