Big sockets and torque wrenches

Turfman · Dec 15, 2004

[quoteThe 1 1/4" socket on my LX4 hitch pin nut would NOT fit. That's what it measures. Think it's probably 32 mm.)

I had the same problem two weeks ago. The cat 1 pins on my landscape rake came loose. I tried all kinds of wrenches to tighten it, without success. Finally took them off with a lot of effort and took the nut with me to find a socket. I tried seven different places and kept hitting on a 32 mm socket. The nut would NOT go in, but was very close. Nothing else was at all close. Tried Sears and they had nothing. Finally I tried Autozone. They had a 32mm six point socket that had the corners relieved. Nut fell right in. Took it home and put it on my Craftsman 1/2" ratchet and every time I pointed the socket downward it fell off, it was so heavy. It was deep enough to do the job and I finished up with a breaker bar. Put anti-sieze on it for next time.

Wannafish · Dec 15, 2004

"Ouch! That poor torque wrench that only goes to about 200 ft-lb will NEVER recover from that. "

Jinman,
Heck, Torque wrenchs are cheap enough...throw it out and get another for next time! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(No wonder my dad won't let me into his garage now that I have my own...Probably the same reason I won't let MY boys into MY garage /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif)

btolle · Dec 15, 2004

Personally, I use a pipe wrench and a 1 1/2" cheater pipe about 4' long for that job.

Bill Tolle

Wannafish · Dec 15, 2004

And ya don't have to throw it away, either!!

Egon · Dec 15, 2004

Sure hope its a steel pipe wrench, not one of the aluminum ones.

Egon

keeney · Dec 15, 2004

If the lift pins are falling off, two things to try besides just tightening the heck out of them:

1. Use some thread lock.

2. Use two lock-washers. However, lock washers don't really work when they are tightened past the point where they are squished flat, and they have a hard time digging into the harder grades of nuts.

3. Weld it on.

btolle · Dec 15, 2004

( If the lift pins are falling off, two things to try besides just tightening the heck out of them:

1. Use some thread lock.)

I would use the blue thread lock in case you ever need to take it back off. I put some of the red stuff on a bolt and suspect I would twist the head off before I could get the bolt to break loose.

Thread lock works great if you have something that keeps vibrating loose.

Bill Tolle

eee · Dec 15, 2004

( I put some of the red stuff on a bolt and suspect I would twist the head off before I could get the bolt to break loose )

I have to keep an eye on my rear wheel bolts on my JD 4400,they have a tendency to loosen up,and I even use the red thread locker on them and they still occasionally come loose,though not near as often as they use too.

chriswheeler · Dec 15, 2004

You shouldn't need to be that precise with a hitch pin. Unless something is messed up you should be able to use a 1/2 " drive deep impact socket on a 1/2" impact gun and where it stops should be good enough. These aren't head bolts, mine measure 7/8" NF threads.
Chris

JimR · Dec 15, 2004

I have a nice 6 foot pipe that fits nicely over my 2 foot Snap-On breaker bar. This wokrs for me for tightening and breaking large nuts free. Especially when you jump on it.