Harbor Freight 20 Ton Press Upgrade MOD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 พ.ค. 2024
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In this video, we show you an upgrade that you can do to your Harbor Freight 20 Ton Press. The way this came about was from doing a rear axle seal and bearing job on a 100 Series Land Cruiser. The 100 Series has an offset rear differential so one axle is much longer than the other axle. That longer axle made it a challenge to have enough room between the press bed and the ground to remove all the parts off of the axle. I had to rely on building up the press bed with additional press plates to gain enough height to successfully perform the job.
With the caster wheels, I gained an additional 4" of height, but there's a center crossmember that gets in the way of realizing that height gain, so I removed the center crossmember and welded in some 2" angle iron reinforcements to give the base stability.
*PARTS*
*4" Caster Wheel with Brake (Need 4)
www.harborfreight.com/rubber-...
*2" Angle Iron (22" Long) (Need 2 Sections)
I bought a 48" section at Home Depot, but you might be better off getting it at a fabrication shop if you have one in your area.
*HELPFUL TOOLS*
If you're looking for other tools not used in this video, check out Timmy's Master Tool List.
www.amazon.com/shop/timmythet...
*The following is a complete list of tools I have bought for welding work. I didn't use anywhere close to all the tools listed, but I figured people might find it helpful if they like fabricating and are looking for more tools to help them realize the projects they come up with.
*Hobart 210 MVP Mig Welder
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*Welding Cart
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*80 Cu/Ft 75% Argon / 25% CO2 Welding Gas Cylinder
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*Welding Cord Adapter - (So you can plug in welder to 220 power via you clothes drier outlet) amzn.to/2IBaG8L
*25’ Heavy Duty Welding Extension Cord
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*10 lb Spool of .035 Solid Welding Wire
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*10 lb Spool of .024 Solid Welding Wire
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*Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
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*Welding Gloves
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*Welding Jacket
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*Dewalt Angle Grinder/Cutter
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*Dewalt Cutting Disks
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*Dewalt Grinding Disks
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*Angle Grinder Stripping Disks - (To remove paint, rust and mill scale)
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*Milwaukee 1/4” Right Angle Die Grinder
ebay.us/gSSYFo
*1/4” Die Grinder Sanding Disk Set
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*1/4” Mandrel and Cutting Disk Set
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*Safety Glasses
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*40 Grit Angle Grinder Flap Disk
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*60 Grit Angle Grinder Flap Disk
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*80 Grit Angle Grinder Flap Disk
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*120 Grit Angle Grinder Flap Dish
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*CRC Anti-Splatter Spray Coating - (Prevents welding splatter from sticking to the metal you’re welding) amzn.to/3qJ42OT
*Cooter Snot Anti-Splatter Welding Nozzle Gel
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*Arrow Welding Magnet 6 Pack Set
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*Adjustable Magnetic Tab Holder - (Helps hold small dimensional material in place so you can tack weld it) amzn.to/374JZCH
*Grasshopper Welding Finger (Another magnetic tools that allows you to hold a part in place so you can tack weld it)
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*4 Piece Magnetic V-Pad Kit - (Adjustable magnetic tools to hold material in place while you tack weld it) amzn.to/374CJqx
*Copper Welding Spoon Set - (Gives you a backing when you want to fill a hole. The copper doesn’t weld and allows you to fill the hole.)
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*Magnetic Copper Hole Plug Tool - (The copper doesn’t weld and allows you to fill the hole. The magnet gives you a hands-free capability)
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*Welding Pliers
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*Welding Slag Hammer
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*90 Degree Right Angle Clamp
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*Irwin Vice-Grip Locking Pliers
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*Irwin Vice-Grip C-Clamp Fast Release Welding Pliers
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*Irwin Vice-Grip Sheet Metal Locking Pliers
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I did similar with mine, when I welded the angle it was farther apart, and oriented with the L upright, and put a piece of plywood in the bottom. Now it can store all of the press tools I use there, and when I need the depth for an axle, all I have to do is lift the plywood out, yeah it can be a pain to empty it first, but for often as the full depth is needed, it is a decent compromise.
That's a good idea to make it to where you can store stuff at the bottom. I've seen videos where people build a shelf that can be slid inside the I-beam pin holes so it can be easily removed whenever. Most of the time, I'm doing work on axles, but for the times I'm not, having a convenient shelf to place press sleeves, plates, etc onto would be nice. I usually have them splayed out on the floor around the press so I can trip on them.
Great idea.
Very practical idea thanks for sharing.. what thickness wood did you use for the shelf and was there space under the vertical I beam support bolts and nuts to accommodate the wood shelf..
THAT is a GOOD idea!
Thanks Richard. There's lots of mods people do to these Harbor Freight presses to make them more functional. They add a press brake so they can bend metal. They add a winch to raise and lower the press bed, which is a mod I plan on doing as well. If you do a search on TH-cam, you can find lots of videos on this subject.
Your welds aren’t that bad brother. I’ve seen significantly worse welds by “qualified-certified welders” when I was a nuclear weld inspector. Yours are significant enough for their purpose.
Thanks! My achilles heal with welding is getting the welding helmet shading right so I can actually see what I'm welding. I think Ive figured out the shading where it protects my eyes and I can see decently. But, I don't see well in dim light, so I added head lamps to both my welding helmets to give me additional light. When I can see the material and welding puddle, I can weld pretty well.
@@TimmyTheToolman yeah that’s definitely tricky to figure out. I used the auto lenses fine before i was an inspector. Automotive welding is harder because you have to know how to adjust the machine more being you’re working with different materials and different thicknesses etc but once you can see the puddle you can control it a lot better lol knew a few welders that had magnified lens covers on their helmets and wore glasses underneath lol if they can do it you definitely can!
@@KendrasEdge757 On one of my helmets, I have a magnifying insert and it helps. I might try using my reading glasses under my helmet and see if it helps out.
Timmy laying dimes!!! Impressive sic mod bro. Like a 3 inch lift - but on the press.
Thanks Andrew!
I did that years ago when i bought it. I removed center brace but welded the cross angles to the vertical beams.
I never saw a need for this mod until recently when I did the 100 Series Rear Axle Bearing job. But, I'm glad I finally upgraded my press. I just did another modification, and that video will be live soon.
Fab in every sense of the word. So much to like here and the welds were pretty good, too. Am looking at a 20T press for a number of jobs and as others have said I think it's the better option than a 10T for space, reach and robustness, but I expect most uses don't come that close to 20T and an overengineered and big 10T press would probably do, but a 20T is only a small bit more expensive so why not? Having the mobility will be excellent for all the reasons you state. Having it away from a wall will also be useful if anyone needs leaf springs reshaped or anything similar done to flat bar.
We don't have HF here and most of the equivalents seem either much less good or a lot more expensive. There are also several YT makers who have build their own presses and some have kindly linked to their plans. The good ones are excellent and I need to get a quote for the materials to decide whether a self build is similar to bought or very different. Steel was expensive but I don't know at the moment. A self build would also need (for me) to accommodate the rear bearing SST, plus the plates etc would be extra.
Thanks!
Thanks for the comment. You've got lots to think about. Good luck with whatever direction you choose.
Nice upgrade
Thanks Miles.
I have an old HF 10 ton press and you'd be amazed how much bearing work I've done on it. I ended up putting it on an old furniture cart, works amazing!
The furniture cart is a good idea.
@@TimmyTheToolman the 10 tonnes are a wee small, so having a bigger footprint makes it more stable. Plus, it makes a wicked good storage shelf for all the press tools and bearing scraps!
Very interesting and informative as all your Toyota vides have been. Great idea..i see you went with the 4"instead of the 3".. insight into why other than getting another 1"..
The 4" casters at Harbor Freight were the only ones that came with locks. I wanted locks on all the wheels to give it the most stability when doing press work. And yeah, an extra inch isn't a bad thing.
id done this 4 years ago to my 20 ton press, but did different was put welded flat bar out the outer sections then welded wheels on all 4 corners, then cut the middle cross bar out, never had a problem doing axle bearing
Good job!
👍
Options for cheap 2" angle iron: local metal supply house, or local mattress retailer (angle iron bed frames).
Good idea. Thanks for sharing.
Bed frames are extremely hard metal and very difficult to drill holes
@@michael184272 No need to drill the angle iron for how I was using it. I only needed to cut them with my angle grinder.
Interesting. Those holes on the floor pieces are for bolting to the manual. Manual suggests cutting 1/2" hole, but who can say they didn't update the manual. Hey, wait! Let's use casters! Hmm... (practical VS OSHA?)
I never knew those holes were for bolting the press to the floor. Definitely interesting. Thanks for sharing this info.
I did that to mine too
Great minds think alike.
Awesome! You been working out Tim?
I'm glad you like it. I've been working out for most of my adult life. I lift weights, do core work, and do cardio activities like biking, hiking, and backpacking.
Since you have a grinder and a welder, have you considered a metal brake for that press? Thanks for the videos...
I've seen videos of guys with the press brake to bend metal. It's something to consider. I haven't had much use for bending metal yet, but maybe one day I will.
I need to do this with mine. I have mine tucked away and its a pain to pull it out.
Yeah, do it! It's a simple and satisfying mod to do, especially if you're just adding caster wheels. You only need to remove the center cross member if you plan on doing press work on longer axles.