LordPsychon
Well-known member
If all I plan on working on is my wife's Grand Caravan and my Elantra, do I need a 3/4" ratchet? My 1/2" ratchets seem plenty for the lugs on both vehicles.
3/4" ratchet question
- Thread starter LordPsychon
- Start date
jobo1004
Well-known member
I would say no. Until about 6 months ago I got by with just a 3/8" set. I now have a 1/2" set and like using it on suspension pieces and the like. 3/4" drive would seem to be overkill on a passenger vehicle in my opinion.
3baygarage
Well-known member
If that's all you plan on working on I'd say invest in a good 18" or better yet a 24" 1/2" drive breaker bar for the lug nuts before a 3/4 ratchet.
OP
LordPsychon
Well-known member
That's good to hear since I have an 18" bar and plan on getting a 25" at HF.
Bighead38
Well-known member
I've never needed the 3/4" on passenger cars. It does get used on trucks and heavy equipment though.
oldldh
Well-known member
My $ 59.95 Harbor Freight 3/4" drive set is used for...
Ballast...
In the bottom drawer o my tool box...
But, it's there if I ever need it...
Ballast...
In the bottom drawer o my tool box...
But, it's there if I ever need it...
John in OH
Well-known member
I can't really imagine using 3/4" drive sockets on any general car work. I've got both 3/4" and 1" drives and they get used only on farm equipment .... and then only rarely.
Sam'sAutoParts
Well-known member
I have never used my 3/4 on anything but farm equipment and dismantling truck suspensions
ChevyEFI
Well-known member
Thats where I'm at with mine, ever since I picked up a set of axle nut sockets.
kd3pc
Well-known member
3/4" is only used on large mechanical items, guard rail, farm gear, and heavy equipment. Went for years with only 1/2" and a long breaker bar. Every now and then a 2' piece of pipe.
devoncoolman
Well-known member
On those and most passanger vehicles 3/4 is not needed. Only thing i think ive ever used 3/4 drive for was honda crank bolts.
99.9 % not needed unless some ***** super over torqued the wheels like they did on my friend's daughters car. My friend broke his long Snap-On 1/2" ratchet trying to get it off so I had to bring my Snap-On 3/4" long breaker bar over.
espyking83
Well-known member
Hell no. 3/4" is used for working on **** like on trains and telephone poles.
toolaholic
Well-known member
3/4 would be nice for axle nuts.
Deadsquiggles
Well-known member
Well for the sake of not starting a new thread, cause I'd like some input, say that you actually do need a 3/4" socket set. Would it be worth buying and possibly upgrading the ratchet later down the road or are the sockets no good? I could actually find a lot of use for this. And does it anybody know the tooth count for the 3/4" ratchet?
Kirbot
Well-known member
I have one of those cheap chrome sets from Tractor Supply, (same as the one from Harborfreight)
The ratchet is pretty terrible, but the sockets are great. The finish *****, but they don't break.
I actually use mine adapted on a 1/2" impact gun most of the time. Very rarely have to break out the breaker bar.
The ratchet is pretty terrible, but the sockets are great. The finish *****, but they don't break.
I actually use mine adapted on a 1/2" impact gun most of the time. Very rarely have to break out the breaker bar.
n8n
Well-known member
This is one of the very few applications I can think of for 3/4" drive on normal passenger cars, however, most of the time all you'd need would be a torque wrench and a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer as most of the axle nut sockets are 1/2" drive and a good 1/2" air gun will get them off.
RedneckWelder
Well-known member
There is some application for 3/4 on a car but not much. For the average DIYer...no.
Personally I see little use for chrome 3/4 sockets...all my 3/4 sockets are impact sockets...only very occassionally do I need a ratchet or breaker bar.
Personally I see little use for chrome 3/4 sockets...all my 3/4 sockets are impact sockets...only very occassionally do I need a ratchet or breaker bar.
Thegratenate
Well-known member
I use them on flange bolts for 10" and larger pipe. Once in a while I'll pull apart a 6x8 or larger pump and need a 3/4 drive ratchet to take the cover off. So in short unless you are doing industrial work they are good for nothing more than ballast to keep your tool box from tipping over.
I bought a nice new shiny Britool 3/4" socket set with a ratchet about 7 years ago, but only
because it was on clearance at 75% off... It would have been rude not to buy it.
I have used it a total of Zero times to turn a bolt...lol.
However the larger sockets can come in handy for seating large seals in place
nice and square.... So what I've ended up with is a really expensive seal driver
kit, rather than a bargain socket set.
It's the GJ way...
because it was on clearance at 75% off... It would have been rude not to buy it.
I have used it a total of Zero times to turn a bolt...lol.
However the larger sockets can come in handy for seating large seals in place
nice and square.... So what I've ended up with is a really expensive seal driver
kit, rather than a bargain socket set.
It's the GJ way...
slip knot
Well-known member
X2. Its really nice to not strain and worry about breaking the 1/2er on FWD axle bolts.
thightower
Well-known member
I use my 3/4 set pretty regularly but I work on gas compressors. Never needed it doing auto work. A good quality 1/2 breaker will do just fine for automotive work.
Thegratenate
Well-known member
Don't forget that if you have a hydraulic press you can use the sockets there also.
If you work on anything vintage, it comes in handy.
I've used my 3/4 Mac ratchet for unbolting chassis parts on vintage cars, my '01 Dakota that went to Bonneville and got coated with Bonneville LocTite (salt), my neighbor borrowed it to loosen the crank bolt on a Toyota 4x4, another friend borrowed it for the pinion nut on his Dodge Ram, etc. etc. etc.
It doesn't come out of its slumber often, but when it does, **** gets DONE! If I can't get it with the 24-inch breaker bar, the 3/4-drive ratchet loosens it.
I have a 3/4-to-1/2 inch adapter to use it with my 1/2-inch drive 6pt sockets, and it's never yet let me down in 20 years.
Like I said--not often needed, but when I do, nothing else will get the job done, which makes it well worth it to me.
-Brad
I've used my 3/4 Mac ratchet for unbolting chassis parts on vintage cars, my '01 Dakota that went to Bonneville and got coated with Bonneville LocTite (salt), my neighbor borrowed it to loosen the crank bolt on a Toyota 4x4, another friend borrowed it for the pinion nut on his Dodge Ram, etc. etc. etc.
It doesn't come out of its slumber often, but when it does, **** gets DONE! If I can't get it with the 24-inch breaker bar, the 3/4-drive ratchet loosens it.
I have a 3/4-to-1/2 inch adapter to use it with my 1/2-inch drive 6pt sockets, and it's never yet let me down in 20 years.
Like I said--not often needed, but when I do, nothing else will get the job done, which makes it well worth it to me.
-Brad
Flivver250
Well-known member
On those vehicles you will rarely need larger than 3/8 drive. A handful of suspension bolts and perhaps the head bolts could use 1/2 drive. Certainly lug nuts would be 1/2 drive assisted. 3/4 drive is generally for heavier duty application such as farm/heavy equipment and the occasional holy **** that sucker is tight.
bcradio
Well-known member
Ha Ha, same here. I had high hopes for mine when I got the metric/SAE sets, but have had no actual need for them yet. I did use it for putting on hitch balls 1 1/2", but certainly didn't need it there.
n8n
Well-known member
I can remember one time I *needed* a 3/4" drive breaker bar, wasn't on a car though, it was loosening an anode from an old water heater (I didn't forsee myself having the money to replace it and it worked great so was doing some PM.) The flex on my old 1/2" KD is still a little sticky to this day and reminds me that sometimes you do need the big guns. I rarely use my 3/4" stuff but it is nice to know that I have it. I'll pick up some metric sockets someday but I can't afford to pay list for them...
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