I keep breaking 1/2 ratchets on my lug nuts.

[5030]

Not something that anyone on this site will encounter I'd say...

 

[kioti28527]

harbor freight and craftsman have broken on me getting lug nuts loose. I am rough with them using a 6 ft pipe.

I do have a impact driver maybe that will work better.

Do you use antisieze when you reinstall?and im to old and arthritis wrist to be using any cheater bars so my go to is an impact

 

[Dennis Mohn]

Sad to see even the SK Pro line is now made in China as well. still charging close to $100 for a 1/2" rachet though.

I have thought about lowering the pressure down on the compressor pump cut out, but the impact and the bead breaker on the tire changer sometimes need that extra bit sometimes it seems.

I try to buy wright tools when possible , made in the U.S. and they were the manufacture for Mac, Snap on and Cornilus (pardon the spelling)

 

[Dennis Mohn]

If that is so why do torque multipliers state in instruction how to apply torque (with a torque wrench) above and beyond the rated value of a torquench to tighten nuts and bolts....?

to allow for stretch and seating. It should also be pointed out the importance of having a clean seating surface when tightening and torqueing

 

[qualsite]

We were driving in Alaska, during a snow storm 50 yrs ago on that isolated stretch to Haines, and had a flat. Of course, my lug wrench and ratchet broke trying to get it off. The only other vehicle we saw for a long time drove up in a few minutes... God was watching out for us. He had a big breaker bar with an impact socket, which worked. Ever since then I've used a big breaker bar. If my electric impact wrench works, fine, but if not, then out comes the breaker bar... and always for the hand finish tightening. On the farm, I have a long 3/4" drive breaker bar with a 1/2" adapter to use my impact sockets. Never had a problem on any of the farm equipment, no matter how long a cheater pipe I've used after a good soaking of the stud in penetrating oil, which has rarely been needed.

 

[Dennis Mohn]

Agree, if you look at the internals of and size ratchet, the gear teeth aren't that robust. They are made for a certain max torque...
Enter breaker bar etc.

the finer teeth are also designed to allow for a shorter stroke in limited space conditions.

 

[masscity]

In 1973 I had a 1964 Jetstar 88 Oldsmobile. The only spot on the car that didn't have a dent was the driver's side door. It had a 100k on it when I bought it, but ran like a top. I put another 40k on it.

One rear tire kept going low on me so I thought I'd take it off and bring it to the tire place. I was in Detroit City and no wheel covers. Trying to take the tire off I broke 4 studs off. I drove it very slow to the tire place and they fixed it.

Where I screwed up almost, was I didn't have them loosen the other three. I never had another flat, but I would have been screwed.

One night I was at the corner bar, I walk out to drive home, no car. I walked around the bar thinking I parked it somewhere else, nope. Walked home (1/2 mile) called the cops, I told them about my stolen car and they laughed. They said if we don't find it in a week it's gone for good.

A week later they called and said it was behind a commercial building. I went to pick it up and they had stole my back seat (it was in perfect condition), my spare (it would go flat after 50 miles), jack and lug wrench. I went to the junk yard and bought all of these items for $15.00.

 

[GWagon]

A half inch ratchet in not the right tool. Go with a 3/4" socket set or impact.
I suspect you used a cheater bar.

He stated that he used a 6ft bar. Some people shouldn't be allowed to own tools.

 

[Dennis Mohn]

I prefer clean, slender, feminine women to smelly, dirty with grease in their hair women.

That may be so , but it can be fun getting them back to clean and sweet smelling

 

[WinterDeere]

That may be so , but it can be fun getting them back to clean and sweet smelling

I'm honestly surprised my Working Women thread didn't take off. Seems no one was interested.

 

[Dennis Mohn]

How is a breaker bar different from a pipe on the wrench?

heavier construction and designed for the length of the shaft to handle or head

 

[bcp]

I'm honestly surprised my Working Women thread didn't take off. Seems no one was interested.

They won't fit in my tool box, and like a horse, you have to feed them even if they are not working. And all my lug nuts are OK. anyway.

Bruce

 

[Dennis Mohn]

I'm honestly surprised my Working Women thread didn't take off. Seems no one was interested.

I could tell some tales of real working women I have known in the past both good (funny) and bad (also funny)

 

[WranglerX]

Do not use a torque wrench to take something like that apart if you ever expect it to work when you are putting something together. A torque wrench may have a ratchet head , but it is not intended to be used in place of a ratchet or breaker bar.

Your comment is out of context, the comment was for someone TIGHTENING a bolt or nut......

 

[Dennis Mohn]

Your comment is out of context, the comment was for someone TIGHTENING a bolt or nut......

someone asked , I answered . Not out of context. At least I wasn't talking about something off topic.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I obviously meant less torque needed on a fastener that isn't dry. I can blame it on sleep deprivation.

Anyway, there was a time when I could fasten 1/2" lug nuts to within 2 ft.-lbs. since I did it so often.

And the beauty of using an impact wrench is that all the force is strictly rotational. When using a breaker bar, ratchet, or torque wrench, I use an extension so I can support the extension with one hand and avoid putting lateral force on the wheel stud - which can lead to broken studs.

Also, I tend to use impact sockets more often than regular ones even with hand tools. Have them from 3/8" up to 1". The exception being some aluminum wheels where even a regular 3/8" socket can be a very tight fit.

 

[WinterDeere]

Also, I tend to use impact sockets more often than regular ones even with hand tools. Have them from 3/8" up to 1". The exception being some aluminum wheels where even a regular 3/8" socket can be a very tight fit.

I've sometimes wondered why they even still make sockets that aren't impact sockets.

I have drawers full of the old chrome "glass hard" thinwall sockets, and I use them because I have them. But if I were a young guy just starting his tool collection today, I think I'd probably just buy only impact sockets.

Once in awhile you truly need a thin wall socket, where an impact socket is just too beefy to fit. But I have a grinder, or could order in a thinwall for those odd jobs when it's really required.

 

[WinterDeere]

I could tell some tales of real working women I have known in the past both good (funny) and bad (also funny)

Please do! Here:

Working Women

You all know them: Farmer Graycee, Emily Reeves from Flying Sparks Garage, and all the other attractive women out there doing "man's work". If you don't find 'em cute or entertaining, well... I just don't know what's wrong with you. My favorite of the moment seems to be Katelyn Johnson, with...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[Paul McILwain]

A few years ago I could not get one of the calipers off my ford chassis class A motorhome even with he long pipe trick and 3/4 inch bar so bought a torque multiplier at Princess Auto and it worked well, bolt came right out. Would not use it for tightening. Multiplier still sits under my bench and never got used again, should have rented or borrowed

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Once in awhile you truly need a thin wall socket, where an impact socket is just too beefy to fit. But I have a grinder, or could order in a thinwall for those odd jobs when it's really required.

I have put both thinwall and impact sockets in the lathe. Sometimes you do what you gotta do to be able to keep working.