I dont think crushing it in a press is your answer,,if you installed new bearings and races the preload and caliper reading will be different from your old one.
I use the 3/4 breaker bar and pipe method mentioned above...once the sleeve begins to crush a small amount will make a big difference.
you are using an inch pound torquer to measure the preload right ???
BTW,,,I've never seen one that folds inward...that may be your problem...
I have an in/lb wrench to measure preload, but we're nowhere close to being able to do that. With the impact, I was able to get it very tight, but nowhere enough. There was slack in the whole deal where you could move the pinion in and out.
I know the preload will be different than the old one... that's not what I'm asking. What I'm asking is, if the old crush sleeve is still longer than necessary for the current application, what's wrong with reusing it... It *could* be crushed further. And the slack in the pinion seemed to be more than the difference between the old and new crush sleeves.




