New shop press "bangs" downward

[Qyota]

OK, so I drank the coolaid and bought the 60603 20-ton shop press from HF. It's not a high-quality unit, I get that. For $150, it should at least do the crude bushing/bearing work that I'll need it to do.

That said, I got it all set up, and put my first project on it over the weekend. The project is pressing in new lower control arm bushings, which look like a large metal sleeve that holds an inner bolt bearing encased in rubber. This unit is pressed into the circular end of the control arm.

Install of the first one was going great...the press was moving the bushing in evenly and consistently upon each stroke of the jack handle. But then, I'd reach a point where I'd pump the handle, and the press wouldn't move. A few more pumps, and the pressure would overcome the friction (or whatever), and the press would "bang" downward a distance appropriate for 3 or 4 pumps. Not a good situation, I realize. It did the job, but it probably wasn't good for the jack, nor the bushing, to be moving like that.

Oil level in the jack seems fine (it spills out if I remove the inner fill plug), and otherwise the jack moves up and down properly. Is this a defective jack, or does this sometimes happen when pressing bushings in?

Thanks for a shop press newbie.

Q

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... My guess is it's the nature what what you were pressin',....

Bushin's rarely push evenly through the entire way,...
Mighta been a bur or lip the press over-came,...

 

[RPH]

Sounds more like "sticktion" on the bushing. The rubber would get stuck until enough pressure was applied to overcome it. Then it would move violently. You had to get enough surface area in before it started to happen thus the reason for all going fine until...

 

[T-Mac]

Ayuh,.... My guess is it's the nature what what you were pressin',....

Bushin's rarely push evenly through the entire way,...
Mighta been a bur or lip the press over-came,...

Agreed!Rarely have I ever pressed anything in or out that didn't hang up then release a bit-normal- although it does bother me a bit when you seem to be reaching the capacity of the jack before it pops

 

[Qyota]

OK cool. I was expecting the opposite response - that it was a problem with the jack itself. I did try to clean the mating surfaces of the arm and the bushing before pressing, and even applied a very light coating of grease.

Thanks!

 

[Modern Jess]

Typical behavior while pressing something stubborn.

 

[srmofo]

Check for burrs and remove with a hand file

 

[brianmc02]

Is the arbor of the press pushing on the center of the bushing (the part surrounded by rubber)? Or are you distributing the force to the outer diameter of the bushing?

Best practice is to apply the force of the press to the outer diameter. Take an old bushing of similar dimensions, burn out the rubber with a torch. Set up the press with a sandwich: control arm, new bushing, old bushing, steel plate or block of wood and press that together.

Should go in more smoothly. Also avoids potential damage to the rubber of the new bushing.

 

[DangerousDan55]

When I worked at Shell refinery, we had a press with a 10" piston. We would press out rods from 30" compressor pistons & they would POP also. We would stand behind the body of the press just in case things go wrong. We also had smaller presses also & they would pop sometimes when pressing bushings & ball bearings off shafts. Its a normal thing.
But, ALWAYS pay attention to what you are doing. Its great to have a.pressure gauge to monitor the process. Many times we would stop pressing & found something wrong. Cocked when pressing, to tight a fit, run out of ram stroke, bottomed out on the shoulder step, gaulded the piece to the shaft.
You definitely don't what to shatter a bearing race. Its is like a hand granade due the metal being hardened. Pieces will rifle into your body & also fly over 100 feet.

 

[dslabuda]

I used the smaller 12 ton to press in poly control arm bushings. They went in without a hitch. I did lube them up prior to install as instructed. This on a GM control arm with the twin smaller front bushings and the large rear one.

It didn't need alot but use enough lube and apply slow steady pressure and it popped on in.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk 4

 

[Falcon67]

Normal action when pressing control arm bushings. If the arm is stamped steel, you should fab spacers to keep the ears parallel and that can reduce the binding. Also, heating the control arm a bit - not torch hot, but hot - and chilling the bushing can make it go easier. I use a coffee cup warmer to heat bearings before pressing when I put my 9" rear ends together.

 

[A_Pmech]

When there's a big enough difference between the static and dynamic coefficients of friction, the press will store energy in it's frame. Once the part starts moving, the energy is released and the cycle repeats.

 

[Qyota]

Thanks for all the smart replies. I appreciate it.

I did the other control arm today, and spent more time cleaning the bushing seat in the control arm, and use more grease on both parts (bushing and seat). Everything went together smoothly...no banging.

I think the next step is to find or make some press adapters. Cobbling together pieces of steel and old busing parts to press in the new stuff just seems like an accident waiting to happen. Does someone manufacture/sell a "set" of press adapters, or is this something I just build as I need them?

Thanks again!

 

[toomany]

I find that when pressing bushings into a control arm, if they aren't moving when you pump the jack....a light tap on the control arm near the bushing with a hammer will get them to move. Use some common sense when doing this and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[Thumper68]

Thanks for all the smart replies. I appreciate it.

I did the other control arm today, and spent more time cleaning the bushing seat in the control arm, and use more grease on both parts (bushing and seat). Everything went together smoothly...no banging.

I think the next step is to find or make some press adapters. Cobbling together pieces of steel and old busing parts to press in the new stuff just seems like an accident waiting to happen. Does someone manufacture/sell a "set" of press adapters, or is this something I just build as I need them?

Thanks again!

Over time you will build up a collection of old parts to use no need to buy anything. I always paint my adaptors yellow so I and anyone else knows not to toss them in the scrap bin.

Sockets also work well in the press.

 

[1953mercury]

"Over time you will build up a collection of old parts to use no need to buy anything. I always paint my adaptors yellow so I and anyone else knows not to toss them in the scrap bin".

Agree with the above. Keep all the old bearings and races you remove and disassemble the bearings. The inner outer pieces can be used when working on your press. Mike

 

[astroracer]

The banging is kind of disconserting isn't it? Like everyone said, nothing to be to concerned about.
As you gather your collection of "press buddies" keep them in an old toolbo0x under the press. That's where mine are stored and it keeps all of that stuff right with the press.

As you can see my press is also on casters. makes it real handy to move it out of the way when not in use.
Mark

 

[TLR-NUT]

Get a set of 3/4" drive sockets. When I upgraded to a Snap-On set, I retired my Craftsman set to press duty.

 

[zkling]

Typical behavior while pressing something stubborn.

Can be nerve wracking, but very common.

 

[58Yeoman]

Reminds me of one of my jobs before retiring. I would unload 175,000 gallons of liquid vinyl from railcars, sometimes 4 at a time. If the weather was dry, the slides on the railcar's springs would get rusty. As I unloaded, the car would get lighter, but the springs wouldn't push it up, until finally it would overcome the 'stiction' and let out a loud noise. It was always fun when someone would be there with me and didn't know what the noise was. They would really jump.

 

[Qyota]

Awesome ideas. Thanks y'all!