Ball Joint Press

[Sundossa12]

I see Ball Joint Press's for sale by Matco & OTC. Box auto stores also have a Generic press. The problem is the adapters. As an example, VW Beetle adapters went MIA years ago. A Real VW Ball Joint Press can set you back $500 if its original with box & instructions. I don’t have the skills yet with my 6' Atlas, but seems to me adapters would be easy to make and easy to sell.

Just a thought?

 

[Terrywerm]

I believe that I know the very press that you are talking about, and I have been thinking about purchasing one myself. They also work well for pressing u-joints in or out of driveshafts if the proper adapters are available. Since most of the adapters are rather simple and round, turning the extra ones that you need should be relatively simple on the lathe. Selling them may not be as easy as you first think, but you could make a few extra and list them for sale in the proper VW forum or on eBay and see what happens.

 

[JoeSixPack74]

If your talking about one of those C-clamp type ball joint presses I have personally had no luck with those. Especially on a vehicle that is older and parts are a bit rusted together. A 12-ton shop press with various deep well sockets and pipe works better. It is inexpensive and if your doing any automotive work like pressing bearings/bushings it is another tool you don't have to buy later. Good luck.

 

[Terrywerm]

If your talking about one of those C-clamp type ball joint presses I have personally had no luck with those. Especially on a vehicle that is older and parts are a bit rusted together. A 12-ton shop press with various deep well sockets and pipe works better. It is inexpensive and if your doing any automotive work like pressing bearings/bushings it is another tool you don't have to buy later. Good luck.

Using a shop press works great until you are trying to wrestle the front axle from a Dodge 3500 4x4 into it!!! Those Dana 60 axles are not light. One other thing to note, Harbor Freight offers an inexpensive clone of the ball joint press offered by OTC. Some people have had some problems with the clones, but I have not had any trouble with the OTC unit that I have borrowed and used in the past.

 

[donthack]

:thumbsup:Get a good C-clamp frame like OTC, or Snap-on like mine. But those HF sets are a great way to get the extra adapters! You can order just the clamp from your local travelling tool rep. and not worry about it spreading.

 

[Rbeckett]

I have the OTC Master set with all of the available adapters. I love it because I can do the front ball joints on a ford explorer in 37 minutes and the job pays 3.7 hours. I haven't seen many ford SUV front ends that don need at least lowers and most if the time they need upper control arms and bushings too. That was one of my favorite jobs, right behind the Honda drivers side accord CV axles, got them down to 13 minutes before I went to Iraq. I love suspension and AC work the best!!! Rather take a beating than do any exhaust work on anything...

Bob