Not sure this belongs in general tool, fab techniques or what did you do in garage today, so going with first.
Changing wheel bearings in wife's Q7 (at 50k miles!!!!) and manual calls for a bunch of special tools. I usually have something that will work, but my tie rod (small) and ball joint (fairly large I thought) tools were just way too small for the big Audi. Manual called for T10187 separator, but I could not find one in Canada, nor an equivalent. So, needing the car back I thought I would just throw something together in a hurry. Please excuse the rather ugly welds, but objective will full penetration without making bead on inside, so everthing had to be jigged and tacked before final welds, and those went over tacks or done in unfavourable position. Also, very limited in time to worry about appearance. Realized when I got into trial fit, no way to see that push bolt (5/8 UNF Gr8 threaded rod) was squarely on ball joint or tie rod bolt (BOTH 32mm wide), so I just hole sawed a view window. Material for top and bottom plate 3/8 x 2 1/2 flat bar, sawed and ground for cutout and plama cut outside round bit. round bit is 2" sch 80 pipe split in half and squashed about 3/16 wider with original planned 1/4 x 3/4 extension (one side now 1/4 x 1). Tool works really well, and had I know that up front I might have tried to make it pretty, but clock is ticking.
Changing wheel bearings in wife's Q7 (at 50k miles!!!!) and manual calls for a bunch of special tools. I usually have something that will work, but my tie rod (small) and ball joint (fairly large I thought) tools were just way too small for the big Audi. Manual called for T10187 separator, but I could not find one in Canada, nor an equivalent. So, needing the car back I thought I would just throw something together in a hurry. Please excuse the rather ugly welds, but objective will full penetration without making bead on inside, so everthing had to be jigged and tacked before final welds, and those went over tacks or done in unfavourable position. Also, very limited in time to worry about appearance. Realized when I got into trial fit, no way to see that push bolt (5/8 UNF Gr8 threaded rod) was squarely on ball joint or tie rod bolt (BOTH 32mm wide), so I just hole sawed a view window. Material for top and bottom plate 3/8 x 2 1/2 flat bar, sawed and ground for cutout and plama cut outside round bit. round bit is 2" sch 80 pipe split in half and squashed about 3/16 wider with original planned 1/4 x 3/4 extension (one side now 1/4 x 1). Tool works really well, and had I know that up front I might have tried to make it pretty, but clock is ticking.
