All of my boxed end wrenches are 12-pt, no way am I using those..
I broke a Craftsman 3/8" Ratchet
- Thread starter The Critic
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JMH,
It was a solid, standard length handle ratchet of 3/8" drive...it was even the "old school" style with the twist action selector for direction.
The entire piece that controls the direction of "ratcheting" popped off...and I guess it was also the ratcheting mechanism as after the incident, the ratchet was rendered useless.
It was a solid, standard length handle ratchet of 3/8" drive...it was even the "old school" style with the twist action selector for direction.
The entire piece that controls the direction of "ratcheting" popped off...and I guess it was also the ratcheting mechanism as after the incident, the ratchet was rendered useless.
JHZR2
Staff member
if I were you, id buy a short(ish) 3/8" breaker bar, and then a good size 1/2" breaker bar. Ive had fine luck with the auto parts store untis as far a breaker bars go, there isnt much to them that can differ quality-wise, IMO.
Make sure you have the right 1/2" drive sockets for lug nuts, etc., if you go that route. A long (2ft or so) 1/2 drive breaker bar with a 1/2 to 3/8 converter will often shear the adapter's 3/8" nipple off before breaking free the bolt it was all attached to... since yore generating so much torque with that baby. It does become VERY useful when doing items like diff plugs, brake caipers, suspension parts, or even lugnuts, all of which can get siezed in there from the conditions and thermal cycling, and all of which are relaively hefty bolts/nuts.
Ive also found it useful to buy a 'geared' box end wrench and a really high quality combination wrench if you use a specific bolt size often. For example, my MB has mostly 13mm bolts/nuts, so I got a geared box wrench and a really nice reular combo wrench in that size, and they have proven to be super-valuable more times than I care to count... I still use my k-mart 6-point 13mm socket though!
JMH
Make sure you have the right 1/2" drive sockets for lug nuts, etc., if you go that route. A long (2ft or so) 1/2 drive breaker bar with a 1/2 to 3/8 converter will often shear the adapter's 3/8" nipple off before breaking free the bolt it was all attached to... since yore generating so much torque with that baby. It does become VERY useful when doing items like diff plugs, brake caipers, suspension parts, or even lugnuts, all of which can get siezed in there from the conditions and thermal cycling, and all of which are relaively hefty bolts/nuts.
Ive also found it useful to buy a 'geared' box end wrench and a really high quality combination wrench if you use a specific bolt size often. For example, my MB has mostly 13mm bolts/nuts, so I got a geared box wrench and a really nice reular combo wrench in that size, and they have proven to be super-valuable more times than I care to count... I still use my k-mart 6-point 13mm socket though!
JMH
This was my replacement ratchet from Sears:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.d...L&ihtoken=1
This is something similar to what I broke:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.d...L&ihtoken=1
Though I think mine may've been a little bit longer in length...can't remember for sure.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.d...L&ihtoken=1
This is something similar to what I broke:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.d...L&ihtoken=1
Though I think mine may've been a little bit longer in length...can't remember for sure.
I have a SnapOn chest, some SnapOn sockets and some Proto wrenches, all from the early 70s, but I've filled in with Craftsman over the years. I don't recall problems with the Craftsman. A friend and I bent a Proto wrench with a cheater bar, trying to loosen head bolts on a Harley, and I haven't been able to replace it with the same pattern as they don't make it anymore. At the sales counter no less, I noticed chrome peeling from my SnapOn sockets; I asked if that was normal and the saleman said to just bring back any tools that had problems. I did when a 3/8in SnapOn socket wrench broke, and years later also ended up using the socket wrench repair kit that I bought.
I couldn't find a crowfoot wrench big enough to replace the tie rods on the older Taurus, so I bought a large Craftsman wrench and used it with the open end almost vertical, with a cheater bar thru the box end. I didn't expect it to survive, but it wasn't damaged.
I couldn't find a crowfoot wrench big enough to replace the tie rods on the older Taurus, so I bought a large Craftsman wrench and used it with the open end almost vertical, with a cheater bar thru the box end. I didn't expect it to survive, but it wasn't damaged.
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I've never managed to break any HAZET, RAHSOL or GEDORE ratchets or sockets. My Metrinch appears also bombproof. I've had a fair share of Craftsman bits crack or break. One Craftsman socket actually cracked while resting in my toolbox.
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I broke an old 1/2" drive Craftsman ratchet once. I can't blame it though; I had a 3' pipe on the end and was "rowing" on a creeper to remove/break some leaf spring bolts.
Mike,
As I and others have stated, get a few breaker bars. A good 1/2" breaker and a deep socket 10mm are your friend for life on most imports.
You can use the bars to ease out your plugs, that EGR valve you are working on, on caliper bolts
(those are very nice and tough to break and that theory that someone else posted about 1/4" for 13mm or less would have you without a car cause you'd never get your job finished)
exhaust manifold bolts
CAT bolts
etc
etc
etc
As I and others have stated, get a few breaker bars. A good 1/2" breaker and a deep socket 10mm are your friend for life on most imports.
You can use the bars to ease out your plugs, that EGR valve you are working on, on caliper bolts
(those are very nice and tough to break and that theory that someone else posted about 1/4" for 13mm or less would have you without a car cause you'd never get your job finished)
exhaust manifold bolts
CAT bolts
etc
etc
etc
Kestas
Staff member
In addition to good tools, one needs good technique. After snapping off a few bolts in one's lifetime, you develop a feel for when you run into a problem. Even with good tools, you can't just pull on the wrench and hope for the best. Drilling out a broken fastener is no fun. If your "feel" tells you the bolt's gonna break and you don't want it to break off inside the threaded hole, you have back off and figure what to do next.... perhaps more penetrating oil, and maybe a bit of back-and-forth with the wrench to ease the fastener off.
Of course, if it's a through bolt with a nut at the back, who cares?
Of course, if it's a through bolt with a nut at the back, who cares?
we are on the BITOG website and nobody has mentioned penetrating oil??? use of good penetrating oil will reduce the amount of broken bolts.
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