Well this doesn't look right

Picked up the press today during the memorial day sale. came home, unboxed the heavy SOB and put it together. Looks to me like whatever welded everything together in the factory was way off, because I can't get this level through eye bolt adjustments or heavy hammer use. Seriously, I have dents in the thing from beating on it trying to make it level out.

Any thoughts or ideas on how to level it up before it becomes a frustration thrown window opener?

Adjusting and readjusting the eye bolts doesn't make a bit of difference, just makes the springs harder to move. I think the plate at the top was welded wrong from the factory.

EDIT: also spun the jack and it's plate around, to no avail, as well as leaving the jack plate and just turning the jack.

Jack is not centered on lower bar.

Warranty it.

yea, I'm beginning to think I'm going to need to cut off and weld back on the plate the jack sits on. it has holes in it to bolt the jack to it, now I guess I haven't tried it sideways, but it's basically the same whether its facing me or the wall.

the left eye bolt is totally loose, no tension on the spring. The right side, which seems to be jammed against the side support, is as tight as a deepwell socket will get it. still has more tension. Not shown because my phone died, I dropped it down and unscrewed the top of the jack some. Doesn't get me much because I'm working by myself, but having it up a little bit helps level it more. after jacking it up, when I turn to relieve pressure, it stops going up with an inch of tube still exposed.

standing back and looking at it, I can't tell if it's optical illusion because of the wall, or if it really is, but it looks like one side is taller than the other. except the top bar is level.

I'm done. between the crappy fall apart folding table I was trying to sand my fenders on, the 200% humidity, and this mess, I'm just done working for the day. maybe after I prime the bumper and get my car put back together I'll fight with it some more.

I don't have a micrometer or anything, but I'm not sure if the springs are even the same length either. I took them off, and decided there is definitely a top and bottom as the hooks are different on either end. No mention in the instructions of course.

Don't screw with it, return it. Last thing you want is some janky chinese miscalculations exploding a set of bearings (or worse) into your chest.

Yeah, with 40,000 lbs of force stuff needs to be pretty damn close to perfectly square or bad things happen, explosively.

Well, I had a beer to calm down, then went and stared at it. Took the top off, took the jack off (hahaha), and took the springs off. Then I got to fiddling a little bit, and realized, I turned the jack bar around, after the jack ( real confusing order of events) BUT I put the jack mounting plate on, and turned the jack to face the wall, lifted it by hand to test, and it fit perfectly. Someone needs to spend the extra nickel on front and back labels for this E36 M3. It now looks proper. I'm trying to find something to go test it out, I know I have some 1/4" plate sitting around here somewhere

Beer makes everything fit better. You should see me ikea after a few.

It certainly looks like you should remove the jack and rotate it 180 on the lower sliding plate thingy. Is the recess in that plate centered, or offset to allow for the jack handle? It looks offset in the photo.

Edit: That isn't a recess is it? Optical illusion, I guess. Still looks like the jack center line is offset and the plate needs to be rewelded to get that cap screw in the right spot.

DeadSkunk wrote: It certainly looks like you should remove the jack and rotate it 180 on the lower sliding plate thingy. Is the recess in that plate centered, or offset to allow for the jack handle? It looks offset in the photo.

I rotated just the jack 180 degrees and it's fine now. I guess the last time I just rotated the piece the jack is bolted to and that didn't work for whatever reason. After testing it out, I'll be upgrading to the air over hydraulic pump or whatever the hell it is before I do my bushings. 30 thousand pumps to lower the thing just won't do for 30 bushings.

Still, if you can spend all those pennies for a shiny foil safety sticker, a "front" sticker can't be that expensive or hard to make.

Return it. It's defective.

I have the exact same press and agree with the need for the pneumatic cylinder.

Also, check out Pirate4x4 for all sorts of mods and additions. The plate break is on my todo list.

I had not considered putting air on my press. Thank you for giving me more things to put on my "To Do" list.

Return it. HF will take it back. Aren't you in Pittsburgh?

In reply to ncjay:

after playing with it bending some plate, air is almost essential. The next sale weekend, air over hydraulic pump will be $125, actually, it is until tomorrow as well. I'm just expecting a 25% off coupon for 4th of July weekend to bring that price down a little more.

Why is there more than one "return it" posts that followed the part where the OP said he originally put it together backwards, figured it out and now everything is fine?

OP, glad you got it sorted. Seems like taking a few minutes away for a beer or whatever sometimes is all that is needed to figure out a problem.

Cold beer makes me think... makes me think I'll have another one.

Return it. No, wait... keep it. No, Oh, darn, Where's My Beer?

The air over jack is cool and time saving, however, I suggest you just use the air part to get the ram close to where you want it and just starting, then go manual. I have found when pressing things that the feel on the pump handle gives me lots of information about when to stop. It will start getting a lot harder to pump when you've gone too far. If you keep going at that point, something bad will happen.

Dr. Hess wrote: I have found when pressing things that the feel on the pump handle gives me lots of information about when to stop.

This.

BTDT, stubborn F-150 u-joints needed just enough pre-load then heat to even budge 'em. E36 M3 can go flyin' or get broken if ya get carried away.

I'd prefer air over hydraulic for a sheetmetal/ plate brake especially for multiple pieces.