[puttster]

I have a bottle jack and wondering what I can make to press in some bushings. Hopefully something made out of wood or materials from Home Depot. It's a 4-ton jack with a 3.5" base.

 

[Mroldfart2U]

Not gonna get there with wood. Try Harbour Frieght (I know I know) but the cheapy shop press they have is usually less than a hundred bux and works fine for the DIY guy to press stuff every once in a while, Its just not "Shop Duty" is all..

M2C

 

[61Sunliner]

You will probably spend more money on steel than it would cost to buy the Harbor Freight one. Especially if you buy the steel from home Depot.
Mike

 

[JEM]

Not gonna get there with wood. Try Harbour Frieght (I know I know) but the cheapy shop press they have is usually less than a hundred bux and works fine for the DIY guy to press stuff every once in a while, Its just not "Shop Duty" is all..

Yeah, I've got a generic 12-ton press (mine's 20-something years old, dates from when they were actually made in Taiwan, now of course they're all mainland) and I could use something bigger but I've gotten significant mileage out of this one.

Once you've got the press, of course, you'll find yourself accumulating various sockets, thick-wall steel tubing, etc. as press drivers and mandrels, never underestimate eBay as a source for OE tool sets with application-specific tooling (I think I paid $28 + shipping for the Rotunda dealer tool kit with all the drivers and press bushings for doing wheel bearing and hub replacement on the MN12 Thunderbird/FN10 Mark VIII IRS rear suspension uprights.)

 

[ScottURnot]

Like this?

 

[KULTULZ]

OK...

That's it. I have seen it all now... :frown:

 

[PSIG]

LOL... that wouldn't hold together for one good press. But - your house can. Some years ago I knew a guy that used the little access doorway to get under his house (crawl space) as a press frame. It was concrete below and a 4x12 floor framing beam above, and big enough to fit about an 8" item in there with the jack. He used it for wheel hub bearings and such, placing a steel plate on the bottom of the beam to protect it. Actually, he caulked the plate in-place so it was there and ready without fumbling with it. I think his name was MacGyver... LOL

David

 

[ocsid]

Kultulz, you've cracked me up with that comment, i'm still laughin while i'm writin

oscid

 

[danv]

I'd like to order a set of plans when they are available.

 

[Mroldfart2U]

I dont think I would want to press to the jacks limits with that press, but that said, I guess it would work for really light duty pressing......

Plans would be awesome

 

[one37tudor]

I press in all my Galaxie suspension bushings for removable parts using my vice. Much quicker that using my 20 ton press.

Scott...

 

[PSIG]

I read the article about that press, and although the jack is capable of 12,000 pounds, the pressing he was doing he only estimated at 300 pounds. that's the same as two average weight guys standing on the item being pressed - not useful. You'd be better-off using the wood as a lever press. Probably much higher pressure to boot. I use a 2-foot length of angle iron to compress 400 pound valve springs at a 6:1 ratio, so I'm only applying less than 70 pounds to compress them.

David

 

[61Sunliner]

Untill I bought my Harbor Freight press I used my vice for plenty of u-joints and and my Vettes suspension bushings.
Mike

 

[RAGGAREN]

so putts...
whats the deal..was this info any good to you ....
or do you wish you never posted this question...

 

[puttster]

No way Lars - great info as far as I'm concerned! I've made a run stand out of 1X6's and a carburetor spacer out of plywood and I'm chomping at the bit to make a press out of 2x4's. I heard the arabs made wooden camshafts a thousand years ago but the plans have been lost to history. Darn!

If I can get away with a "lever press" like PSIG was talking about, or a simple vice.. well that would be okay too. Lots of creative folks here!

edit: Speaking of.. I bought those NAPA bushings 2746514 for the panhard bar. Was that your crazy idea? I will post for everyone to see if it was a waste of $10.

 

[RAGGAREN]

No way - great info as far as I'm concerned! I've made a run stand out of 1X6's and a carburetor spacer out of plywood and I'm chomping at the bit to make a press out of 2x4's. I heard the arabs made wooden camshafts a thousand years ago but the plans have been lost to history. Darn!

If I can get away with a "lever press" like PSIG was talking about, or a simple vice.. well that would be okay too. Lots of creative folks here!

Cool...:tup:
didn't hear from you..thought kultulz scared you of...

 

[ford4v429]

you can often press bushings in(and out) with big sockets/allthread/nuts...my 3/4 inch socket set has spent more time being squished one way or another than torqued

the tailstock on my lathe has seen a lot of bearing pressing duty too. the cheap arbor press I have is only 1/2 ton, handy, but too small for most stuff- drove last set of ujoints out with it,(pressing the cups into a 3/4 drive socket of course) but had to hammer the top of the rack to shock them loose, even with a lot of force on the lever.

someday I do hope to pick up one of them cheep harbor freight press/jack deals, would be handy...

Tim

 

[ShotRod64]

Putt, you mentioning the cam shaft out of wood made me think of the brake linings made from burlap on the 20s cars in a pinch. lol

 

[galax-z]

bacon rind for bands in the model t trans