Instead of $800 you can get the OTC 8031 Truck and Jeep set for under $300. I know a lot of guys have used the $40 Harbor Freight kits, but the 8031 is the one that alot of the tool trucks sell, has all the correct adapters, has the larger opening press and worked nicely on the front u-joints. I bought mine here;

http://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-8031.aspx

I thought the price was steep, but not having to cobble sockets and such together was nice and this kit must weigh 40 lbs. I went with the XRF's and am pleased with the price and look of them. The bottom is greasable, the top is not. I was intimidated by the job, but after one side, I was able to do the hubs, ball joints and axle u-joints on the other side in less than 3 hours, taking my time. I can now say after doing the ball joints, that I would go the economical route again and be able to do the ball joints alone in 1 to 2 hours as the u-joints were the most time consuming portion for me. I don't care for the little buggers and they know it.

I also recommend getting the OTC 6290 Hub puller that is under $100 here;

http://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-6290.aspx

My hints are; Have/use an impact wrench, make sure you have the right parts (Axle u-joints are not stocked in most stores and cost twice what Rockauto charges when they do), I accidently found that removing the tie rod caused the hub and u-joint to bind making it harder to pull the hub, Buy a jug of never seize and coat everything, and don't do the project the week of your cross country trip. No-one wants to be around you.

Good luck!

 

As for the bj press,I purchased and used the harbor freight unit made by general.I seen some guys say its junk,but I had zero problems with it.And for $65 I saved myself over $200 on the OTC unit.I'm sure the OTC is alot nicer but they both do the same job.I live in WI. and they use alot of road salt around here,so my stuff was well rusted together and the tool still performed well.I also used it for the u-joints as well,however it did not have the correct sleeve for that so I had to improvise,which was no problem at all.I also will add that I used XRF joints and steering components and they seem nice so far.My u-joints came from O rielly and cost $48 each,they are made in USA and have a zerk fitting,which is what I was after.Oh and lifetime warranty.I had air tools and a decent shop to work in and it took me about 4 to 5 hrs per side without rushing.Pressing the u-joints and ball joints in and out is time consuming,tearing it apart and putting it back together is pretty simple and fast.Follow the wiki on here and you should be fine.I did the whole job solo,it was alittle tricky pushing out the bearing by myself,but I did it,I had to do a little balancing act with the sockets,had I had two people that would have been much easier.

 

It was amazing how easy the second hub came out when I left the knuckle connected to the tie rod, but I have a southern truck. The 8031 press opening is at least half again bigger than all the other sets I looked at. While doing mine, I wondered how ya'll did it with the smaller press. I really agonized over the press choice, but decided to get the right tool for a change and was glad I did. I would be willing to rent it out to locals, but shipping it is not going to happen since you could buy the HF set just getting it there.

 

It's against the rules for me to post pricing or links but it is on our website.

 

I too suggest the OTC tool or the Miler tool. The Harbor Freight presses don't have large enough throat for some situations and the quality is hit or miss just like any thing made in China. I bent 3 in a row before I got one to hold up. I now only use that one on little trucks like Jeeps.

I never use hub pullers as it can lead to a sperated hub bearing. I usually push the hub out form the back by loosening the bolts from the back and pushing them out using the power steering and an old socket/extension wdeged between the bolt and the outer C of the axle.

 

Check out ebay, I saw a couple of used MAC tool sets on there, they had a day left and were going for under $100. I work for an ambulance service so I am going to borrow our mechanics snap on set to do mine.