Can you press Dana 44 bearings with a Harbor Freight 12-ton press?
- Thread starter dodgeboy
- Start date
Don't know about the 12 ton. Their 20 ton works well for that application, done a couple now.
I've done it on the 12 ton. It was terrifying but it did the job. If you can get the 20T.
Tonnage is fine, don't press both at the same time. Do the bearing which is very low tonnage and then do the shaft collar. If you chamfer the leading edge of the shaft journal with a Scotchbrite disc and turn it into a smooth radius, the sharp edge won't hang up inside the collar and drive the tonnage way up. The biggest problem is enough length under the press bed for the shaft.
The length/work area is what I am most concerned about.
Did you have to do any modifications to the press to get the axle shaft to fit? It looks like it will be a very close fit.
My problem is I already bought the 12T (because it was on sale) and realized on the way home that the axle may be too long to fit. I could return it, but if it's big enough to do the job, I'd rather have the smaller 12T due to limited garage space.
Nothing inadequate about it at all, will work fine. As stated, the bigger issue is the shaft not being high enough off the floor and possibly hitting the brace at the bottom. I used a 20 ton for mine and it barely cleared, but I did set up a set of shafts at my buddy’s house using his 12 ton and it was fine, but was also close.
Definitely do bearing and collar separate, it’s easier and gives you more control.
Definitely do bearing and collar separate, it’s easier and gives you more control.
All you have to do is set the legs up on something to raise it higher. Not a big deal at all. I had to do that to my 20 ton to get some of the longer 9" shafts in it.
Thanks. That sounds like a good safety net if it doesn't fit for some reason. I thought the brace was in the center, and it wouldn't matter if I stacked it up on blocks. I haven't assembled it yet, and that's hard to see in the photos.
I wish I could swing the 20T, but the extra $100 and footprint in the garage is a definite negative for me.
I'm not familiar but if it is just the side to side brace between the lower legs, move it out to the ends of the legs and add one just like it to the other side.
I also had a rather unsafe and frightening experience using a friend's HF 12t press. When I was ready to pull the trigger on one, no way was I not going 20t. Then I ended up going a little overkill but I'm really happy with what I ended up with:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007QV55JC/?tag=wranglerorg-20
And I didn't trust the cast blocks that came with it so I also sprung for these:
https://www.swagoffroad.com/products/swag-machined-arbor-press-plates-pair
I added castors to my 20t press so I can roll it out of the way. Or roll it to where I'm working.
-Mac
-Mac
Do the HF presses still come with cast arbor plates? If so, from personal experience I recommend getting a set of steel plates.
Years ago I had a 20 press which had cast arbor plates. One exploded on me (I think while pressing on an axle bearing), and a big piece went right past my head, 40+ feet across the shop, and through the drywall near the ceiling. Scared the hell out of me.
I picked up a set of steel plates from Swag.
Years ago I had a 20 press which had cast arbor plates. One exploded on me (I think while pressing on an axle bearing), and a big piece went right past my head, 40+ feet across the shop, and through the drywall near the ceiling. Scared the hell out of me.
I picked up a set of steel plates from Swag.
I know they have made some changes to them to attempt to alleviate the complaints but I don't know how successful they have been. I broke both of mine on the first axle bearings I tried.
Vtx531
TJ Addict
I have a 12 ton. Worked great for pressing on Dana 44 bearings. Bought it a few years ago and it has steel plates. I would probably get a 20 ton if I could do over, more for removing rusty stuff than installing but the 12 ton is totally adequate. My removal tool is a giant 3' sledge hammer swung as hard as I can if the 12 ton doesn't work. Not sure 20 ton would be any better for that type of thing (wheel bearings seized in a knuckle for example).
The absolute best "mod" you can do is ditch the long bolts here and replace with multiple short bolts. It makes the unit rock solid. The longer bolts never tighten down, they just distort/squish the c-channel.
The absolute best "mod" you can do is ditch the long bolts here and replace with multiple short bolts. It makes the unit rock solid. The longer bolts never tighten down, they just distort/squish the c-channel.
Find a local shop with a press that will do it for you. Unless you are going to use the press frequently it takes up a lot of space. I have one sitting in my garage, if you lived closer you could use it.
I've loaded mine pretty heavy (stalled the bottle jack) and my plates have held. I still think about making some new ones, I have a piece of scrap sitting around that would be perfect...but it hasn't happened yet. My press is about 2 years old, I think.
When I tried to stall the original bottle jack, all it did was bend the top of the H frame up about 1/2" or so. That may have had something to do with me hanging off of the end of a TJ stock tie rod as a jack handle though.