Shop Press

[Triple R]

Gents, I am sure that all of us are tired of paying for getting our bushings pressed in and out. It is time to change out all of my bushings front and rear and if I pay the mechanic he will charge no less than 200 dollars just for the labor. So with that in mind, I was thinking buy my own. I know that it is not often that you need to do this but it would help with races and bearings too. I have noticed that on ebay there are several different versions available.

My question is how many tons would be adequate to do the job of pressing the bushings. Does anyone else have their own press?

Any help or insight as usual are appreciated.Thanks.

[Greg M]

Well, i've never done any bushings on a rover, so i am sure someone can help better than me, but i did replace the spring bushings on another 4wd i owned. Don't know if it will work on a rover but Harbor Freight carries a tool specifically designed for the job. IIRC they call it a three in one press. However, i can say that it was one of the worst jobs i had ever done on that rig. No fun at all. Since it was damn near an all day job - you may find that $200 is money well spent.

[roverthen]

I just did all the bushings on my RRC except for the rear a-arm. A very tough job, one of the worse things to do on a vehicle. The radius arms were the toughest, they almost didn't want to come out. I used a friends 20 ton press from Harbor Freight. I would not go with anything lower than 20 tons. Good luck.

[Triple R]

Not looking forward to it either but I would like to do it myself. Thanks for the info.

[rezdiver]

i changed all my bushings on the 93 range rover using a large vice and sockets. used a small socket to push and a large socket on the opposite side to space for the bush coming out all sandwiched and pressed out in the vice. also a torch and a drill does wonders for breaking up the rubber for the stubborn ones, once the rubber is melted push out the inner sleeve and you can get to the outer sleeve to cut it out. this method although very difficult using the vice worked out and completed in about 8 hours.

[p76rangie]

I have a 20 ton press and it works fine on everything I have tried so far. You will be surprised the uses you will find for it. Mine is a Porta Power ram based. One thing I like on it is that it has a pressure guage on it and I can tell how much force I am applying.

The cheap presses are just a jack with a shaft welded to the bottom of it. I found that the higher the power of the press the shorter the shaft became. I wanted something that had a longer reach. Mine cost about $300 US.

[stevo-II]

I have a 12 ton model from Northern Tool & Equip - was only $99, they seem to have slightly better stuff than harbor freight. I had to use some heat from a propane torch to get the radius arm bushings out (my truck is a southern truck as well), but other than that it did the job. If you have the room and don't mind spending a little more money, buy the 20 ton model, it seems much better made, but my little 12 ton will actually sit on a workbench (its hobbit sized)

Steve

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...6415_200326415

[onslow]

Originally Posted by Triple R

Gents, I am sure that all of us are tired of paying for getting our bushings pressed in and out. It is time to change out all of my bushings front and rear and if I pay the mechanic he will charge no less than 200 dollars just for the labor. So with that in mind, I was thinking buy my own. I know that it is not often that you need to do this but it would help with races and bearings too. I have noticed that on ebay there are several different versions available.

My question is how many tons would be adequate to do the job of pressing the bushings. Does anyone else have their own press?

Any help or insight as usual are appreciated.Thanks.

I use a blow torch to burn the rubber out of the bush then use a hacksaw to weaken the outer casing then drift the outer case out with a hammer and chisel works a treat!!

why waste money on a press

[p76rangie]

Originally Posted by onslow

why waste money on a press

Because it can do in 1 minute what takes half an hour to do otherwise.

[TNRRClassic]

Press bushings out!!! I used to have a 30 year old 20 ton press that flexed so badly I think 10 tons was a stretch. I too have done the torch and hacksaw method, and it is not worth the trouble unless you are in the bush and have an emergency. I bought a new press, and decided a 525 lb 50 ton model would work a treat. It is a wonderful thing having extra capacity, weight, and strength when you need it. A good new 20 ton press would be perfect for the occasional user, and would be great for bushings. You won't regret it.

[TerryS]

I agree with Ons. I had a 40 ton electric hydraulic (Porta power type ram, with a motor driven pump) taking up room for years, and it was always in the way, and took up too much floor space for the 3 or 4 times I needed it in a year. I've got a brand new one down in the warehouse at the closed factory and won't bother lugging it home.

[Rondo]

Originally Posted by onslow

I use a blow torch to burn the rubber out of the bush then use a hacksaw to weaken the outer casing then drift the outer case out with a hammer and chisel works a treat!!

why waste money on a press

I too have done the blow torch method of bushing removal. Why do it that way? Because its free!

What are some alternative uses for a press wrt the Rover? Sounds like a lot of money (for anything above 20 tons) with little gain.

[Triple R]

Thanks for all the insight. I see how this topic actually and inevitably affects all of us. Some of us go the burn and chisel but I prefer the press. How many of us have spent just as much on cosmetic stuff but can barely make the trip home due to bad vehicle upkeep. I will go get one as soon as the funds are right.

Thanks Again.