5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

I've bin having my eye on this kit for a year now waiting to see more positive reviews but I guess due the the negative reviews no one wanted to try this product so I took a shot and I use the kit every day in the shop even with my impact gun and have no problems what so ever.

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

I have only need the large swing arm puller, but that worked well for popping the ball joint tapers out. I made sure to grease the threads and I only use hand tools on pullers, not air impact tools.

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

I have been a professional mechanic for almost 10 years. i have had this kit from HF for about a year and use it daily. Its very solid for the price and if used PROPERLY it will last several years. I am a front end/chassis specialist and have deff got my money worth. Forged instead of cast would be better, but its worth the money if used right.

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

I have had the tool for about a year. I do a lot of suspension work and this set has been priceless. Able to remove ball joints, tie rods without using a hammer or pickle fork. Alot of times you have to remove components to do work other than suspension and not add a extra cost for the customer. Kit especially handy when working with aluminum componets so they don't get misshaped by hammering down on them. If you work on a lot of suspension you need this tool,

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

I used these to remove tie rod ends on a beat up 67 VW Baja Bug. The car hadn't seen any maintenance in quite some time and there was more corrosion and desert dirt than I've ever seen on any vehicle I've ever owned. The tools worked like a charm and removed the tie rod ends with little effort. I was concerned about these would hold up because the whole set cost me the same as one tool at another store. These things are pretty stout and the kit provides you enough variety to fit a number of different application.

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

You get what you paid for. It will break. I used the bigger one for the 2nd time and one of the claw snaps right off. The center piece adapter where the ball joint thread goes in BENT on the 2nd use. Since its only few days old I'm returning it to store. Not sure if I want a replacement or refund.

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

The pin in the ball joint separator tool broke on the second ball joint I was removing. This was an inner ball joint on a 2003 MINI Cooper.

I have not used the other tools in the kit, so I can't comment on their reliability.

I recommend getting a ball joint separator tool with a higher build quality and lifetime warranty.

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

I broke the case within minutes of owning the product. I took it out of its packaging and immediately knocked it off the table. The case failed the drop test... but that was my fault and I didn't expect it to withstand that.

The ball joint separator failed on me after the first ball joint! The failure wasn't spectacular (like some of the other reviews), the threads just couldn't stand up to the force and shredded on both the bolt as well as the tool. I was attempting to remove the steering knuckles from both sides of my vehicle which required ball-joint removal on: tie rods, tension struts, upper arm controls, and lower arm controls. I made it through the first tie rod and it failed on the other side. The sad part is I had replaced the tie rods, tension struts, and upper arm controls all within the last 3-6 months. The first time getting some of these off was a bear!! But ultimately, the sledge hammer did the job. Because these parts were new and I wanted to "protect" them (i.e., not sledge them out of there!) I decided to try using this puller set. I had the tool properly threaded, finger-tightened, and put my gun on the end. It went smoothly then struggled after a bit, but got the first tie rod to pop. I had difficulty unthreading the tool and noticed when doing the second tie rod that I struggled after making it to a certain point on the bolt. I could not get this one done. I then struggled to get it undone! I had to switch out the gun for a solid (non-ratcheting) socket with a 4' extension (iron pipe over the end). When I finally got it off I noticed that the treads had been stripped out on both the bolt and the tool in this one area. The tool was useless after that. I was able to get all the ball joints out by simply using a hammer. They were not in there tight and a few taps popped every one of them with no functional damage to the bolts or nuts (well, not the lower arm controls, but I was replacing those anyway). There's no reason this tool (designed for this exact purpose) couldn't have stood up to this "abuse" I put it through.

If my job depended on it, I would have purchased high-quality tools to begin with. However, doing this once every few years, I typically buy cheap specialty tools from HF. For the most part they all work exceptionally well for the price. I can't speak for the rest of the pullers in this set, but I would recommend staying away from this case.

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

These are weak cast pullers, because of this, when they break (AND THEY DO) they shatter violently. Unlike HF's ball joint kits that use forged steel parts and are very good tools, even without taking the excellent price into account. These pullers are dangerous to use and it doesn't matter how much you save if the tool is unusable.

Comments about Pittsburgh Automotive 5 Piece Front End Service Tool Set:

Found myself in a bind and picked up this set. To bad the set was sealed and I was unable to look at the tools. Everything was small.