So I bought new ball joints a while back - decided I pull the swing arms and press the old ones out. Machine shops are hard to find in NWF so I bought a 12 ton Harbor Freight hydralic press. It has several steel plates and I had a few more. Well, I tried for a couple hours and only managed to launch the control arms from under the press across the barn. Last time I had ball joints done I remember the shop heating the conrol arms red hot with a oxy/acedelyne torch. I do have a propane torce for sweating copper pipe but can't see it getting them nearly hot enough. Another alternative is this tool that Harbor Freight has on sale ($90 now $60). Anyone have success using it? At least I'd get a few more pressing arbors.
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