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Date:         Fri, 2 Mar 2001 10:07:24 EST
Reply-To:     JKrevnov@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rico Sapolich <JKrevnov@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Lower Ball Joints!!!!!!!!!!!
Comments: To: tomyoung1@home.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 3/1/01 11:58:53 PM, tomyoung1@HOME.COM writes:

<< a) the "experts" had no in-house press and,

b) no shop in the local San Francisco East Bay area could

press the joints in. >>

Tom,

The problem is not with the Vanagon lower ball joints, the problem is that you might be living in the wrong place. A press is certainly the nicest way to go, but if one is not at hand, a big-assed bench vise will do the job. If a vise is not available, a ball joint press set will work and even these can be borrowed from Autozone at no cost.

Now for the anecdote. About 20 years ago, I was running a beater Valiant while waiting for a new Honda (Honda's suck) to be delivered. The Valiant needed new U-joints, so I dropped the driveshaft and took it to the local Chrysler dealer, the Leightenberger Machine Co. Leightenberger's was run by 2 brothers and their sons. They were always involved in some form of racing and the old men had even fielded Indy cars with Bill Vuckovich driving. When I carried in the driveshaft, they told me to take it to Charlie in the machine shop building. I knew that would be a treat because the old Indy cars were stored there. The machine shop was filled with every kind of pre-CNC tool imaginable and, sure enough, two beautiful, mid-fifties Indy roadsters sat there collecting dust. I handed over my driveshaft and asked Charlie when I could pick it up. He told me he would do it right then and to wait for it. I felt privileged to be allowed to watch a master at work. Fully expecting Charlie to take the driveshaft over to one of the presses, I was surprised when he clamped it into an 8 inch bench vise and picked up a brass drift and a 2 Lb. hammer. Within 10 minutes he had driven out the old U-joints and pressed in the new ones without stepping away from that big vise. There is nothing more instructive than watching a practiced hand do his thing.

Rich


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