I'd disagree. I have a hydraulic press(20ton). And
several other rarely used tools but they are worth
having around because when I want to use them they are
handy and usually when I need to use it all the flaps
are closed (evenings and sundays). I'd rather not have
to put a bunch of dirty parts in another car and drive
to the flaps, wait for them to get the time to serve
me wait 3 times longer than it would take me to do it,
only to have them potentially goober it up. A press is
usefull for other things as well, straighening bent
items, bending heavy gauge sheetmetal(for making
custom brackets, this is an attachment), these are
things the flaps won't be able to help with. I do 99%
of my own work and that reason alone makes it
worthwhile. The satisfaction of knowing how the work
was done and knowing that it was done right is a big
plus to me. The flip side is that if the parts are
worn when you press them back together you know
whether they are marginal or not and if you should
watch them a little closer, the guy at flaps likely
won't share or realize these details.

Second thing is Cory said he is going to buy one, so
he's likly already gone through this process. My
response is that a 20 ton press should be sufficient.
I have had only one part that was impossible to
separate, and I don't believe that a 50 ton press
would have been able to do it without permanently
deforming the components. Had I taken to a flaps and
"if" they had a press that could press them apart I
would have put it all back together only to find it
impossible to align because of deformed parts.

One caveat: My response is based on general auto
experience, I have not taken enough of my van apart to
discover the requirements of a press firsthand on a
vanagon. But, when I get to that point my press will
be waiting.

My .02

Ian

--- Eric Zeno <vw4x4@FYI.NET> wrote:
> Waste of money!  There are only a few things you
> will use it
> for and a lot of times you can get by without it.
> In the case
> that you do need it, your local FLAP should have a
> press
> and for a small fee, do the job.  Even the corner
> repair shops
> no longer have press tools, or brake laths.  Not
> wroth the
> money.
>
>     Eric
>
> SyncroWesty wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I am going to buy a press so that I can change my
> wheel bearings, upper
> > strut bearings, ball joints etc.  I see 4, 10, 12,
> 20, and 50 ton presses
> > available.  How much pressure do I need to work on
> a Vanagon?  For instance
> > what is the toughest part to press out and how
> much pressure would it
> > require?
> >
> > Anyone have any idea?
> >
> > TIA,
> >
> > Cory

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