Press for Drum Bearing Races, Seals - What to Buy???

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mydart270

mydart270

myDart270
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Simple question ...what shop press do you use for removing and installing drum bearings, races, seals, etc. I am going to bite the bullet again for a shop press...what do I buy? FABO members recommended the best flaring tool and I bought a look-a-like Eastwood...fantastic!! Now recommend a shop press that will work reliably and for little $$$$$$. Is it Harbor Freight, Granger, Northern Tool. ?????

Thx guys... rebuilding 9 in drums that I finally found. Fantastic forum. Love MOPAR. Stay safe and Happy Holidays.
 
I have never used a press. Hammer and various drivers. press is a good way to wreck a hub or bearing/seal.

I do use a press for fwd type wheel bearings.
 
Front drum bearing races?
Hammer and Large brass punch.
It's not difficult.
If you look close where the race sits, there's two D shaped areas to facilitate a punch for removal.
Installation, just tap new bearing around the circumference to start it, then send it home using the brass punch, you'll feel the hammer 'bounce back' when the race is seated.
 
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You can look for a bearing race and seal driver kit. It usually has a handle, and then separate, disc-shaped pieces that fasten to the handle, that are shaped with a near matching taper to support and drive in the race. You then flip the piece over, using the flat side, to drive seals in. Normally made of aluminum, and not very expensive.
 
As far as a press goes, I did the HF 20 ton (and free flashlight:D) several years back. The smaller 12 ton just didn't trip the trigger. The 20's been fine. Skeptical on the quality of the included press plates as horror stories have been heard.
Hard to see but I tacked on some casters to move it around.........
upload_2021-11-3_7-51-1.png
 
I use the old race on top of the new race. Knock them right in.
 
I kept an old diff cross pin, ground flat. To drive em out.
 
royslead said:
You can look for a bearing race and seal driver kit. It usually has a handle, and then separate, disc-shaped pieces that fasten to the handle, that are shaped with a near matching taper to support and drive in the race. You then flip the piece over, using the flat side, to drive seals in. Normally made of aluminum, and not very expensive.
Click to expand...

As others have already stated, you don't need a press, or even an official bearing and seal driver kit.
Just put the old race on top of the new one, and pound it into the hub.
Flip it over, and then punch out the old race.
Easy peasy.
Or if you do lots of races, as a professional mechanic would, this is what one uses.

bearing driver kit.jpg
 
Tooljunkie said:
I have never used a press. Hammer and various drivers. press is a good way to wreck a hub or bearing/seal.

I do use a press for fwd type wheel bearings.
Click to expand...

Apologies for the minor hijack

@Tooljunkie what application makes sense to get a press? Mind you I'm not running a shop just for weekend amateur use..(HF not $-On)
 
All kinds. Axle bearings, alternator bearings.
Straightening stuff.
Bending stuff. i have owned a 20 ton press for over 20 years. Mostly fwd hub bearings.
I bought mine on sale for $149 i think.
 
"Back in the day" a friend made many seal/ bearing drivers FROM OLD BEARING cups

Take a scrap of strap steel, down on the table. Put the bearing cup on top, small end of cup taper out if possible. Weld cup to steel inside the race

Cut/ grind/ plazma/ file /etc the steel down flush, then belt sand/ grind the outer race "by eye" carefully until it's a "slip fit" into the bore you are working with.

Brass drifts are best but if you don't have one steel will do IF IT IS somewhat soft
 
Although I do agree that a HF press will certainly come in handy, I have to agree that yo do not NEED a press fro the races you are talking about. I never have used one.
 
Do like I did and search Craigslist. Got a great deal on mine. Also to do it right you'll need some other tooling/ bearing separators, press bed blocks and more.
 
@mydart270 If you have an Autozone, or other chain type parts store in your area, that rents or loans out tools; see if you can get a kit like I mentioned, and hemi71x posted a picture of (or something close to that). You can, also just make one, or just use a punch (it's trickier, but very do-able), as others have said. If you are going to do this sort of repair a bit more often, a kit will make life much easier.
 
royslead said:
@mydart270 If you have an Autozone, or other chain type parts store in your area, that rents or loans out tools; see if you can get a kit like I mentioned, and hemi71x posted a picture of (or something close to that). You can, also just make one, or just use a punch (it's trickier, but very do-able), as others have said. If you are going to do this sort of repair a bit more often, a kit will make life much easier.
Click to expand...
Thx...buddy of mine has one so will borrow. Makes sense compared to buying a press. Thx...
 
I bought the cheap hf one, but I've never used it for bearings or seals .
Mostly bushings..
 
There's a time & place for presses( arbor) but front wheel bearings aren't one of them.


Dave
 
I don't know how the current HF presses are but I used a buddy's and holy crap, that thing, what a CF. The fit of the bed on the columns was so loose the part was all over the place. The ram has no support so it was all over the place. It took two of us with channel locks to hold everything in line to finally get it to work.
 
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