Hello friends. I was hoping to use a ratcheting adapter with braker bar so I could use it as a ratchet. I tried the following item.
Can anyone recommend one that I can use that they have used for a while that they like? Or maybe I’m doing something wrong by trying to use a ratcheting adapter on a braker bar? I think that’s what they are for.
Thanks.
Any kind of a ratchet tool cannot be used in a breaker tool application.
It destroys the ratchet tool.
Tester
Thanks for the info.
What would be a situation in which you would need a ratcheting adapter without braking it?
A breaker bar is a tool to break bolts/nuts loose.
A ratchet is used to loosen the bolt/nut once it’s loose.
Tester
Though I have abused my craftsman 70’s 1/2" ratchet wrench with a 3’ breaker pipe figuring if I broke it I could get a free replacement. Breaker bar now the go to if needed, as I don’t think I want what they sell now even if it was a free replacement.
My 1/2" ratchet has a 28" handle, I use it daily for nuts and bolts that are tighter than lug nuts.
During wheel alignments, control arm cam bolts and rear toe adjusters can have limited access and are very tight, a breaker bar will not work. Brake caliper bracket bolts on late model vehicles (large brakes) are very tight and often have limited turning access.
For 17.00 what did you expect ? Lug nuts on tires once they are loose with a breaker ( not braker) bar they really are not that big of a deal to remove . Why make things more complicated?
I’ve only broken one. It was my 1/2" ratchet that I bought from Ward’s in 1967. Lifetime warranty except they were out of business when I broke it. Yeah a 3’ pipe on a ratchet does put a little strain on it but you do what you have to do.
I would suggest though just spending $20-30 at Harbor Freight to get the breaker bar you want instead of all the extra attachments. Their stuff is not that great but just fine for non-mechanics. Or the local hardware store for better quality.
That’s assuming you could even FIND a Sears nowadays
I think there’s only a handful left
I have a breaker bar like tester showed, but also have the lug wrench
below. it works great for loosening stubborn lug nuts because you get more leverage than a cross Lugnut wrench. the only thing I do not like about it is the center indent does not really hold the socket in the center that well. so, when you spin the lug off it moves from the center. but I could of just got a bad one.
A relative gave me a 1/4 drive Craftsman socket set as a gift. Sockets/extensions are great but the ratchet I do not trust. The forward/reverse lever is made of plastic now so the longevity is suspect and there is a bit much slop in the gear head mechanism for my taste.
I don’t buy much from Harbor Freight as a lot of their stuff is not worth taking to the checkout counter. However, some items are great. I bought a bench grinder and 1/2 industrial drill 20 years ago on a whim and they work like new even after being flogged mercilessly.
The biggest HF surprise to me came when I bought a set of 3 HF micrometers with low expectations but for 40 bucks…
I have a full set of Starrett inside/outside mikes, dial indicators, etc, along with a set of Starrett Standards. For those who do not know what a Standard is it’s a precision rod used to check micrometer accuracy. I do some non-precision metal lathe work (mostly non/Harley flywheels have to be within .001 so there are exceptions…) and wanted to save wear and tear on the Starretts.
All 3 of those cheap Chinese mikes were dead on accurate when tested against my set of Standards. I was actually blown away over the precision on something so cheap and with the HF reputation.
My original thought was that if they were +/- a half inch I would just chuck them into my 55 gallon aquarium to keep the fish amused.
Still, HF can be hit and miss.
Whatever works for you. For at home I use the air wrench. For on the road I have my ratchet and a foot long pipe but it think it has been 30 years since I ever needed to take a tire off on the road.
Why not? Just buy a 1/2" drive flex head long handle ratchet.
I think Ace Hardware and Lowes sell Craftsman tools. They could probably tell the OP if the lifetime warranty is still in effect. Since Stanley-Black and Decker own Craftsman, it’s no cost the Ace and Lowes to replace the tool. SBD will reimburse them for it. It seems to me that the warranty should be in effect. When SBD bought them, they bought the warranties as well.
My Ace Hardware will honor Craftsman warranties but only if they stock the exact tool.
So I should use a breaker bar to break a lug or nut loose and then it’s ok to use a ratchet without damaging it? How many revolutions of the head or bolt is it consider “loose”?
You can use a ratchet to loosen lug nuts, but not a $17 one.
Click-type torque wrenches have a ratcheting head and can handle 120 lb-ft plus of torque. I’m not suggesting you use a torque wrench to loosen nuts, gust an example of a strong ratchet.
I found one of these quick to use, break it loose then spin:
Probably 1/4 or 1/2 turn. That’s why it is called breaking it loose. In this case, experience is the best teacher. Have you ever loosened up a bolt before? Just start.
