Longest 1/2" Breaker Bar?

[lennoxlennox]

I see there are 40" 3/4" breaker bars, however the longest 1/2" one I've seen is a 30"... anyone know of or have used a longer one?

 

[Altec]

Who sells a 30" 1/2" drive?

 

[Deafautotech]

i has longest 30" 1/2 drive breaker bar from matco tool (hard line tool not re-badge). Also i own a longest 15" 3/8 drive breaker bar from matco tool as it is USA made and comfort handle which i like it...

 

[lennoxlennox]

i has longest 30" 1/2 drive breaker bar from matco tool (hard line tool not re-badge). Also i own a longest 15" 3/8 drive breaker bar from matco tool as it is USA made and comfort handle which i like it...

what he said... matco

 

[Deafautotech]

Who sells a 30" 1/2" drive?

Matco tools...

 

[DrkMtnDew]

i has longest 30" 1/2 drive breaker bar from matco tool (hard line tool not re-badge). Also i own a longest 15" 3/8 drive breaker bar from matco tool as it is USA made and comfort handle which i like it...

i remember when you got this. is it holding up well, do you like it?

 

[blacK20]

It may be worth investing in a 3/4" drive if you use it enough. I didn't think I needed one until I tried one. Most 1/2" drives flex too much which takes away torque when under ultra heavy loads. The larger diameter and stiffer 3/4" handles alone is a huge gain.

 

[GoBlue]

I use he 25 inch H.F with a 10 foot cheater!

 

[Deafautotech]

i remember when you got this. is it holding up well, do you like it?

so far, it do work good for me AS automotive shop... it do flex but did not bent or curve.... i do has snap on 36" 3/4dr breaker bar but that is for bust the balls!!! like for Powerstroke's head bolts...

i do like it because i am not favor of "cheater" pipe because it will ruin the handle's surface... the price is ok but i am person of use correct tools not cheat the tools...

 

[Deafautotech]

It may be worth investing in a 3/4" drive if you use it enough. I didn't think I needed one until I tried one. Most 1/2" drives flex too much which takes away torque when under ultra heavy loads. The larger diameter and stiffer 3/4" handles alone is a huge gain.

that is true as that why i has snap on 3/4dr 36" breaker bar as 15/16 handle diameter....

 

[Buckgnarly]

I've been sooo close to pulling the trigger on that Matco, good to hear it;s holding up. Biggest thing is holding out for the comfort grip, my Matco guy has not gotten one in yet with the grip...otherwise...

 

[G_P]

Breaker bars are infinite in legnth! You can just keep adding pipe until the bolt comes loose or the bar snaps!

 

[Deafautotech]

I've been sooo close to pulling the trigger on that Matco, good to hear it;s holding up. Biggest thing is holding out for the comfort grip, my Matco guy has not gotten one in yet with the grip...otherwise...

for me, i am rather to own a matco breaker bar without handle because i like the 1/2 dr steel handle.. but for 3/8 drive, i am like with comfort handle AND it said USA on it!!!!

 

[JASTECH]

+1 on Matco.
I will be pulling heads off 4bt's & 6bt's for rebuilds, replace head bolts with head studs ect. Will have to get a tool list from the diesel mechs here on what is needed.

 

[shampoop]

Unless the bar is much thicker than most, anything over 24" is a waste. My 24" SO breaker bar is great, but when you start to really pull on it, the bar will just bend, which means that if it were longer, it would just bend more and not actually apply any more force. The most important thing is finding a breaker that is very thick and won't bend when you apply a lot of force to it.

 

[davesnothere]

I just picked up an international harvester 3/4" breaker bar tonight. So thick and manly I don't think I will be using a 1/2" breaker much anymore.

 

[jvitez]

I too looked for a long 1/2" breaker bar. The longest I found and bought was a 24" Wright one. Then I spied a sale at Princess Auto (Canuck Harbor Freight): a 36" Taiwanese 3/4" drive breaker. Bought it. But it won't fit in my side locker.

I think I'd become incontinent of urine if I ever pulled on a 30" 1/2 drive breaker bar and it started to bend. I'm sticking with my 3/4 drive breaker.

 

[C lectric]

Years ago I bought a S.O. 24" 1/2" dr breaker bar. It sits in my tool box and seldom is used. At that length it is too long and simply acts like a spring absorbing the pull and not moving the fastener.

I went and got a 3/4 drive ratchet, no more problem, at least in those application I thought the new 1/2 dr would work.

If you are thinking of a 1/2 dr breaker bar in that length or more then you need to go up to the 3/4" drives.

 

[kartracer55]

Unless the bar is much thicker than most, anything over 24" is a waste. My 24" SO breaker bar is great, but when you start to really pull on it, the bar will just bend, which means that if it were longer, it would just bend more and not actually apply any more force.

This makes zero sense and is completely false. The only way you would cease to continually apply more torque to the fastener as you pulled harder is if the breaker bar was yielding (bending, but not going back to its original shape).

Sum of the forces, sum of the moments. Words to live by.

 

[shampoop]

This makes zero sense and is completely false. The only way you would cease to continually apply more torque to the fastener as you pulled harder is if the breaker bar was yielding (bending, but not going back to its original shape).

Sum of the forces, sum of the moments. Words to live by.

You don't seem to understand. Think of it this way. Cheap ****** pliers vs good ones. The good ones are very thick and strong so that 100% of the force you apply to the grips, gets applied to the object you're grabbing. ****** HF ones bend and flex so that less power ultimately makes it to the object. Technically, yes until the bar breaks you are going to continually apply more and more force, but you're ignoring the diminishing returns. There is a point where the extra bending is sapping so much power it's not worth it. With that same amount of power, if the bar did not bend so much, it would apply much more to the fastener. If the bar was simply longer and the same width, it would just take less force for you to bend it just as much, rather than actually applying more force to the fastener.

Unless you're super old and/or weak, once you get to 24" for a standard width 1/2" prybar, the flexing of the bar is what's holding you back, not the length. If my same 24" prybar was much thicker, I could apply much more force with the same length.

 

[USMCdodge]

6 foot piece of steel pipe!

 

[browntown]

I'm a wimp and like the extra mechanical advantage. Plus I don't have to mess with adapters or buying the 3/4" sockets.

The matco 15" 3/8 bar is on my short list mainly because I have the most selection of sockets including etorx and hex drives in 3/8's and usually they're tighter than I like.

 

[camarotoolman]

That IH bar was a real find! Tractor guys would go ape **** over that!

 

[kartracer55]

You don't seem to understand. Think of it this way. Cheap ****** pliers vs good ones. The good ones are very thick and strong so that 100% of the force you apply to the grips, gets applied to the object you're grabbing. ****** HF ones bend and flex so that less power ultimately makes it to the object. Technically, yes until the bar breaks you are going to continually apply more and more force, but you're ignoring the diminishing returns. There is a point where the extra bending is sapping so much power it's not worth it. With that same amount of power, if the bar did not bend so much, it would apply much more to the fastener. If the bar was simply longer and the same width, it would just take less force for you to bend it just as much, rather than actually applying more force to the fastener.

Unless you're super old and/or weak, once you get to 24" for a standard width 1/2" prybar, the flexing of the bar is what's holding you back, not the length. If my same 24" prybar was much thicker, I could apply much more force with the same length.

I promise I am correct, you are confusing a couple of different principals. Here is why your logic does not hold:

1)Every time you apply ANY force on that breaker bar, it MUST bend. You might not realize it, but every amount of load on the grip, from .001lbf of pull to, say, 50lbf of pull, that bar is bending. You just don't realize it because it is so insignificant at lower loads.

2)YES the applied moment is diminishing slightly as the bar bends because the moment arm changes by a very small amount but that doesn't really matter for our discussion. Regardless, the not/bolt needs to react the moment (applied force X breaker bar "length") no matter what. As I said before, the only way this would not be the case is if you pulled hard enough to permanently bend the bar.

3)You are trying to argue that the bar bending is "sapping power" and it doesn't work like that. There IS strain energy put into the bar through the bending, but all that bending bar is doing is storing that energy. Think of it as a spring.

With your logic, a coil spring would not work at all. Once you "noticed" that there is deformation in the spring, more force on the spring would cause the spring to just continue to compress until it bottomed out. We know from cars, however, that this does not happen. Obviously you can over power a spring, but the forces MUST balance out.

 

[Wakefield]

Unless the bar is much thicker than most, anything over 24" is a waste. My 24" SO breaker bar is great, but when you start to really pull on it, the bar will just bend, which means that if it were longer, it would just bend more and not actually apply any more force. The most important thing is finding a breaker that is very thick and won't bend when you apply a lot of force to it.

Is the bar still springy/lively,that is when it bends,does it go back all of the way straight when you relax the force on it?
SK 3/4" bar I don't think I could flex it enough to tell if it isn't still straight.

 

[4x4gearhead]

I saw a 30" one 3-4 years ago that one of the factory techs from canada had, it was a masterforce I think.

 

[Alchymist]

It may be worth investing in a 3/4" drive if you use it enough. I didn't think I needed one until I tried one. Most 1/2" drives flex too much which takes away torque when under ultra heavy loads. The larger diameter and stiffer 3/4" handles alone is a huge gain.

You don't seem to understand. Think of it this way. Cheap ****** pliers vs good ones. The good ones are very thick and strong so that 100% of the force you apply to the grips, gets applied to the object you're grabbing. ****** HF ones bend and flex so that less power ultimately makes it to the object. Technically, yes until the bar breaks you are going to continually apply more and more force, but you're ignoring the diminishing returns. There is a point where the extra bending is sapping so much power it's not worth it. With that same amount of power, if the bar did not bend so much, it would apply much more to the fastener. If the bar was simply longer and the same width, it would just take less force for you to bend it just as much, rather than actually applying more force to the fastener.

Unless you're super old and/or weak, once you get to 24" for a standard width 1/2" prybar, the flexing of the bar is what's holding you back, not the length. If my same 24" prybar was much thicker, I could apply much more force with the same length.

I promise I am correct, you are confusing a couple of different principals. Here is why your logic does not hold:

1)Every time you apply ANY force on that breaker bar, it MUST bend. You might not realize it, but every amount of load on the grip, from .001lbf of pull to, say, 50lbf of pull, that bar is bending. You just don't realize it because it is so insignificant at lower loads.

2)YES the applied moment is diminishing slightly as the bar bends because the moment arm changes by a very small amount but that doesn't really matter for our discussion. Regardless, the not/bolt needs to react the moment (applied force X breaker bar "length") no matter what. As I said before, the only way this would not be the case is if you pulled hard enough to permanently bend the bar.

3)You are trying to argue that the bar bending is "sapping power" and it doesn't work like that. There IS strain energy put into the bar through the bending, but all that bending bar is doing is storing that energy. Think of it as a spring.

With your logic, a coil spring would not work at all. Once you "noticed" that there is deformation in the spring, more force on the spring would cause the spring to just continue to compress until it bottomed out. We know from cars, however, that this does not happen. Obviously you can over power a spring, but the forces MUST balance out.

Kartracer is correct, the bending for all practical purposes can be ignores as long as the deformation is not permanent. 50 pounds force applied on an 18" bar is 75 foot-pounds of force weather the bar bends or not, and that is the force that is applied to the fastener. Apply an additional 10 pounds of force, and an additional 15 foot-pounds of force is applied to the fastener. This applies right up until the elastic limit of the bar is reached. At that point, no more torque can be applied, as the bar will permanently deform and keep bending.

Look at it this way- attach a very stiff spring to the end of the bar and pull on the spring with 50 pounds of force (think spring gauge). The spring will extend to the point that it resists any further extension with the 50 pounds applied; the torque at the fastener is still 75 foot-pounds. Add 10 pounds more force, and the spring extends slightly more, and 15 additional foot-pounds of torque is applied to the fastener. As long as the elastic limit of the spring is not reached, an increase in force will yield the appropriate increase in torque at the fastener.

 

[lennoxlennox]

northern tools has a 40" 3/4" monster for 49.99

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200328359_200328359

 

[dsch]

I am curious why people like breaker bars compared to ratchets? All my breaker bars collect dust save for my 3/8" one that I use to remove injection lines.

 

[Alchymist]

I am curious why people like breaker bars compared to ratchets? All my breaker bars collect dust save for my 3/8" one that I use to remove injection lines.

Ever try to remove lug nuts with a 1/2 inch ratchet?

 

[DTB]

Ever try to remove lug nuts with a 1/2 inch ratchet?

Sure have,with my Matco CFR24LFT..
I've got a Gearwrench 24" breaker bar,about $36 I think from Advance Auto.I don't use it much since I have that monster Matco ratchet.If I needed any more leverage,I would get a long 3/4 drive bar and a 3/4-1/2 adapter.

 

[lennoxlennox]

Ever try to remove lug nuts with a 1/2 inch ratchet?

wimps... use your fingers

 

[GaryRoushkolb]

Us dragracers often cut a 1/2 ratchet in half and add 3 foot of chromemoly tube in the middle so we can turn a motor over to set the valves on a supercharged motor. This would work perfectly well with a breakover and cost would be marginal.

 

[toolmaker1]

Ever try to remove lug nuts with a 1/2 inch ratchet?

Yep, 16" proto gets them every time.

 

[Alchymist]

Sure have,with my Matco CFR24LFT..
I've got a Gearwrench 24" breaker bar,about $36 I think from Advance Auto.I don't use it much since I have that monster Matco ratchet.If I needed any more leverage,I would get a long 3/4 drive bar and a 3/4-1/2 adapter.

Yep, 16" proto gets them every time.

You guys don't change many tires, no? I remember one tire that we broke three 1/2" breaker bars (yes, Snap-On) trying to get lug nuts off (OTR trailer). Three foot cheater -how good do you thing your ratchet would work there?

 

[dsch]

Ever try to remove lug nuts with a 1/2 inch ratchet?

Thats my point though, my ratchet is as long as my breaker bar and does everything I need it to.

 

[lennoxlennox]

Thats my point though, my ratchet is as long as my breaker bar and does everything I need it to.

have you ever looked at the internal construction of your ratchet? do you want to put all that torque on those little teeth or use a tool that can take the force?

 

[MXblur]

Matco

 

[shampoop]

I promise I am correct, you are confusing a couple of different principals. Here is why your logic does not hold:

1)Every time you apply ANY force on that breaker bar, it MUST bend. You might not realize it, but every amount of load on the grip, from .001lbf of pull to, say, 50lbf of pull, that bar is bending. You just don't realize it because it is so insignificant at lower loads.

2)YES the applied moment is diminishing slightly as the bar bends because the moment arm changes by a very small amount but that doesn't really matter for our discussion. Regardless, the not/bolt needs to react the moment (applied force X breaker bar "length") no matter what. As I said before, the only way this would not be the case is if you pulled hard enough to permanently bend the bar.

3)You are trying to argue that the bar bending is "sapping power" and it doesn't work like that. There IS strain energy put into the bar through the bending, but all that bending bar is doing is storing that energy. Think of it as a spring.

With your logic, a coil spring would not work at all. Once you "noticed" that there is deformation in the spring, more force on the spring would cause the spring to just continue to compress until it bottomed out. We know from cars, however, that this does not happen. Obviously you can over power a spring, but the forces MUST balance out.

So according to your theory, using long extensions with an impact gun will have no affect whatsoever on how much power actually reaches the socket correct? After all, they are just "springs".

 

[Alchymist]

So according to your theory, using long extensions with an impact gun will have no affect whatsoever on how much power actually reaches the socket correct? After all, they are just "springs".

Are you trying to say that a given impact gun will develop more torque with a 3" extension than it will with a 10" one?