Bushing press/pull tools

[MetalMonkey]

I've got to remove some rather awkward bushes and don't want to disassemble it so I can use the press, so thinking of trying one of these kits to do it in situ.
They are sold in a million different flavours at different prices, all looking suspiciously like the same bit of kit from china.

There seems to be two main types:

The type where the sleeves have the bearing plate built in

And the type where there is a separate plate and the sleeves are basically just pipe.

Anybody have any experience using either of them? Is one type better. Do they hold up?
Worst case scenario I figure I can always us the cups on the press instead of abusing my sockets.

I see the first type used quite a bit, and I imagine its more compact, but the second one looks like it could be potentially more versatile if you have something that sticks out.

 

[JOEPRO]

I have the top type of kit with solid cups. Works great I have pushed them hard and been OK. Do grease the thread bars and bearings regularly and do not use impact wrenches on them! Very useful kit. The dies can also be used in a normal hydraulic shop press

 

[frank horton]

I've always used old bi-hex sockets but when the going gets tuff I have an old set of impact sockets....
Bigger jobs, I have a sapre set of 3/4 in sockets.....anything else I'll turn one up....

 

[Trevorleach]

I have the bottom set, used to twice to do top knuckle bush on a discovery 3, worked well and cannot complain for the money.

 

[droopsnoot]

I've also used sockets, or bits of old tubing or old bearings, but the kit looks interesting. I sometimes use the plates from my wheel bearing puller kit, but I've had to make some 10mm plates because the bolt hole is too big in that.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I've used sockets on the press - but this has to be done in situ, I don't think 8.8 threaded bar is going to cut it and by the time I've bought thrust washers and something threaded rod suitable its likely up to the price of the kit anyway.
Plus you end up with a nice set of sleeves for pressing things.

I assume the cheap ones are just as good as the branded stuff, they look identical.

For this application I believe people have used the top kit with success, so I may go with that to keep the profile down, the second kit still looks like it could be more versatile though. Hmm. Decisions.

 

[Smallfry]

I bought a set of seal and bearing tools to use on the press. Effectively 10mm thick washers in 1mm increments from 15 to 65mm.

I have loads of bits of tube and bearing races etc, but never had quite the right size.

I made something similar to the set shown to do the axle bushes on my Astra. The thrust bearings are a must. Worked a treat on that, but as said, DO NOT use any sort of rattle gun, or the bearings will break up

 

[MetalMonkey]

I bought a set of seal and bearing tools to use on the press. Effectively 10mm thick washers in 1mm increments from 15 to 65mm.

I have a set of those, they are quite handy and if you shop about, fairly inexpensive for what you get.

 

[MetalMonkey]

Picked up this kit for about £30 in the end. Doubt you could buy the material for that.

Case is comically massive, quality seems about what you would expect.

Pulled out three of the four bushes so far and the 12mm rod thread is less trapezoidal and more triangular now - but still holding up.
Bushes were in "FT", and I had it wound up tight as a guitar string with long spanners and had the blowtorch on them before they'd budge.
If it does the last one before snapping I'll be quids in I reckon.

Stepped plates are a bit awkward to get in, but overall I think it is quite a useful bit of kit as you can use the bits with other spacers and washers etc to fabricobble some sort of solution together.
So far so good.

 

[Smallfry]

I have a set of those, they are quite handy and if you shop about, fairly inexpensive for what you get.

I paid £15 for my pre enjoyed set, guy was selling on FB marketplace, but the best thing was that I had to drive a whole 1/2 mile to collect them !

If you threaded rods go, I bought some M12 fine threaded high tensile studding from someone on eBay. Sets like these are really useful for all sorts of things !