HUGE breaker bars. Suggestions?

[Damian]

I broke my Snap On 25" breaker bar the other day (for the 4th time) snapping a an LS crank bolt loose. The previous owner installed an underdrive pulley and used red loctite on an ARP bolt, seated the pulley to 250ft lbs, then just left it there. It's been that way for 3 years. Had to put a 3 foot cheater bar on my breaker bar to get it loose, but cracked the head in the process.

I looked on Sears website and they've got some 40" breaker bars but they're made by Titan. Any suggestions on finding a good deal on a BIG break bar? Like 36" +, bare minimum.

Thanks

 

[DrkMtnDew]

SO and Matco both sell a 36'' 3/4'' bb. the SO is two part with removable head. matco is solid piece. if that is out of your price range northern sell titan bb's also, i believe up to 40''.

 

[dime]

I use a snappy 3/4" drive ratchet for anything that my 24 inch breaker bar seems sketchy on. You can get a good 3/4 to 1/2 adaptor and go about it like that if you don't want to buy 3/4 sockets.

 

[nate379]

Little bit of heat on that bolt would have helped you out.

 

[Danglerb]

Maybe try the Lisle right angle impact?

Or make a monster breaker bar.

 

[dwm]

I'm with Nate. If I've got something on a passenger vehicle that won't yield to a properly sized breaker, my next move isn't a longer breaker bar, it's an induction heater. Say a Mini-Ductor II. I want to remove the fastener, not break things.

They're not as cheap as a breaker bar, but decent induction heaters will save your **** in situations that other things will not.

 

[YellowLakeWelding]

I'm with Nate. If I've got something on a passenger vehicle that won't yield to a properly sized breaker, my next move isn't an a longer breaker bar, it's an induction heater. Say a Mini-Ductor II. I want to remove the fastener, not break things.

They're not as cheap as a breaker bar, but decent induction heaters will save your **** in situations that other things will not.

I have to agree with the induction heater, I had one in the body shop. Came with just about every adapter under the sun including a heat mit for taking off emblems or body trim. The wonderful thing was the control of heat and also no open flame, they work pretty fast also.

 

[diesel research]

Cursed mofos using red locktite where it doesn't belong.

Yes, if you read the locktite instructions red requires heat.

I do not like forked type breaker bars like snap on. I MUCH prefer the ampro/HF type. Truth of the matter is, I can't think of any main tool company in the US who builds such breaker bars. The taiwanese do, and they last much longer.

The titan is kinda pricey at $89, while the "grip" is also 3/4 drive-40" and $40.

Gonna have to add heat, even at the risk of balancer damage. Let the customer know. Red locktite requires about 400* to let go. I know I have broke it free w/o heat, but there are risks with that as well.

v8 tools makes the biggest half inch breaker at 36" but that's sketchy to have such length on thinner handle/drive square. Ya, ya, we all got away with 6ft+ pipes before, often with no harm done, but you saw what happens to a 24" with just 3ft.

That inductor sure would be nice. I mostly deal with "through bolts" so if the impact rattles for more than a second I don't bat an eye and burn 'em off with a plasma. Sometimes don't even try to break 'em free since it's so much fun. In your case that definitely wouldn't work and the inductor would be pretty sweet.

 

[4x4gearhead]

I have that grip 40" breaker bar as I work on what is pretty much heavy equip. Ive had it for 3 years and at times used it heavily, it has never let me down, I could agree with the heat factor too, though the induction heater is pricey. Quick torching could do the same.

 

[bw77]

They're not as cheap as a breaker bar, but decent induction heaters will save your **** in situations that other things will not.

Yeah, $400+.

 

[diesel research]

Yeah, $400+.

Would probably pay for itself after melting 1 harmonic balancer with a torch.
(unless he can persuade the customer to buy it) Could get even more pricey if the bolt head breaks off in the crank or cracks it.

 

[bobcatdan]

Little off topic, but are those mini ductors really worth the prices, looks cool. I have the 36" long matco breaker bar. USA made, beautiful piece.

 

[Damian]

I would have used heat if the car didn't have a $400 billet ATI dampner on it.

Using heat on the crank pulleys of LS engines have also been known to cause premature timing chain failure. It's basically a no-no on these engines. If it was an older SBC/SBF, no problem. Moral of the story, don't use red loctite on LS crank pulleys.

Thanks for the feedback on the Titan/Grip bars. I was looking at those, but wanted to hear some feedback on them. I've got a couple of Titan tools that are pretty decent.

 

[mark52621]

Just buy a 3/4 inch breaker bar and an adapter for 1/2 inch sockets. Even if the 3/4 bar is the same lenght as the 1/2 bar you'll be suprised at how much more it will do.

 

[Wakefield]

Would a Wright 3/4" drive Bull Bar-using a 3/4 drive socket or an impact 3/4 to 1/2 adapter-be strong enough? It doesn't have a flex joint however so that might rule it out.
It sounds like the Snap on actually got the bolt started turning before it gave up the ghost?

 

[Damian]

I broke the bolt loose w/ the Snap on, but it simultaneously broke the head of the breaker bar. It was weird, they both snapped at the same time.

I'll be getting my Snap on replaced on Monday and continue using it, but this is the 4th one I've broke. Just looking for something longer with a little more *** for situations like this when I need 3+ feet of leverage to snap something loose.

 

[Berserker]

I just bought an 18" Craftsman. I have been using my Grampa's 18" for years for a cheater bar. But decided to retire it before I break it.

When reading the reviews, I saw a couple people mention the pins breaking. Figure if I break one I will measure the size, so I have a spare to pound in. If that works. Warranty is no good, if you need to get it done now.

 

[shampoop]

I think this is what an ex coworker uses on VW axle bolts

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...3&group_ID=446&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

From what I hear, no 1/2" impact can take them off, but it's very easy with one of these.

 

[Simplespeed]

Snap-Off breaker bars lol.

 

[I can fix anything]

Wright 1" drive, no way can human power alone breaks this one.

 

[Fordfixer]

I use a Snap-on L113H at work. Great for loosen seized lugnuts and crushing crush sleeves. Have yet to break the bar, have broken the 3/4" to 1/2" adapter though.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I broke 3 craftsman and 2 snap-on breaker bars trying to get a suspension bolt out of my dads pickup. I bought a mac one, and it, and the next 3 bolts, came out with no problems.

8 years later, still haven't broken that thing.

 

[Wakefield]

Snap on's 1/2" drive breaker bar looks like it is made for tight access,slender. That may be good and needed for tightly crammed together cars. But Snap on needs to make another 1/2" drive breaker bar that makes no compromise to being slender,so that they can claim that they have a 1/2" drive bar that is second to no other 1/2" drive bar on strength. So that Harbor Freight or Duralast cannot kick sand at them on the beach.
Sounds like the breaker bar that died withstood over 300 ft. lbs. before it died?
I'd be afraid that if the pin broke on the Craftsman then the shock would take out one of the ears and ruin it totally.

 

[diesel research]

In my own experiences (and many others)

Not so good:

Now we are talking:

BAD choice:

Other experience:
Too many people insisting on red locktite when blue would be a better choice. (along with a proper fitting bolt)

 

[bw77]

BAD choice:

I have a 40 year old Craftsman 1/2 breaker bar that has held up with a 5 foot pipe on it. Broke a socket, but the bar has survived.

But, I agree with you, the newer Craftsman is not as good.

 

[Skyline]

I have a 3/4" Drive sliding "T" Bar wrench. I have no idea who makes it, but this thing is tough. It's about 30" long. The sliding head is machined out of a big solid chunk of steel. What's nice is that the diameter of the bar is only slightly smaller than the handle of my floor jack, so on occasion, the two have been combined to create a 4'+ breaker bar. Even with the jack handle cheater bar, this thing does not flex noticably with all the force I can muscle, and I have jumped on this thing with all my weight to pull axle nuts. This eliminates the pivoting head of a breaker bar, which is typically the weak point.

But for regular breaker bars, I really do like the previous generation MAC bars. The round head seems like a stronger design.

 

[rocklobster]

Excuse my ignorance I have no exp. with a LS1 but:

Could you not have used the starter bump method to remove the crank pulley?

Works great for me!

 

[Damian]

Excuse my ignorance I have no exp. with a LS1 but:

Could you not have used the starter bump method to remove the crank pulley?

Works great for me!

Using the starter bump on any crank bolt is a good way to break **** if the crank bolt is on there as tight as this one was. I've seen some pretty expensive damage happen from using that method, so I'll never try it.

 

[sbin]

My go to breaker looks like the middle one if that doesn't work I have an old 3/4"
Indestro ratchet and breaker set that will.On things less delicate than harmonic balancer the torch comes out early and often.The West Virginia blue tip wrench is hard to beat.

In my own experiences (and many others)

Not so good:

Now we are talking:

BAD choice:

Other experience:
Too many people insisting on red locktite when blue would be a better choice. (along with a proper fitting bolt)

 

[BlindViper]

A little heat from a propane torch wouldn't have hurt that bolt or the balancer.

 

[sbin]

Use a plumbing map gas torch also.I have some heat wrap from a turbo that shields wires or flexible lines that might be damaged by heat.

 

[TheGrooveking]

I broke the bolt loose w/ the Snap on, but it simultaneously broke the head of the breaker bar. It was weird, they both snapped at the same time.

I'll be getting my Snap on replaced on Monday and continue using it, but this is the 4th one I've broke. Just looking for something longer with a little more *** for situations like this when I need 3+ feet of leverage to snap something loose.

Possibly the shock wave from the breaker bar giving up was enough to loosen the bolt.

TheGrooveking

 

[NUTTSGT]

Luckily I haven't broke my SO breaker bar, the snap-on guy told me it was almost impossible to break. I thought yeah right.

 

[Cheapskate]

Harbor Freight has a 3/4" Drive Breaker Bar. It's $20 but it's also only 20" long but finding a 4' to 6' pipe to slip over it shouldn't be too hard. I have one but haven't used it yet. It's supposedly rated at 750 foot lbs. maximum load tolerance. An option for a tool that probably won't see much use.


http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-drive-20-inch-quick-release-breaker-bar-98270.html

 

[scheu]

In my own experiences (and many others)

Not so good:

Now we are talking:

BAD choice:

Other experience:
Too many people insisting on red locktite when blue would be a better choice. (along with a proper fitting bolt)

Who makes the style in the center picture?

 

[cdseven95]

Who makes the style in the center picture?

hf...

 

[bobcatdan]

What is considered stronger, a breaker bar or a sliding t handel ( I think some call it a bull bar). The more I think about it, the head on a breaker bar is what always breaks and a t bar seems a stronger design, but every one I ever see, the bar is all bent to ****. So are they a horse a piece or is one stronger. I know I have never seen a 24" t bar so maybe I have answer my question.

 

[Skyline]

Who makes the style in the center picture?

That's like the previous generation MAC I mentioned earlier.

 

[Ford12508]

What is considered stronger, a breaker bar or a sliding t handel ( I think some call it a bull bar). The more I think about it, the head on a breaker bar is what always breaks and a t bar seems a stronger design, but every one I ever see, the bar is all bent to ****. So are they a horse a piece or is one stronger. I know I have never seen a 24" t bar so maybe I have answer my question.

Steel rod is a lot easier to have on hand rather than 5 extra breaker bars.

 

[shampoop]

In my own experiences (and many others)

Not so good: Best clearance out of any style, can fit in the really tight spots. My coworkers were amazed that my 1/2" SO breaker bar fit on a subaru rear suspension adjustment bolt. They have to use a 3/8" breaker with a cheater (it does actually fit easier)

Now we are talking: Best style for strength, head is much larger though.

BAD choice: I agree. My dad uses his once every few years maybe for lug nuts on his truck, he has broken at least one of them, and he is not a big guy.

Other experience:
Too many people insisting on red locktite when blue would be a better choice. (along with a proper fitting bolt)

+1

fixed