[Vettezuki]

How big of a hydraulic press is necessary for typical car work (press fit parts, studs, bearings, bushings, etc.): 12, 20, 30, 50,? I'm guessing 30 ton should be plenty big. Also, bigger than that is where the prices start to pick up quite a bit.

[enkeivette]

Too difficult to fit a control arm in a press. Use an air hammer on the edge to walk it out, tap it in with a socket.

[Vettezuki]

Originally Posted by enkeivette

Too difficult to fit a control arm in a press. Use an air hammer on the edge to walk it out, tap it in with a socket.

Been there, done that. I'm talking about "general" car use.

[BRUTAL64]

Originally Posted by Vettezuki

How big of a hydraulic press is necessary for typical car work (press fit parts, studs, bearings, bushings, etc.): 12, 20, 30, 50,? I'm guessing 30 ton should be plenty big. Also, bigger than that is where the prices start to pick up quite a bit.

I used a 12 ton for 15 years. When I get the next one it will be a 20 ton. But, a 12 ton handled everything I did back then.

[Vettezuki]

Originally Posted by BRUTAL64

I used a 12 ton for 15 years. When I get the next one it will be a 20 ton. But, a 12 ton handled everything I did back then.

Thanks Glenn. That's the answer I was looking for.

[TimAT]

I've got an old 20 ton from the truck shop I worked in some 20 years ago. It handled everthing we did in that truck shop. (anything that came in the door). The expensive part of the whole show was the blocks to bridge the press with. A 1" thick steel block that's 10" long and 6" wide is not cheap. And you need 2 at the minimum.

[Vettezuki]

Originally Posted by TimAT

. . . . The expensive part of the whole show was the blocks to bridge the press with. A 1" thick steel block that's 10" long and 6" wide is not cheap. And you need 2 at the minimum.

You mean to provide a "base" for pressing against? Do you have any pics of your setup?

[big2bird]

Originally Posted by Vettezuki

You mean to provide a "base" for pressing against? Do you have any pics of your setup?

Yep. Here ya go.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=6834

[Vettezuki]

Originally Posted by big2bird

Yep. Here ya go.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=6834

That ain't bad. Here's the press I'm looking at. A bit less than HF for 20 tons.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/tls/1252084735.html

[TimAT]

That's just like the one I have. Instead of those press blocks with all the cutouts mine are just simple pieces of 1" thick steel. Those and a bearing splitter are about enough to do anything you need. The bearing splitter is just a block that has an edge and 2 big thru bolts. First one I came across on a search:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00970739000P


I'll tell you, I've had the whole thing off the ground- at full capacity of the ram, when the bearing pops loose, everything will jump. Makes you think about where you're standing.