Beerhippie
Well-known member
My entire 3/4" collections seems to be a 16", square-section Plomb LA extension (5663).
Anyone need it?
Anyone need it?
3/4 Ratchet Set - Uses?
- Thread starter GarageDan
- Start date
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
They're very nice for torque angle axle nuts/bolts. Generally they're safer and less likely to have a sudden release as something breaks. It's my go-to breaker bar type tool whenever it fits.
jblnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Time for a 1-1/2” drive set !! A Bobcat 331E pulling up doesn’t destroy that stuff so I think your 8’ pipe would be fine with it
Ohio Andy
Well-known member
Oh I want it, but my 1/2" no skips shallow deep chrome and impact sockets are already over kill for what I do....
But then again when I have heavy equipment on my property and it breaks down. I can say hang on you get the 3/4-in set...
I bought an ICON 3/4 breaker bar a while back for no other reason than it was on sale. I tell you what very impressed with how much easier most things are with the extra leverage. I use it mostly with 1/2" sockets and an adapter but have a few 3/4" sockets. Believe the last time I used it was on my son's rear wheel bearing 36mm IIRC. Also used it with 1/2" adapter for carrier bearing on my boat's outdrive. It's a special tool from Mercury but comes in 1/2". Really should be 3/4" IMO.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ Attempting to remove the bed bolts on my Ranger with a 1/2" drive breaker proved to be fruitless. My buddy pulled his 3/4" drive Taiwan-made ratchet out of his rig and a 1/2" drive adapter to fit the TORX bit. I snapped off five different brands of bits removing the six bed bolts that afternoon, but without the 3/4" ratchet they'd have never come out.
It's for that reason he keeps the 3/4" ratchet and adapter in his rig - the rest of his 3/4" stuff lives at home.
RE: Axle nuts on 4x4 rigs: not the first time I've heard that story. For the cost of what you can pick up a 3/4" breaker (or ratchet) at Harbor Freight for, it would be a prudent investment.
danielbuck
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2014
- Messages
- 919
I use 3/4" ratchet and sockets occasionally on my F250. Some of the fasteners need to be torqued to 450lbs+. That's when I got a set of 3/4" sockets, ratchet and torque wrench. Even just the ratchet itself is so much larger than my 1/2" drive stuff, it's like a small-ish breaker bar basically. I don't have any 3/4" power/air tools though, I don't use them enough for that.
Tynee
Well-known member
I would be scared to recommend that ratchet to anybody. I owned it, sold it for scrap and replaced it with Kobalt, but the rest of that 3/4" set is in my socket drawer and sees occasional use.
Wrench97
Well-known member
Last time I used my 3/4" ratchet with a 48" handle was on several 21mm lug nuts on a Nissan Altima..........
I use the 3/4" torque wrench on axle nuts only because I have one, & us old guys need the extra leverage
I use the 3/4" torque wrench on axle nuts only because I have one, & us old guys need the extra leverage
sparky 1971
Well-known member
My dad bought me a Craftsman 3/4" drive SAE, 7/8-2" set from the Sears outlet store for Christmas, 1988. I can only think of one time it's been used and that was at work tightening the 1-5/8" nuts for a light pole. Of course I wanted them extra tight so I bought a 36" long ratchet to use.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Uh, you're getting 75-80 ft.lb. out of a 48" long ratchet? Is that just the weight of the handle?Last time I used my 3/4" ratchet with a 48" handle was on several 21mm lug nuts on a Nissan Altima..........
I use the 3/4" torque wrench on axle nuts only because I have one, & us old guys need the extra leverage
20-30 years ago I bought the 3/4 sets in both inch and metric from HF- because they were ~$39.99. They're chrome 12 point sockets. I'm not sure any of those sockets have actually touched a nut- just press duties as said. I do have some 3/4" 6 point impact sockets that I've used occasionally, but I think I've only use the inch size on things like axle and pinion gear nuts.
Wrench97
Well-known member
That was to take them off after the last guy, I'd love to see the gun he used to put them on...................
whitesco
Well-known member
I got a pretty good deal on a Craftsman set (blow molded case and all that) so being a good GJ’r I rationalized that I might use them on our Ford-chassis motorhome. Still haven’t used them in 1.5 years or so, but I know in my heart the day will come… right? 
cody1325
Well-known member
My Granddad and I always used ours to change blades on the Bush Hog. After he passed, I've mostly been using 1/2 for heavier work, since I have far more sockets in that size.
Got my eye on a cheap older IR 221 to replace the old Harbor Freight pair I inherited from him. Looks '70s-ish. Do they still make repair/seal kits for them?
Got my eye on a cheap older IR 221 to replace the old Harbor Freight pair I inherited from him. Looks '70s-ish. Do they still make repair/seal kits for them?
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
My experience has been, anything over half inch drive is supplied by the shop. I own a few 3/4" drive large sockets. I bought them at a 2nd hand store. The shop where I worked had large spline drive sockets. Some of these sockets cost hundreds of dollars, each. The large impact that drives these sockets can cost multiple thousands of dollars.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
This.
Its not often but there’s always that one oddball crazy torque spec like Dana 60 kingpins that take a 7/8 bit socket and 600 ft. lb. of torque.
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
AC-WC
Well-known member
I have a set of 3/4" Thorsen sockets and ratchet I picked up at an auction for $40 years ago. Couldn't believe the bidding quit and I got it for that price. I have 1 or 2 sockets I use from that set on my tractor hitch the ratchet is too large to use elsewhere on the hitch. The best use I had for the ratchet is when i changed the brakes on the Chrysler. I could not get 1 nut off with the impact. My 1/2" breaker would have worked but would take forever due to limited swing area. After I got the bolt out I figured out why, the factory used thread lock on the entire thread length. I needed every bit of leverage I could get for that sucker.
Snapped-off
Well-known member
External hydraulic pumps on submarines take ¾" drive.
Debcrow
Well-known member
When we got up to the "PLUS" sizes we pretty much used slugging wrenches.
We had a 3/4 set which was rarely used.
We had a 3/4 set which was rarely used.
rooster59
Well-known member
3/4 is a good size for farm equipment with lots of clearance.
yup. my 1" drive socket set has been used more for pressing than for wrenching
i must have done a bit with my 3/4 set ...all the drives are bent ,the T handle looks like its off an old vice ,and three of the sockets are welded........its the 1'' sockets havent done much mostly gearbox and truck axle drive flange .
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
If you look around, you can fine reasonable priced used sets. I like Blackhawk, as the ratchets are smooth and they are nice quality. Blackhawk is also common enough that you can find replacement NOS or used sockets on eBay if needed.
Retired dozer fixer
Well-known member
John Deere excavator bucket cylinder rod nut 2100ft lbs. While you guys are spending money on big tools blow your mind and make some real torque with a torque multiplier. Then you could bust just about any bolt off with just your 1/2” tools
Tools supplied by the shop is a funny one too........New job ..'' oooh...aaargh ...nooo...noo.... noo ...we dont pay a tool allowance eere cause all tools are supplied by us''....(spoken in a pirate voice ,as the boss was ,in fact ,a pirate.)
You're not trying very hard.
BreeStephany
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I keep the ICON 3/4" breaker bar and a 22mm 3/4" drive socket on my truck for ensuring EASY removal of lug nut if I ever have to change a tire on the road. Sure beats using the factory lug wrench!
BreeStephany
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I have a ~1970's era Craftsman 3/4" drive SAE set that I believe goes from 1" - 2-3/4" that I surprisingly used a LOT when I was younger.
Once a year as a kid, I would help my father tear down the boiler for cleaning and so that it could be inspected by the state boiler inspector. If I recall correctly, the hand holds were head in place by a 2-1/4" nut, the clean out on the blowdown tank was a 2" nut and the fire tub inspection ports were 3" black pipe plugs with a 2-1/2" 'nut'.
Had to rip down the water side, pressure wash any scale off of the boiler interior, clean out any remaining scale out of the blowdown tank, take a custom extended length chain wrench and remove the air baffle assembly, which was essentially a 8" pipe union with a machined baffle assembly at the air side of boiler, clean / replace the baffles, check the gas jets and then put everything back together.
The last thing of the project each year was thankfully the easiest... remove 20 9/16" nuts, remove the end of the return tank and replace the 3/4" brass float valve, put it back together and then fill the boiler back up.
Cold starts were always interesting to see how just changing the temperature of water on the steam side affected startup on the gas side.
Having the right tools made all the difference in the world in the process and taught me a lot when it comes to fabricating custom tool parts for specific applications.
Once a year as a kid, I would help my father tear down the boiler for cleaning and so that it could be inspected by the state boiler inspector. If I recall correctly, the hand holds were head in place by a 2-1/4" nut, the clean out on the blowdown tank was a 2" nut and the fire tub inspection ports were 3" black pipe plugs with a 2-1/2" 'nut'.
Had to rip down the water side, pressure wash any scale off of the boiler interior, clean out any remaining scale out of the blowdown tank, take a custom extended length chain wrench and remove the air baffle assembly, which was essentially a 8" pipe union with a machined baffle assembly at the air side of boiler, clean / replace the baffles, check the gas jets and then put everything back together.
The last thing of the project each year was thankfully the easiest... remove 20 9/16" nuts, remove the end of the return tank and replace the 3/4" brass float valve, put it back together and then fill the boiler back up.
Cold starts were always interesting to see how just changing the temperature of water on the steam side affected startup on the gas side.
Having the right tools made all the difference in the world in the process and taught me a lot when it comes to fabricating custom tool parts for specific applications.
TxSteve
Well-known member
That's what I use my 3/4 breaker bar/sockets for. That plus a 6' pipe over it with a luggage scale to torque to 600lbs. I only own a couple of 3/4 sockets.
I'm able to remove them and snug them pretty close with my IR231 with the air cranked up and a 1/2 to 3/4 adapter.
Besides that, not sure I've used it for anything else
Pretty much how I use 3/4”.
I just use 3/4” sockets on a long breaker bar when I think that I will bend my 1/2” one. I bought the 3/4” x 40” after I bent one of my old 1/2” breaker bars…