Just thought I'd throw this out to see if there's something I've not grasped.
Or if it's just another example of "Thick Mini Owners Don't Deserve Any Better - And Won't Notice".
Using my (probably Chinese Copy) version of this tool, bought recently from one of the Usual Suspects, I was struck how badly designed it was ; I think my original Sykes-Pickavant version was the same, so just another case of poor design being perpetrated down through the generations ................
1. The threads are ridiculously coarse for the load that it's expected to furnish, and the torque that needs applying through the butterfly is unnecessarily high as a consequence.
2. The thrust faces are poorly machined, the exaggerated taper on the nose of the tube is guaranteed to increase the tendency for the two surfaces to gall and grab.
3. The threads on the main spigot are preposterously long for the job - only about 1/4 of their length ever gets used.
Is there a more intelligent version available anywhere ?
Furthermore, the Hi-Lo cones I bought from another Usual Suspect seem to have been designed by someone who never actually uses/fits them.
The adjustable spigot is way too long in practice (unless you're trying to make a Monster Truck with 18"" wheels ?) and sits very high up inside the trumpet - in fact SO high that the first thing that happens when you screw the spring compressor through the rubber cone is that its nose stamps out - very neatly it has to be said ! - a hole in the thoughtful plastic cover ........... that is meant to keep water out of the cone.
Even with the tap-like nose of the mandrel cut off (see picture) to reduce the problem, you're still guaranteed to hit the cover.
Equally daft is that, with the adjustable spigot sitting so high inside the trumpet, it makes it even more awkward to re-install the trumpet and ball-joint back into place - you end up compressing the suspension far more than you'd like just to give yourself more height ............... because the design is crap.
Solution : cut 20mm off the spigot ............... makes no difference to the strength, and I defy anyone to require that much adjustment to set their ride-height ; my Van, even on 12" wheels, is set on the "tall" side, and even with 20mm missing I'm nowhere near running out of threads.
I've got a couple of dozen other examples of crap parts, badly designed or executed, that I've bought from the Usual Suspect Suppliers over the last 4 years - do we not have a Rogues Gallery anywhere on the Forum where we can warn other Members of the stuff that is being peddled ?
), I've had this gear probably 25 years now, I bought it through my late Brother, he was an agent. It's Hydraulic with a Manual Hand Pump, though I also have an Electric Pump, but not really needed for doing Rubber Cones! As it is such high tonnage set up, you don't have any feel so you need to keep an eye on what's going on, otherwise you'd turn the Donuts Inside-out easy! I have 2 lengths of spacers so I can use it straight on the subframe like ^ above or in car.
