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Cheap Ball Joint press for dana 30

emr1101

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Raleigh, NC
Does anyone know what BJ press i should get for my xj? not sure if i should get a unviversal one or is there a specific jeep one i need?
 
emr1101 said:
Which of these would you guys suggest? The only reason i mention the more expensive one is that i will be having to do some TRE stuff
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38335
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92882

get the cheep one, I don't think that the other one will do the job, its more designed for steering componants.
and on that note, i broke two of those things trying to get the pitman arm off my jeep. finally had to get a craftsman... and a torch...
$.02
 
emr1101 said:
Does anyone know what BJ press i should get for my xj? not sure if i should get a unviversal one or is there a specific jeep one i need?


The cheap frames bend. I got the ATD adapters and the OTC press. You can rent the press at your local autozone. It's the adapters that you need since the ball joints are at an angle. ATD makes a master kit that's about the same as the OTC Jeep adapters.

OTC 7894 is the adapter set. But I think it's ATD that makes a clone for like half the cost. Then rent the press itself. I found the OTC 7249 press for 60 bucks, and picked up ATD's master adapter kit for 80. Look on ebay for the press. If you were in socal I could help you out. :)

If you want, I'll dig up pictures of broken/bent Harbor Freight presses. Those things are JUNK, spend the extra for the OTC then put it in your will for your great grandchildren. If you're running 35's you'll do ball joints more than once.
 
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muduck18 said:
get the cheep one, I don't think that the other one will do the job, its more designed for steering componants.
and on that note, i broke two of those things trying to get the pitman arm off my jeep. finally had to get a craftsman... and a torch...
$.02

damn you just reminded me i think im going to have to get my pitman arm of at some point, how much is a craftsman one? Im actually not sure i have to take it off but dont i when i adjust my "steer ahead" after adding my JCR steering...?
 
markw said:
The cheap frames bend. I got the ATD adapters and the OTC press. You can rent the press at your local autozone. It's the adapters that you need since the ball joints are at an angle. ATD makes a master kit that's about the same as the OTC Jeep adapters.

OTC 7894 is the adapter set. But I think it's ATD that makes a clone for like half the cost. Then rent the press itself. I found the OTC press for 60 bucks, and picked up ATD's master adapter kit for 80.

If you want, I'll dig up pictures of broken/bent Harbor Freight presses. Those things are JUNK, spend the extra for the OTC then put it in your will for your great grandchildren. If you're running 35's you'll do ball joints more than once.

Hmmm so get the OTC 7894 and then rent the press? is that the game plan lol
 
markw If you want said:
this thing is a total TURD ... i broke it just doing U-joints dont waste ur money ... I got pictures of the thing in pieces
 
emr1101 said:
Hmmm so get the OTC 7894 and then rent the press? is that the game plan lol

That's basically what I did, but I did the ATD adapters. Not sure if you can get the ATD adapters without the whole kit. Autozone will have an OTC press, or the ATD press. Start looking for those part numbers on Ebay.

My kit is the ATD8697, and I use it with the OTC 7249 press.

http://www.atdtools.com
 
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I got mine from Amazon.com (Tooltopia, actually) after bending the HF one beyond utility. I spent twice as much on the OTC ($80,) but I also changed all four ball joints in less than the time it took me to bend the HF press.

RULE OF THUMB - if you have to put more than your body weight worth of force on it, don't get HF.

Tools are not something you want to "cheap out" on - you'll usually end up paying for it with your time (if you're lucky. If not, you'll get hurt.) Yes, Chinese steel may once have been a Buick, but it's been melted down - and the Chinese still can't heat-treat worth a damn.

There is a special receiver sleeve that makes removing the ball joints easier (it's notched to clear the curve on the knuckle, since it's close to the ball joint,) but you can do the job without it if you're creative. One of these days, I'll have a D30 out where I can look at it, work with it, and devise information for cutting that notch out - that sleeve is spendy.
 
markw said:
That's basically what I did, but I did the ATD adapters. Not sure if you can get the ATD adapters without the whole kit. Autozone will have an OTC press, or the ATD press. Start looking for those part numbers on Ebay.

So can i just rent the press? That is probobly what I will try to do....

And ATD is the adapter set, this is what i NEED, right? what is the part number on that, all i have is OTC 7894
 
emr1101 said:
So can i just rent the press? That is probobly what I will try to do....

And ATD is the adapter set, this is what i NEED, right? what is the part number on that, all i have is OTC 7894


I did an edit. here it is again. ATD-8697 is the adapter set.

http://www.atdtools.com

Yeah, the HF frames do bend.

Here's putting a ball joint in with it, I had my dad's rusty OTC7249 at the time. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-WgupLPCdE

The jab at Kevin was after he spent a weekend doing this without the adapters. :)
 
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I use the first harbor freight one, I got it to do U joints but I find it handy do alot of other stuff too, shock bar pins, spring bushings and alot of other stuff too.

-Alex
 
wow just checked out hat video, that looked easy! Its things that are stuck under my jeep that i am worried about, not sure if you guys saw my thread a while back abut all the crap i have to do but basically ill be tearing out the front d30 and the rear and putting in new ones with new gears and all that good stuff, hope i dont have to take the pitman arm off.. hha
 
it's the adapters that are key. The HF press would probably work with them. But like I said I've seen 2 bent ones at Kevin3151's place and I think Cal or someone broke at least one. They all came out that easy too. The pitman arm puller is like 10 bucks from Autozone. Just preload the crap out of it and smack the arm with a hammer to break the bond. Oh, use a 3lb sledge.
 
emr1101 said:
Do you need to the pitman arm off to adjust steer ahead? That essentially is what you're doing when you adjust SA isn't it...?

If you're talking about recentering the steering, no. Just make sure the steering wheel isn't locked, then loosen and turn the drag link until the wheel is centered, then lock the drag link back down. The pitman should point straight back when the wheel is centered. Also, if you're going to 35's, consider a durango box, it's got a half inch larger piston.
 
Yeah I haven't quite reached that part of the steering yet, still on getting rid of the annoying y-link, the JCR inverted T stuff should work well, I do think a new steering box would be nice but I cant do that just yet, i may in the future, but if i do get a Durango box and a frame stiffener piece there it will be brand new, I don't want a used steering box because I would think they would have play in them, do you agree? My steering is loose enough as is :0
 
emr1101 said:
Yeah I haven't quite reached that part of the steering yet, still on getting rid of the annoying y-link, the JCR inverted T stuff should work well, I do think a new steering box would be nice but I cant do that just yet, i may in the future, but if i do get a Durango box and a frame stiffener piece there it will be brand new, I don't want a used steering box because I would think they would have play in them, do you agree? My steering is loose enough as is :0

Nope, I don't agree. I picked up a used durango box and did a rebuild on it. Works fine, $120 outright for the box/rebuild kit. Oh, and there's video on it too. Just got to finish it. :) New box will run you 300+.

They'll leak before they'll wear out.
 
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