Press for bearing installation

If your 20 ton press is wiggling I'm not sure I would trust it for pressing anything. I'm doubting the press could withstand anywhere 20 tons of pressure if it wiggles trying to press 1" ID bearings. As mentioned the best thing to do is find the loose or weak areas and reinforce them. It might be as simple as bolting on a few gussets, or even making a couple welds.

I built a 20 ton press several years ago out of 8" channel. It doesn't move at all when pressing up to 3" bearings (the largest I've tried) or using it to broach keyways. In my case I bolted the sections together rather than weld them. Should I ever decide to move it to another location It can be disassembled.

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My 20 ton harbor freight press is welded. So it is rigid on that regard. However, the bottom cross support appears to be bent or somehow it is not very parallel. The top moving support is also having large gaps to the sides (just the way they are made I think), so it does not provide much alignment support, more about keep things from falling apart.
 
I have not had any problems pressing anything with my HF 20 ton press. Yes, it wiggles, and that makes it a bit more difficult to get the pressing started, but no problems overall that prevented doing a good job, even on other fussier jobs like straightening shafts. The real shortcoming of the higher capacity hydraulic presses is the relative lack of 'feel' of how much pressure you are putting on the parts, especially smaller ones. A arbor press or a screw press is much better in that regard. Having all three types, in appropriate sizes and configurations, would be best, but that will never happen in my current shop, too small, and the owner is way too frugal... The HF will have to suffice for anything I cannot fit in my vises or install with the appropriate hammer...
 
MrWhoopee said:
If an aluminum housing, warm it with a heat gun and freeze the bearing. Then drop it in.
Click to expand...

Yep, or set the casting on a hotplate, no freezing required, I did this all the time rebuilding racing kart motors.

John
 
Bob Korves said:
I have not had any problems pressing anything with my HF 20 ton press. Yes, it wiggles, and that makes it a bit more difficult to get the pressing started, but no problems overall that prevented doing a good job, even on other fussier jobs like straightening shafts. The real shortcoming of the higher capacity hydraulic presses is the relative lack of 'feel' of how much pressure you are putting on the parts, especially smaller ones. A arbor press or a screw press is much better in that regard. Having all three types, in appropriate sizes and configurations, would be best, but that will never happen in my current shop, too small, and the owner is way too frugal... The HF will have to suffice for anything I cannot fit in my vises or install with the appropriate hammer...
Click to expand...
Thanks, this helps me having confident on the tool and focus more on how to do it properly.
 
On my HF press I changed my floating bar to an between the uprights guide system , very little movement then. Also make sure top of bar is flat.
 
My Harbor Freight 20T works just fine. I was gonna weld it but if it ain't broke why fix it?
 
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