HF 20T Press. Fix a problem I don't seem to have?

epanzella

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I have a HARBOR FREIGHT 20 ton press for about 2 years now. I use it about a dozen times a month and it has been a really useful tool particularly since I convertered it to air over hydraulic operation. Every time I watch UTUBE I see guys posting videos on how to get the play out of carriage that holds the ram. My ram is a bit clunky like everyone else's but after 2 years of running this press I've yet to have a problem. Tightening up the fit of the that carriage to the uprights is an easy fix But I still hear the words "If it ain't broke don't fix it" Should this fit be tightened up?
 

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Wouldn't worry about it unless you have lots of time to mess with it.
 
I had trouble pressing pins in straight when my ram was wobbly, but for probably a dozen other tasks it wouldn't matter at all. If it's doing what you need, doing any more isn't really an improvement.

GsT
 
This has never been a problem for me with my press.
 
It's an easy fix. It's rarely an issue if you're on top of making sure that piece stays level. Based on presses of similar design, It can come out of level and the base of the jack will slide slightly sideways. The two things are geometrically related. My experience with other s of similar style matches what the internet's collection of HFModders seems to find. I suspect that you've probably got to be doing something sketchy before that's an issue. That's exactly how it happened every time I did something sketchy. No incidents, but it obviously has to be corrected before you commence to pressing.....

I must also say that I've never had an "home" press act up. It's the light duty presses we use at work , which probably get asked a little much of some days...

Personal opinion. YMMV. I filled that "gap" in that cross piece with UHMW shims that I carved from a block that broke off of a sidewalk plow... The stuff slides good. It isn't really that much of a "stability" modification, but it helps a bunch with the rattling noise. Perhaps a lesser or non issue with the air jack, but using the manual jack, the rattle ate away at my nerves.

So yeah.... It's a thing that "could" help. I wouldn't call it "necessary". You'll know if it's an issue. If you have to straighten things before pressing, it's an issue. If you press while things are crooked.... You're probably not paying attention. "Fixing" this probably won't fix that, but leveling that cross piece and fixing your jack in place is a more solid fix than the shims are, in terms of forcing things to stay straight. Your call if it's warranted for your use case. According to Youtube, you could spend two lifetimes fixing all the things on that press that need fixing...
 
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