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