Features:

  • Works on 1998-2004 Ford F-250 F-350 F-450 and F-550 4X4s having the vacuum-operated front axle
  • Correctly installs the seal onto the axle shaft and into the wheel knuckle
  • Prevents front hub vacuum leaks that would cause the 4WD to not engage
It is nicely made and a real tool but it almost takes ...

Wow this is a big chunk of steel. It is nicely made and a real tool but it almost takes a second person to hold it up while you use it. When redoing your axles in the Dana 60 axles on the Ford F350's and other large trucks you need to seat this very expensive special bearing seal. The seal not only needs to be pressed on to the axle shaft to a special depth but also is a complicated seal with bearings inside the seal that move so you need to evenly apply pressure to the whole units while you push it on. Online people have spoken about how to make your own press and while that is inexpensive and lighter weight, the weight of this tool also helps it press the seal on. I had to really hammer it for 3-5 minuets with a large 6lb hammer to get the seal in it's correct location, it was hard work but without a large hydraulic press this was the only way to do it correctly. And when the seal is almost $60 by it self the tool paid for it self by not ruining the seal first time around.

About the cost of a single seal--buy it or borrow it

If you don't care about auto 4wd and are happy to lock hubs every time, then I guess you can use one of those home made PVC setups you see on youtube. However, for the cost of a single seal, you can have the tool that will keep you from ruining the seals as you pound it on. I have a 2002 F350 Powerstroke. You have to really beat on that seal to get it to fully seat on the axle shaft. If you don't get it all the way on, you won't be able to install the axle back in the diff. correctly and your dust seal (where the axle shaft enters the axle tube) will sit out and away from the truck or you won't get that c-clip back on after you put the hub on the truck. This tool guarantees the correct installation without damaging the vacuum seal. It worked like a charm for me--I'm glad I bought it. Just make sure you smash that seal on the axle shaft good and tight, I used a 3-lb hammer and beat the crap out of it. I don't know how I would have gotten it all back together without leaving gaps if I didn't have this tool. Well worth the money.

Worked great for my 2003 Ford Excursion 7.3 4X4

This made installing the seal on the outer axle and then in turn the axle back into the banjo hub very easy. When you consider how much money you are saving by performing the work yourself the tool is a bargain even if you never use it again. I saw where people made the tool from PVC or a pipe flange and nipple (with grinding) on the net but I can tell you that having a tool that fits and you can really hammer is reassuring and I am sure makes the job go smoother. At least one of my seals took a fair amount of force, and you don't want to destroy the seal with an ill suited tool.

buy it

If you're here reading this, you are deciding whether or not it's necessary. Just get it, your auto hubs will work again and you won't damage and waste any 30 dollar seals along the way. AND don't get the one that's $20 less. You WILL have to beat on it as intended. so BUY THIS ONE and do it right (this coming from the guy that normally makes his own tool or finds away around it)

life saver!

if youre going to do the big seals that press on the stub axles of your front end, buy this tool or find a friend who has one. it has a machined step to set the depth just right. too deep and it will rub the backside. too shallow and youll have trouble putting the unit bearing back in. the price of the part is the same as one hour of labor at a shop so youll be money ahead no matter how you look at it. another nice feature is the lip on the other end to set the axle depth perfect after youve pressed the seal on the axle on the bench.

Worked perfectly

Not the cheapest tool you will ever buy but it was very heavily built. You really have to pound on this seal to get it in. I used an 8 pound shop hammer to drive the seal on to the shaft and used the installer to seat the seal into housing. This will seat the seal to exact depth so there is no guessing how far to drive it on to shaft. Again it is not cheap but cheaper than a $100 dollar an hour mechanic (who may or may not have a similar tool) and about the price of the seal if you ruin it putting it in without a tool.

Buy it - it's a no brainer!

I cannot imagine attempting to set the seals on the axle shafts of my 02 Super Duty without this tool. It seems expensive at first, but think about what you paid for the OE seals and then consider the significant liklihood that you could destroy one by attempting to make your own tool from some combination of galvanized plumbing pipes. It is more of a no-brainer now than it was when I purchased it having seen how perfectly this works to do the job. After you find out how hard you have to smack this tool to set the seal on the shaft, you will be smiling all the way to the bank for the time and effort you saved by buying this thing. It is also used to set the seal and shaft inside the knuckle and will not allow it to go too far toward the axle housing. It is perfectly simple and simply perfect. Buy it.

A must for replacing axle seals in a Ford F series with vacuum locking hubs.

You need this tool if you are installing the seals on the front axle. If you do not use this, you will most likely damage the seal and your vacuum locking hubs will not engage by using the switch in the cab because the hubs will leak and not hold vacuum. This tool is pricey but necessarily if you want your vacuum locking hubs to work after replacing the axle seals.

Worth the cost

I hate spending $80 on a tool that got 15 minutes of use... But, it made pressing the seals on and driving the axles back in super easy. I'm sure I saved a days worth of headache and misery buying this. From one cheapskate to any others out there, just buy this tool and save the curse words for the next mother in law visit.

Absolutely essential for doing the hub vacuum seals. The ...

Absolutely essential for doing the hub vacuum seals. The price point was slightly cheaper than most, but the shipping made it much cheaper. you can spend 2 hours building on from local black iron, but by the time you get part and assemble you have spent more in time than just getting the correct tool for the job. Works perfectly to set the seal, and (Seat)install the axle with the seal to the proper depth. With a press this installs the seals in seconds. with a hammer it took a minute each. Really makes installing the axle into the hub a breeze.

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