I was looking for a better way to remove early Ford spring perches without damaging them. The old heat and beat technique sometimes screws up threads and makes more work. Using a hydraulic press was an option which was going to require a fixture to hold it in place. That would have worked but I figured on building a press type clamp and a common puller from some stuff I had lying around the shop. Other people have come up with a solution to this age old problem,here’s my take on it. The construction is pretty self explanatory but if anyone wants to duplicate my setup I’ll be glad to post dimensions. It’s a beefy setup that has no deflection and works great!
nice job, heavy duty. they can be a challenge even with the right tools. i have a good old 50 ton press, and still the stubborn ones need heat and time before the big bang happens. a support i made to keep it level in the press helps, but really its still a heavy thing, should be supported, and takes two people, i think your approach is better.
Another question. Did you still have to use heat or just some sort of lube or just dry? Thanks again for a much needed tool. John
Great job. I like how beefy you built it. Ive never gotten a single perch pin out without getting the axle boss cherry red and even then it was difficult. Last ones I did I put in a blacksmith forge.
Very nicely done on the build! I eventually need to build one. Question; Was/is there a commercial tool (Lisle, etc.) manufactured specifically for pulling spring perches? There's specialty tools for about everything else on a car. How did Ford and other brand auto dealerships, frame and axle shops do the job? Say a wrecked 30's/40's car was towed into a shop back in the day and required a bent axle be swapped out. Did they reach for the specific tool, or was it a caveman scene involving a torch, press and brute force?
Somebody on the HAMB (was it Andy?) posted his years ago. His was similar, but it pulled instead of pushed. A big yoke to fit over the axle and push on either side of the perch. And a smaller yoke with a pin to hook the perch, attached at it's top to a bit of acme threaded rod to yank it up into the big yoke.
I used 4" x8" pieces of 1/2" plate..Just what I had lying around..The top plate is 3" wide plate..Probably overkill but I can say it doesn't deflect at all!..Once I set it on an axle with the puller underneath the top plate,I marked where the axle was with a sharpie and drilled the 1/2" holes about 1/4" below the axle. I used rust penetrant and let it soak overnight..So far,I've done two without any heat.. I did used some heat on another axle I did today. Yes, I have mocked it up on later axles
Think this is the one you are thinking of " alchemy ". https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/getting-perch-pins-out-with-no-damage.649367/
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