HF Ujoint press

[oldgoat]

Has anybody used this HF press on Ujoints? Will be needing to change a set this weekend and thought rather than using the vise I'd get one of these and maybe it would be a little easier.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38335

 

[eschoendorff]

That press is one of teh good items from HF. It has been praised many times over at www.pirate4x4.com

 

[nissan_crawler]

No personal experience, I've been told they're poo. I can change a u-joint in 15 minutes or less with a vice, don't see the tool helping much. If I'm offroad, I do it with a ballpeen and two sockets.

 

[89Vette]

I have one and used it to change the 4 u-joints on the halfshafts of my Corvette and it worked great. I consider it good for the money.

 

[Zeroek]

I own that set and haven't used it yet. I've heard good things about it.

 

[rsanter]

how about a good C clamp and a few sockets
thats what those kits have always looked like to me...

I still do mine in the vise with a couple of sockets

bob

 

[malibu101]

I have that HF press and another case that houses different size reciever tubes. I have pressed quite a few balljoints with it and it IS a great tool for the price. Saves me from ahving to remove the control arm from the car to put it on the shop press. With that tool you can do it right on the car. I'm sure it would work fine for U-joint too.
FWIW- That is one of the few HF tools that I have bought or used that really impressed me.
As rsanter said, a good vise or clamp, some sockets and a hammer can usually accomplish the same thing if you don't need to do this often. Just don't swing the hammer wildly and bend anything.

 

[Ign]

Highly recommend. Even if you don't use it for u-joints you'll find all sorts of other uses for it.

It's a far cry from a regular c-clamp or vise because you can get on it w a socket and apply more force.

For actual u-joint svc a socket and a BFH is usually faster. Think of this tool as a small, mobile, light duty shop press.

 

[Charlie's68]

i hate that press...bent first time taking out ball joints on a d30 on a jeep Cherokee. Buy a decent press, and you wont be disappointed, i believe mine is otc, and it has held up fine.

 

[jimvannoy]

I have it and have lost count of the number of ball joints I have installed with it. No problems at all.

 

[gotmud13613]

Same here my HF is just getting on the verge of replacement, The threads are getting a little wore out, But I will replace it with the same one, I wish I could of kept track how many times thing thing was used. It is awesome as a small portable shop press especially for atv bearings, seeing i go through 2 sets a year guess I gotta stay outta the mud (never)

There was another thread about the same unit a few months back
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10436&highlight=Ball+joint+press

 

[oldgoat]

Thanks for the replies. I've got the vise to do it with and quite frankly I'd have to be by the side of the road before using a hammer on my sockets. However even though it has probably been close to 20 years since I've had to change a Ujoint I have the boys Ford truck and it is 11 years old and close to 200000 miles on it. Don't know if it has the C clips or plastic retainer, but I do remember some of those old Ujoints being a bear to press out. Just thought it might be another toy to get and put on the shelf until somebody else needs it.

 

[Hawk231]

Same here my HF is just getting on the verge of replacement, The threads are getting a little wore out, But I will replace it with the same one, I wish I could of kept track how many times thing thing was used. It is awesome as a small portable shop press especially for atv bearings, seeing i go through 2 sets a year guess I gotta stay outta the mud (never)

There was another thread about the same unit a few months back
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10436&highlight=Ball+joint+press

When you replace your set would you mind parting with one of the old metal disks? I've got the same set and lost one, don't know which one off hand. It'd be worth a few bucks to me.

 

[gotmud13613]

When you replace your set would you mind parting with one of the old metal disks? I've got the same set and lost one, don't know which one off hand. It'd be worth a few bucks to me.

ok, I don't know exactly when I am getting the new one but when I do i'll ship it to ya. just pm me you address

 

[Ign]

but I do remember some of those old Ujoints being a bear to press out. Just thought it might be another toy to get and put on the shelf until somebody else needs it.

Yep! I've pressed out some really rusted D44 front joints that required pre-loading the press and smacking it w a BFH to release the tension. Even then only the end of the cap spits out leaving the needle bearing surround in the yoke.

Stubborn joints like this will simply destroy the cheap acme thread in most vises under the $500 price point.

 

[TxDoc]

On sale to ITC members:
Item Description
Regular Price $39.99
ITC Price $19.97
38335-1VGA
U.S. General 3-IN-1 BALL JOINT/U-JOINT/C-FRAME PRESS SERVICE KIT

 

[goodfellow]

I have it and have lost count of the number of ball joints I have installed with it. No problems at all.

Ditto: I have the same press and the expansion kit. I can't recall how many ball joints I've replaced with it; and that doesn't include the countless times I've loaned it to my friends who are too cheap to buy the darn thing when it's on sale.

This is one item that HF got right.

 

[Hawk231]

ok, I don't know exactly when I am getting the new one but when I do i'll ship it to ya. just pm me you address

Sending PM.

 

[6t7gto]

On sale to ITC members:
Item Description
Regular Price $39.99
ITC Price $19.97
38335-1VGA
U.S. General 3-IN-1 BALL JOINT/U-JOINT/C-FRAME PRESS SERVICE KIT

do you have a link?
thanks,
david

 

[gotmud13613]

do you have a link?
thanks,
david

You have to be an Inside Track Club Member to get it for that price, log into the ITC with your ID #'s and look under auto accessories, it's been that price to members for the last couple of months.

 

[6t7gto]

thanks,
david

 

[dropride]

How do you become a member? Don't see a way to sign up on the website.

 

[gotmud13613]

How do you become a member? Don't see a way to sign up on the website.

Here ya go http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Category.taf?CategoryID=772

 

[dropride]

Thanks alot.

 

[oldgoat]

You have to be an Inside Track Club Member to get it for that price, log into the ITC with your ID #'s and look under auto accessories, it's been that price to members for the last couple of months.

Will the retail store honor the ITC price or do you have to order online? We have a store here about a mile away that I will take the online sale price in and they have always honored it.

 

[gotmud13613]

I am not sure since I dont have a store nearby, but I dont see why not.

 

[TxDoc]

Will the retail store honor the ITC price or do you have to order online? We have a store here about a mile away that I will take the online sale price in and they have always honored it.

You can print out page with the ITC price and take it to your store, no problem.