8-1/4 bearing pre load tool
My Bad! In my haste I forgot about torque requirement for pre loading the backlash into the case... My original thought was 1018 round stock welded on with a nut welded onto the end. It would take a 5/8 inch bar due to torsional loss along a four foot length but it's still doable for cheaper than the aftermarket tool. Four feet length at home depot or the like for $15. The engineering math comes out to close to 270 lbs of torque yield strength for a 5/8 diameter piece of 1018 cold rolled low carbon alloy. But over a four foot length your going to have a lot of flexing and twist built in so you would want the extra fatigue resistance of the extra material.