SEMA last year. Huge splash for this. Where is it? Said to be "Summer 2024"
Vaporware. I would be interested if it folds.
New harbor freight offerings
- Thread starter 04silverado6.0
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Vaporware. I would be interested if it folds.
Well, it seems quality, but yeah, I haven't used it at all. 90% of what I do with my BJ presses is u-joints. I may not have any actual ball joints to do for awhile, and that's the real test.
I didn't even look but I figure there's probably some YT reviews.
Also, I have not sorted through all the cup applications. The Icon comes with more, and depending upon coverage it might be worth getting the Icon at $200 for a couple more cups to supplement a BJP1, given that optional cups at SnapOn prices can hit $200 very quickly. This is also based on the ASSumption that Icon cups are not available outside of the whole BJJP16 kit (I don't know)
For the fan bois: I'm not excited about undercutting SnapOn per se, or American manufacturing, but I still believe competition is good for the consumer.
Also I ASSume you've tried putting the snap ring in the Icons or removing it from the SnapOns and they stay together as they should?
It looks like it should work. Diameters are the same so the only variable I haven't had time to test yet is the groove itself, ie will the Icon groove accept the snap ring or will the SnapOn groove engage the Icon balls with snap ring removed.
Was the broken Icon frame on YT, a forum, social media or just personal observation? Not challenging you -- it would just be good to see a linkable reference if available.
Snap-On groove on the adaptor is retained by the Icon balls. That much I have done. The broken c frame was shown on the Youtube channel from CP The Tool Addict. I'm not a fan of his delivery so I'll leave it for others to search. Looking at his video, there might have been a pre-existing crack in that particular forging. I would love to get an actual look at it.
I looked at some videos and didn't see and any evidence of mass failures.
I decided to use my Icon BJ press on actual ball joints today. 2005 Explorer. So far it removed one side no problem.
HOWEVER, mine had a glaring annoyance where the spindle insert gets wedged in the spindle and must be pounded out. This is a HUGE time suck and I was unwilling to accept it, so I chucked them up and took several thou off.
I didn't bother measuring, I was annoyed and I don't see how being several thou undersize is the least bit of a problem. It works great after modification.
They're coated completely black so anything silver has been machined:
HOWEVER, mine had a glaring annoyance where the spindle insert gets wedged in the spindle and must be pounded out. This is a HUGE time suck and I was unwilling to accept it, so I chucked them up and took several thou off.
I didn't bother measuring, I was annoyed and I don't see how being several thou undersize is the least bit of a problem. It works great after modification.
They're coated completely black so anything silver has been machined:
Other than that how was it to work with, any noticeable flexing? How much approx did you take off?
Honestly it was a joy to use. The three spring loaded balls seem more elegant than SnapOn's snap ring and they worked really well. HOWEVER, they seem more complicated, prone to contamination/intrusion, and less serviceable if one should fail.
Furthermore, I've done a total of ONE actual ball joint job with it (I did all four front BJs on this '05 Explorer), AND I was working with stamped steel control arms. Most old school steel knuckles (or inner C's) put up more of a fight if things don't go perfectly.
I used my big Milwaukee impact and didn't notice any appreciable flex.
I want to believe my spindle insert issue was a short-run manufacturing defect -- but man it was a PITA until I fixed it.
