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I find myself in need of a C-clamp style ball-joint press. I don't want to spend $$$ for a pro model, but I'm leary of the $100 or less ones. Does anybody have any suggestions for a reasonably priced, decent quality press?

Do any of the auto houses have a rent/borrow program if you buy from them?

Just take parts and arms to any automotive machine shop the should have the proper tools and charge should not be to bad....

Other wise go to HF, get 20 press and you are golden forever (can even do other jobs with it)...

Dale

Both of your guys suggestions are good advice, but I would like to own one so I don't have to borrow or pay someone else to do it, know what I mean? The convenience of not having to remove the control arm is a big plus too!

Snap-0n has a nice one, but it's $635!!!!!
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp ... up_ID=1631

The local Autozone and Advance sell them for around $100, but they only come with a 90 day warranty.

The search continues...

I think I've narrowed it down to two, maybe comparing apples here...

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/KD-TOO ... Pid=search

https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Cata ... 0307678885
The Napa tool is $234.

Both fit the bill for "reasonably priced" and "decent tool". Flip a coin?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200326415

Dale

I have never used a c-clamp kit before.
Personally I don't see how it could work as with old trailing arms it takes nearly all of my 12-ton HF press to free the joint.

What I like about the c-clamp kit is maybe being able to use the rings in a press rather than making my own out of large sockets and random metal.

yep sometimes 15 tons, I can't see a c clamp generating that force.

I rented one from NAPA to use this weekend, if I like it, I'll buy a new one first of the week. The same tool I rented is on sale right now for $169, but the sale ends today. The store manager told me he would honor the sale price for a new one when I brought back theirs. I thought that was pretty cool! He also told me that the ball joint press was one of their most frequently rented tools, so Ill be using a well worn example.

I do have a shop press, but Im working on my D/D and don't want to remove the lower control arm unless I HAVE to. I totally agree with you guys about a press being better though. The tool I rented doesn't have a "garden variety" C-clamp, this thing is BEEFY. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

The harbor freight one worked fine. Pick up a little propane torch so you can heat it a bit.

I used an electric impact to help it along.

winifredevw wrote:I rented one from NAPA to use this weekend, if I like it, I'll buy a new one first of the week. The same tool I rented is on sale right now for $169, but the sale ends today. The store manager told me he would honor the sale price for a new one when I brought back theirs. I thought that was pretty cool! He also told me that the ball joint press was one of their most frequently rented tools, so Ill be using a well worn example.

I do have a shop press, but Im working on my D/D and don't want to remove the lower control arm unless I HAVE to. I totally agree with you guys about a press being better though. The tool I rented doesn't have a "garden variety" C-clamp, this thing is BEEFY. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

The 20 ton HF unit is on sale right now, I bought one a while back for the same price (http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... shop+press look at the 7th post down); bigger than the hand held BJ tool by far, but stronger. I have one BJ pressed out and even after using a torch to heat it and it being partly driven out, it took 12 1/2 tons of force to break it loose. I pressed out the other one and it took about the same amount of pressure and when it let loose it sounded like a gun shot and everything went flying. I still think a press is a safer way to go, at least when removing them. The hand held job may work just fine for pressing them in.

Lee

The C-clamp press worked just fine, I used an 18" long 1/2 drive ratchet to tighen it, no problem. I replaced a lower ball joint in my '04 Ram 4x4 and the b/j was "peened-over" in four spots, presumably to keep it from working out of the control arm. I'm gonna guess that I was applying somewhere around 125-150lbs torque when the joint came loose. The convenience of not having to remove the lower trailing arm is worth the price of admission to me, as I'm sure this won't be the last b/j I ever change.

I tried to do it once myself using a Snap-On C type balljoint tool. It was a really nice kit. Anyway, I broke it since there isn't much meat around the joint. Ended up taking them to a shop and having them pressed.

First I tried using a rig in my bench vise, using heat and hammer, the first BJ came out fine:


Ended up taking mine to a friends that has a 60 ton press. The next three BJ's came out sounding like a shotgun blast, and it took quite a bit of pressure to get them to budge.

That same "shot gun" blast on the first BJ I had pressed out by a shop is why I went to the HF unit. The first one I did with the HF unit gave me the same "shot gun" blast and everything went flying when the BJ came loose. For those who were able to use the smaller units; ya gotta feel good about it but it may not always be that easy. Taking them to someone who knows what they are doing and has insurance (and a lot of TP) is a good idea.

Lee