Custom made shop tools

[skylark]

Plastic pistons in the caliper or steel? The worst stuck caliper pistons I've seen were Fords with plastic pistons, when FoMoCo started using them in the 80s. Seen them lock up and turn a F350 rotor into several pieces. GM used them too, but thankfully not in our trucks. I used an old crusty 6" C clamp to push mine in. Takes a certain amount of effort, but they went in all the way. Not saying that you don't know what you're doing, just making a suggestion based on my experience in the parts house

A lot of the newer calipers have depressions on the piston for a tool to go into. You have to rotate the piston to get it to retract.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

A lot of the newer calipers have depressions on the piston for a tool to go into. You have to rotate the piston to get it to retract.

Interesting! I didn't know about that, not ever having run across it. Is that just a Ford thing or do GM and mopar use it too? Thanks Skylark

 

[Erik the Awful]

Aluminum pistons, rear brakes. You have to turn them because they have the parking brake adjustment mechanism built into them. The Japanese started using that setup back in the '80s - my RX-7s had a similar setup, but you could turn them in by hand.

 

[skylark]

Interesting! I didn't know about that, not ever having run across it. Is that just a Ford thing or do GM and mopar use it too? Thanks Skylark

Like @Erik the Awful said, many different applications.

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[HotWheelsBurban]

Like @Erik the Awful said, many different applications.

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Learn something new every day!

 

[Moparmat2000]

I got a new one. Custom welding rig using old bedframe rails, and a china freight tool service cabinet. I wanted this to fit under my workbench for storage and hold all my autobody tools, and sheetmetal fab tools in one spot along with my welder, and an 80 cubic foot gas cylinder. This thing is great. When I wheel it up to what I am working on, everything I need is right at my fingertips. I want to add a 4 outlet plug with permanent attached extension cord. This way I can keep my welder plugged in and still plug in my grinder, or a drill etc.

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[Moparmat2000]

Heres another pretty good one. Got a laptop computer power supply that drops 110VAC to 12VDC off evilbay new for $13. Made a bench test power supply out of it. I bent a piece of sheetmetal and made 2 insulated test lead lugs for alligator clip test leads. Installed a cell phone charging port that has volts and amps, as well as a cigarette lighter plug. I will be getting a lighter male end with 25 foot long test wires that I can plug in to make a set of remote test leads when you cant remove the part from the vehicle to bench test, so you can bring the test power to the part. Hole at the RH side of the panel in first and second pix is for an on/off switch so I dont have to keep unplugging the power supply. Last 2 pix I finally figured I definitely wanted it where it's at, so I cut off the angle and screwed it in place. I used the red and black wires and female lighter socket that were with the power supply when I got it. The sheetmetal and electrical odds and ends I had in the shop. The phone charger was $3 off evilbay, and another $2 for a good heavy duty switch. Total cost was less than $20

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[Moparmat2000]

Scrap steel tubing and angle iron. To hang up all the lawn n garden crap.

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[Erik the Awful]

Custom welding rig using old bedframe rails, and a china freight tool service cabinet.

Old bedrails are the greatest source of cheap angle iron. Every time I see old bedframes at a garage sale or on big-trash pickup day, I nab 'em.

 

[Pinger]

Doesn't need much of an explanation!

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