Another goofy question...ratchet adapters

[adamsredlines]

What is a ratchet adapter really designed for? I cant think of any reason you would use it over a ratchet...but they were made for a reason I suppose. I have one because its neat and it was cheap...but I cant think of any instance I would NEED it and a regular ratchet wouldnt work.

 

[twincam00]

I believe they are designed for sliding t-bars and breaker bars

Cheap uber leverage ratchet

 

[adamsredlines]

I'd bite on the sliding T-bar...but it seems for a breaker bar you'd be just as well to use a regular ratchet. I assume the point of a breaker bar is you have a stronger unit because of no ratcheting mechanism on it...once you put that back in the picture, seems to defeat the purpose.

 

[SeanM]

To put excessive torque on a socket that it was not designed for? Limit the amount of ratchets that are necessary. I have a ton of up size and down size adapters and I never use them.

 

[SeanM]

Oh, are you talking about the offset axis adapters? I think the term adapter is quite ambiguous.

 

[adamsredlines]

I'm not talking socket adapters that go from 3/8 to 1/2, etc...but the adapter thats a ratcheting mechanism.

 

[adamsredlines]

 

[JeremyManning]

I use my 1/4 one as a ratcheting screwdriver as I got it cheap and the SO screwdrivers are expensive

 

[flying2275]

I have a set to use with my speed handles. The ratchet adaptor is helpfull in areas where the handle of the speed wrench would hit something and you would have to reset the tip often.

 

[Boiler]

Usually they go from 1/2 to 1/2, or 3/8 to 3/8, etc. They are in effect a short, thick extension that ratchets. The T-handle I can see. And maybe before the first flex head ratchet I could see the use with a breaker bar. Possibly a breaker and a ratcheting adapter could get into different places than a flex head ratchet could, much like a roto-head (?) ratchet might, as the flex is inline with the socket where as on a flex ratchet the flex is a short distance offset. I think that is a strech for a reason to buy one though.

I will say as someone that buys and resells, I get quite a few of them and they are fairly easy to sell. I don't keep one in my box though.

 

[Boiler]

I have a set to use with my speed handles. The ratchet adaptor is helpfull in areas where the handle of the speed wrench would hit something and you would have to reset the tip often.

If you can't fully rotate the speeder, wouldn't you just use a ratchet?

 

[Wrenches of Death]

...but I cant think of any instance I would NEED it and a regular ratchet wouldnt work.

They work wonderfully with beam type torque wrenches.

WoD

 

[crewchief888]

i used to use one on a long 1/2"dr breaker bar torque turning rod bolts when i was rebuilding diesels.

of course this was "back in the day" before anyone made a 37ft long 1/2" dr ratchet with 947 teeth.

 

[bassbone52]

They work wonderfully with beam type torque wrenches.

WoD

+1

 

[PBCampbell]

+2, I always thought this was the reason they existed.

 

[diesel research]

They are stronger than regular long handled ratchets. A breaker plus one of those will handle what a conventional ratchet couldn't. Even it a regular "modern" ratchet would fit.

 

[radrush]

DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Ra"
Ratchet adapter
A device which converts a torque wrench or drive handle without a ratchet mechanism into a reversible ratchet tool.

 

[flying2275]

If you can't fully rotate the speeder, wouldn't you just use a ratchet?

I work in aviation and use the speed handle alot on Philips and Hi-Torque fasteners. The speeder allows me to apply alot of pressure to keep the fasteners from stripping out and the ratching adaptor helps speed up the process in tight places. On one aircraft I work on there is a panel with 78 Hi-Torque fasteners and 27 of them are along a stringer. Before the ratching adaptor it would take over a half hour to pull it and after I got one it turned into a 5 min job.

 

[Greatbear]

Perfect companions to my Snappy dial torque wrenches.

 

[Fordman7795]

+2 on ratcheting adapters being extremely strong. Recently i had a 24" snappy breaker with ratchet adapter and a 1 1/2" socket. After puttin the beef to it i heard a pop and thought for sure it was the adapter. Nope, socket cracked clean in half

 

[jdjm]

I have the 1/2'' ratchet adapter and I like it for lug nuts. I don' t have a long 1/2'' drive ratchet and this works great.