NFH2740
Well-known member
Is this a private label item made by AP? 
Astro Pneumatic Tool Company
- Thread starter Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
- Start date
Is this a private label item made by AP?
Confused by your question... Are you asking if OTC makes the ball joint press kit for Astro? Or does Astro make the kit for OTC?
For the record, the kit in your picture does not match the Astro kit at all... C-Clamp, cups and even the case are different.
That said, I am curious how many items Astro actually manufactures vs. rebrand. There are several similar items under different brand names.
I own a dozen Astro tools by now, and I plan to buy more. So far they have all been good quality for the price, and I like they have a presence on the forum.
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NFH2740
Well-known member
AP makes a press with cup retention for a private label outside of the United States. They have stated that releasing in the US would "step on too many toes." I am wondering if this was the item in question or unrelated.
Wrench97
Well-known member
Unrelated I believe, OTC is making their own ball joint tools.
Oh interesting. I didn't know that.
vssjim
ALLIANCE MEMBER
If you don't have the paper work anymore go to Astro web site and look up part number on the parts list of the tool and search the part number should come up lots of sellers.
Shootinok
Well-known member
Astro-pneumatic warranty is the real deal!
I bought the 80SL light last year and it's a beast. Using it a while back it just turned off.
Swapped the battery - nothing. So I recharged batteries and tried it again the next day - nothing. Wierd.
I called Customer Service and they told me to mail it in. I did that with a copy of my receipt and today I received a brand new replacement!!
Wooo Hooo !
Thanks Astro People !!!
I bought the 80SL light last year and it's a beast. Using it a while back it just turned off.
Swapped the battery - nothing. So I recharged batteries and tried it again the next day - nothing. Wierd.
I called Customer Service and they told me to mail it in. I did that with a copy of my receipt and today I received a brand new replacement!!
Wooo Hooo !
Thanks Astro People !!!
wafrederick
Well-known member
Getting the 4980 aka Big Nasty air hammer.Need to come out with longer bits for it
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Long 498 bits can be tough to come by. Usually if you opt to run the spring retainer rather than a quick change you can manage to stuff the big boy in tighter areas.
I'd be interested in long 498 bits.
wafrederick
Well-known member
This one I am getting a package deal not using the spring retainer and getting the quick release Chuck and a 3 piece bit set with it
OP
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
Long bits, consider it done
Ah ****, one of the reasons why I have been considering a .401 shank air hammer...
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
Can we just get the 498Ks first?.....
OP
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
If we stopped making other new tools every time that limited production run model was out of stock, I'd have nothing to work on
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Ohhhhhhh. !!! New tools !!!If we stopped making other new tools every time that limited production run model was out of stock, I'd have nothing to work on
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
If we stopped making other new tools every time that limited production run model was out of stock, I'd have nothing to work on
Not EVERY time, just this once.....hahaha!
OP
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
It's come into stock 3 times, just goes back out as soon as it comes in from fulfilling back-orders
I'm a big fan of Astro tools. I literally own more than a dozen of their tools by now (see end of this post) and I plan on buying more. I also like that they have a presence on the forum. I wish more manufactures actually interacted with their customers, you know the people who are actually buying and using their products. But anyway...
I recently picked up their “Last Chance” Hub Removal Bolt Kit (Item # 78834) when it became available on Amazon. I just wanted to share a few things because I'm not 100% happy.
Pro's - Heavy duty bolts and nuts. Larger and heavier than I expected. The ball bearings on the custom bolts are really interesting. Hopefully a tool I'll never have to use, but I also can't wait use to use it. Overall, in terms of construction, everything seems solid and well built.
Con's - I do have one complaint. I immediately noticed the nuts on all 4 bolts seem to stop (or get tough to turn) about 1/4 of the way down the bolt. I removed the nuts and inspected the bolts. I immediately noticed thread damage on all 4 bolts. One of the bolts had a chip in the threads, the same bolt also had poorly cut threads, etc. Basically all 4 bolts had some sort of damage to the threads. The nuts seemed fine however (threads were just dirty).
Unfortunately I don't have a metric 14mm x 2.00 thread tap or die (thread chaser), so I wasn't able to completely resolve the issue on the larger bolts and nuts... But I do have a metric 12mm x 1.75 thread tap and die (thread chaser), so I was able to mostly resolve the issues on the smaller bolts and nuts. I also cleaned all 4 of the bolts and nuts with brake clean and a wire brush.
They all work now, just not perfect. But I also have an excuse to pick up a larger tap and die (thread chaser). I'm attaching a few pictures to better illustrate what I'm talking about (look inside the red circles). The grey discoloring on the bolts is from cleaning with a wire brush, it partially removed the finish. Sorry for any blurry images however, my camera did not want to focus.
I would also like to suggest that Astro put some form of cardboard or foam in-between each bolt in the box. Having the bolts free to move around and bash into each other or be damaged by pressure on the outside of the box has the potentional to damage the product. It may have contributed to my issues.
All that said, I've been otherwise happy with my other Astro tools thus far and below is a list of every Astro tool I own as of this post...
Item # 78834 - “Last Chance” Hub Removal Bolt Kit
Item # 7412 - 1/4″ Flex Socket Set
Item # 94410T - 3/8″ Impact Torx Bit Sockets
Item # 410 - 10mm Socket Set (4-piece)
Item # 94404 - Magnetic Spark Plug Socket Set
Item # 7764 - LCD Test Light
Item # 78825 - Wheel Bearing Adapter Kit
Item # 78868 - Axle Nut Socket Set
Item # 52SL - 500 Lumen Work Light
Item # 7865 - Ball Joint Service Kit
Item # 9532 - Carbide Gasket Scraper
Item # 93812 - 3/8″ Ratchet (Long)
Item # 93808 - 3/8″ Ratchet (Short)
Item # 91210 - 1/2″ Ratchet
Item # 7824 - Bearing Race and Seal Driver Set
I recently picked up their “Last Chance” Hub Removal Bolt Kit (Item # 78834) when it became available on Amazon. I just wanted to share a few things because I'm not 100% happy.
Pro's - Heavy duty bolts and nuts. Larger and heavier than I expected. The ball bearings on the custom bolts are really interesting. Hopefully a tool I'll never have to use, but I also can't wait use to use it. Overall, in terms of construction, everything seems solid and well built.
Con's - I do have one complaint. I immediately noticed the nuts on all 4 bolts seem to stop (or get tough to turn) about 1/4 of the way down the bolt. I removed the nuts and inspected the bolts. I immediately noticed thread damage on all 4 bolts. One of the bolts had a chip in the threads, the same bolt also had poorly cut threads, etc. Basically all 4 bolts had some sort of damage to the threads. The nuts seemed fine however (threads were just dirty).
Unfortunately I don't have a metric 14mm x 2.00 thread tap or die (thread chaser), so I wasn't able to completely resolve the issue on the larger bolts and nuts... But I do have a metric 12mm x 1.75 thread tap and die (thread chaser), so I was able to mostly resolve the issues on the smaller bolts and nuts. I also cleaned all 4 of the bolts and nuts with brake clean and a wire brush.
They all work now, just not perfect. But I also have an excuse to pick up a larger tap and die (thread chaser). I'm attaching a few pictures to better illustrate what I'm talking about (look inside the red circles). The grey discoloring on the bolts is from cleaning with a wire brush, it partially removed the finish. Sorry for any blurry images however, my camera did not want to focus.
I would also like to suggest that Astro put some form of cardboard or foam in-between each bolt in the box. Having the bolts free to move around and bash into each other or be damaged by pressure on the outside of the box has the potentional to damage the product. It may have contributed to my issues.
All that said, I've been otherwise happy with my other Astro tools thus far and below is a list of every Astro tool I own as of this post...
Item # 78834 - “Last Chance” Hub Removal Bolt Kit
Item # 7412 - 1/4″ Flex Socket Set
Item # 94410T - 3/8″ Impact Torx Bit Sockets
Item # 410 - 10mm Socket Set (4-piece)
Item # 94404 - Magnetic Spark Plug Socket Set
Item # 7764 - LCD Test Light
Item # 78825 - Wheel Bearing Adapter Kit
Item # 78868 - Axle Nut Socket Set
Item # 52SL - 500 Lumen Work Light
Item # 7865 - Ball Joint Service Kit
Item # 9532 - Carbide Gasket Scraper
Item # 93812 - 3/8″ Ratchet (Long)
Item # 93808 - 3/8″ Ratchet (Short)
Item # 91210 - 1/2″ Ratchet
Item # 7824 - Bearing Race and Seal Driver Set
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Quick update for anyone who might actually read this or care...
I know QC can never be at 100%, especially when tools are made in China. So I decided to order a replacement set of this “Last Chance” Hub Removal Bolt Kit (Item # 78834) from Amazon while it was still under warranty (Amazon return policy).
Good news is the replacement set arrived today and with virtually no damage. If I had to nit pick, there were a few small barely noticeable nicks on a few of the threads (on the 12mm bolts only). But the nuts run down and up the bolts smoothly, so I'm happy.
I'll be sending back the damaged, but as of yet unused, set to Amazon tomorrow.
I know QC can never be at 100%, especially when tools are made in China. So I decided to order a replacement set of this “Last Chance” Hub Removal Bolt Kit (Item # 78834) from Amazon while it was still under warranty (Amazon return policy).
Good news is the replacement set arrived today and with virtually no damage. If I had to nit pick, there were a few small barely noticeable nicks on a few of the threads (on the 12mm bolts only). But the nuts run down and up the bolts smoothly, so I'm happy.
I'll be sending back the damaged, but as of yet unused, set to Amazon tomorrow.
kudakev615
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2017
- Messages
- 174
after watching the SMA vids of him using the hub removal bolt kit with great success, i was excited to try it out last week on a '14 ford explorer front hub last week. applied anti seize to the treads and was able to get it cracked loose from spindle, used big nasty air hammer to try to get it moving some more but no luck. used up stripping both the smaller bolts and nuts and having to use a cut off wheel to remove them from the hub to continue on with the job. ended up right back at my usual method of having to use the hub shocker and a torch to finish the job, YMMV
kudakev615
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2017
- Messages
- 174
to be fair, the bearing does sit very deep into the spindle and it was terribly corroded. maybe i got too confident in the tool after watching eric pop out what i thought was a comparable bearing setup with ease. it was worth 30 bux to give it a shot. still love my other astro products
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
Got a CRUSTY *** 2014 Journey rear wheel bearing lined up for tomorrow....might get a chance to try out mine!
Wrench97
Well-known member
Use them with hand tools and oil the threads, rotate the hub 180 deg. and work it out evenly if it's tight lastly don't be afraid to use a hammer while tightening.
wafrederick
Well-known member
The 4980 Big Nasty is the best air hammer I have purchased.Came in Monday and used it once so far on getting an axle out of a hub.Came out right away
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
For those keeping score....the 2014 Journey rear stud is one of those that you would have to cut or tweak through the ABS wiring hole on the backing plate to use the last chance hub tool. Did not waste the time, used the Ole' CP 717 to spin the **** out of the unit bearing and got it in about 2 min. Sure wish I had that Thor Hammer to compare...heh-heh.........
Madjik Man
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2015
- Messages
- 1,521
@Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
re: 3/8" pinless universal impact sockets
I love the fact you are on this forum interacting with the posters. I'm a long time lurker/barely poster but love this community and what it has to offer.
I take this community's opinions very seriously and weigh them more than any other tools forum. That said Astro Pneumatic definitely has my vote even though I yet to own any AP tools. That is about to change.
I have read many reviews about the 3/8 pinless universal impact sockets and it fits my needs (DIYer). However one consistent review/question/answer is that the 17mm and 19mm are out of spec. The 17mm in the set is actually a 16mm stamped "17" and the 19mm is actually a 18mm stamped "19."
Then some other reviewers claim their set is to spec. So it seems like there was a bad run or bad QC issue at some point.
Has this issue been resolved?
re: 3/8" pinless universal impact sockets
I love the fact you are on this forum interacting with the posters. I'm a long time lurker/barely poster but love this community and what it has to offer.
I take this community's opinions very seriously and weigh them more than any other tools forum. That said Astro Pneumatic definitely has my vote even though I yet to own any AP tools. That is about to change.
I have read many reviews about the 3/8 pinless universal impact sockets and it fits my needs (DIYer). However one consistent review/question/answer is that the 17mm and 19mm are out of spec. The 17mm in the set is actually a 16mm stamped "17" and the 19mm is actually a 18mm stamped "19."
Then some other reviewers claim their set is to spec. So it seems like there was a bad run or bad QC issue at some point.
Has this issue been resolved?
skulldrinker
Well-known member
My 4890 met it's match on a front bearing off a Lexus 460. One of the ears got hammered off and still no budge. Had to resort to the torch. Combo torch and 4890 and got her out. But I was sweating bullets. Customer was sitting right there watching.
ex-x-fire
Well-known member
My Astro Angle impact is still going strong.
OP
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
Yes, it's been resolved. There was a case where one of our bins was mislabeled on the bin of finished parts, then all of them got lasered the wrong size. Wasn't a whole shipment, but a bin's worth of them. Once we caught it from feedback, we scrapped them from inventory here.
anndel
Well-known member
Don't let them go to waste Chris. I'll buy them from you/Astro and relabel them myself.
Odd-job
Well-known member
I got one from the bin like many other GJ folks who participated in the BOGO. I think they will be collectors items eventually as Astro approaches the greatness of Snap On and Craftsman
Madjik Man
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2015
- Messages
- 1,521
Thank you.
Just ordered the 3/8" universal impacts as well as the nano impacts.
I appreciate your quick response/attention.
BTL-A4
Well-known member
I need a rivnut tool. I was thinking of going with the 1443B since it has a right angle and I'm working in a limited space installing a battery tray in a 914, but I wanted to make sure it would be able to set 6mm or even 8mm in 1mm thick sheet metal. the 1442 or the 1423 were my other choices. Thoughts?
OP
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
1443B wont set 8mm, and for 6mm you still do need some space for leverage
BTL-A4
Well-known member
So which one do you recommend?
OP
Astro_Pneumatic_Tools
Well-known member
1451 or 1442 if you need to set M8. Both CAN set M10 & 3/8", with the 1451 being 3" shorter and less arm span but similar leverage
wafrederick
Well-known member
Love my 4980 aka Big Nasty,pretty much gets used a lot now since I got it