need a 12 -20 ton hydraulic press? OF COURSE YOU DO!

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
buy the march 2010 issue of CAR CRAFT MAGAZINE,on approximately pg 56 theres a coupon for a 12 ton hydraulic press from HF for $80 that normally sells for $129 on sale and $139 not on sale
or damn near any car related magazine,as the 20-25% off coupons come out frequently,
Id point out that the 20 ton rated hydraulic press is an even better deal when you can find it on sale and get a discount coupon, as its occasionally found for under $170.
https://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-shop-press-32879.html

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AS WITH MANY THREADS POSTED ON THIS WEB SITE THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF USEFUL ADDITIONAL INFO CONTAINED IN THE RELATED LINKS AND SUB LINKS SO DON,T IGNORE THEM


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... &Submit=Go

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/should-you-replace-all-6-u-joints.9236/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/trans-slip-yoke-problem.8765/#post-31115

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/replacing-u-joints.227/#post-43685

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/u-joints-don-t-fit.10301/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/u-joint-replacement-info.80/#post-38597

extra coupon

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http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=32879

as most guys know theres many automotive repairs best done only when you've got a helper available, and working on drive shafts and u-joints generally falls in that area, obviously having access to a tall stand with the press may help, and most machine shops will charge you about $15-$20 dollars in LABOR cost to press out and re-install a new replacement u-joint in a cars drive shaft even if you drive it to the location and buy the replacement parts from them with their mark-up!
now on most corvette's theres 6 u-joints, so a single series of replacement u-joints in labor alone is easily going to cost you 60%-100% of the cost of the PRESS PURCHASE PRICE, making owning the tool a total no-brainer vs repeatedly paying a shop to do that labor.
if you have up-graded the power level of your cars engine significantly its rather common to find u-joints will ocasionally fail, and if one fails all the others having been subjected to similar stress and mileage are suspect, of similar wear and accumulated stress damage so it makes sense to replace them as a set rather than wait for each to fail, as you know that generally happens when and where you don,t have easy access to the parts and tools required and a tow charge alone can, and frequently will cost more than the hydraulic press and u-joints do combined..... and you damn sure don,t want top leave your car or truck on some lonely road while you are stranded or have the u-joints fail while your driving fast as the result could be loss of control or serious vehicle damage!
(it makes a great deal more sense to do regular preventive maintenance and replace suspected worn u-joints about every 60K miles or every 5-6 years, if you drive the car hard or too replace all the u-joints any time a u-joint fails due to stress)

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=46086

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=41860

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ading-the-suspension-on-a-c-4.483/#post-13049
 
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I purchased a 12 ton rated hydraulic press from HF about 19 years ago, is still functional but its hardly what I would call a high quality press .
I can,t see how any serious shop could get by without the access to a hydraulic press occasionally
as there always seems too be bearing that need to be pressed.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37NgLM4tIzw

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Powerbuilt-23-Piece-Ball-Joint-U-Joint-Service-Kit-648617/203120548?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-BASE-PLA-D25T-Garage-Automotive|&gclid=CM7-rI-e-tQCFUa4wAodcnEHfg&gclsrc=aw.ds
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I have a 20 ton harbor freight press that I bought to help me with the rebuild of my suspension on the ol vette.
Later I added this (like posted in the video above)

20 ton Air Hydraulic Bottle Jack
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It makes the press much more user friendly, and it also makes a fantastic can crusher, and washer maker out of random items in the garage... :D

As it sits in my garage, next to my blaster cabinet… :cool:
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that looks like a nice upgrade
I can,t see how any shop can do without a hydraulic press,
keep in mind the cost to buy and own a hydraulic press,
and all 6 u-joints a corvette requires.....
costs considerably less than having a dealership replace your u-joints even once
so in effect, you get to own a decent hydraulic press for nearly zip ,
if your willing to do the u-joint replacement thats generally required about every 80k-100k miles or less


http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/should-you-replace-all-6-u-joints.9236/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/trans-slip-yoke-problem.8765/#post-31115

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/replacing-u-joints.227/#post-43685

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/u-joints-don-t-fit.10301/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/u-joint-replacement-info.80/#post-38597
 
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I will also say that the harbor freight press works ok, but it's sloppy.
If I need to really press something, it's hard to get that post to stay straight.
One of those videos above, the guy went above and beyond fixing it.

For me, it works for the odd jobs I need it for.
To actually use the air to press things is a mistake, I tried it once for a control arm rubber bushing into an aluminum part on my wifes car, it worked but I would never do it again.
The handle is the only way to go with that press.

The air does do a great job of getting the press into position, time saver vs cranking the handle like crazy.
Big thing it needs is a floor pedal so you can have two hands free.
I did have some success putting the press activate handle between my legs... o_O lol

One of those videos above, the guy goes above and beyond, even machined a little knob for the jack release.
He did some work and fixed it pretty well.
On my list one day.
 
I had a stack of beer cans that I flattened to perfection by putting those two steel plates together.
But I believe I threw them out since couldn't find them for a picture. :oops:
 
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as many of you may know Im slowly trying hard to replace the tools I had in my fla shop,
and to that end I purchased a hydraulic press to use to replace u-joints etc.
this is the one I selected to purchase as its a step up from my old 12 ton rated hydraulic press,
that I sold prior to the move from fla to texas.
that 12 ton press was used numerus times,
replacing several corvettes u-joints, saving me far more than the press cost
when I moved to texas I sold the 12 ton press and bought a new 20 ton rated press once I built a shop


http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/replacing-u-joints.227/#post-266

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/u-joint-replacement-info.80/#post-102
 
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the garagepress is super handy
i used it a lot at the shop i worked at for pressing in and out bearings , like the wheel bearings and hubs out of mcpherson struts , the longer length press frames allow you to press the bearing of the end of rear diff axles
would suggest having some extra pieces of steel / pipe / rod and bearing puller style clamps handy as you usually have to press things through a hole or on the inner / outer race of a bearing , you could use sockets on some of the stuff but pipes are less expensive
got one and need to add a handwinch to lift the anvil side
thought about the swag bender but decided that for its width and the thicknes im bending i can use a simple clamp in vice to use style fingerbrake
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if i ever need to bend thicker material i might buy one of those vicejaw type benders
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