breaker bar for the car

[bowlofturtle]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CMF4J8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I saw this at wal-mart the other day. Not the same brand but give or take. Think its worth it for $20-25

i was going to buy another breaker bar just mainly for my car but this might be slightly a better deal. Or would this be a likely fail product and not extend and lock right...

I have my 26 in snap on 1/2 that i love but thats going to stay in the toolbox, i'm looking for something for the car...

 

[lipadj46]

Get the 24" 1/2 drive breaker bar from Harbor Freight and just attach the proper sized socket. It will be a much better quality tool than that. Say what you will about HF but their breaker bars are decent especially what compared to a tool like that.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I saw this at wal-mart the other day. Not the same brand but give or take. Think its worth it for $20-25

No. They're ****.

 

[cowboy73]

I wouldn't trust it.

 

[arkangel06]

Pass..........

 

[Nosferatu]

Seems like a solution looking for a problem.

 

[filtered]

Get the 24" 1/2 drive breaker bar from Harbor Freight and just attach the proper sized socket. It will be a much better quality tool than that. Say what you will about HF but their breaker bars are decent especially what compared to a tool like that.

I'll second that, or do what I did buy a used 1/2" breaking off someone on here. I do have a 3/8" drive breaker from HF and beat the snot out of it. Never had an issue and it's got a really long handle.

 

[hammergodthor]

Get the 24" 1/2 drive breaker bar from Harbor Freight and just attach the proper sized socket. It will be a much better quality tool than that. Say what you will about HF but their breaker bars are decent especially what compared to a tool like that.

I third this. OR... go to a Pawn Shop and buy a Craftsman 1/2 ratchet for $5-10 and a deep socket for $2.00. Most lug nuts are only torqued to around 100ft/lbs, not really that tight (depending on your size anyway).

 

[J.A.F.E.]

For the car I bought a used Wright 1/2 BB, a couple extensions and sockets from 11/16 to 7/8 at the swap meet for less than $10. The BB was 8 of that and new lists for over 73. The sockets and extensions are CMan.

Much better way to go in my opinion.

 

[Packard V8]

In each of my five daily drivers, I keep an older 1/2dr beam type torque wrench with extension and socket to match the lug studs/nuts. This removes the wheel and gets the correct torque when replacing it, even on the roadside in the rain. I never paid more than $5 for one.

thnx, jack vines

 

[Brandon_K]

I'll chime in on this since I actually own one of the Gorilla wrench's. I've had mine for a number of years now.

For my application, it's a great tool. It's nice and compact since it telescopes (just one section, goes from ~12" to ~20" give or take) saving significant room over a 4-way. Since I have significant backspacing on my rims, a breaker bar would require an extension, this doesn't due to the bend built into it. The two double sided flip sockets that it came with are of decent quality. Mine has been dropped into mud numerous times and keeps going, the only "maintenance" I've ever done to it is spray it down with some Deere dry-lube every now and then. In a Wrangler, even a 4-way is a pain to store and tie down properly, let alone a full 24" breaker. My Gorilla stays stored in a small open-mouth Craftsman toolbag along with a 3lb aluminum CO2 tank, coil hose, inflator, regulator, etc.

I love mine, well worth the $20 I paid for it.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Of course, if you've torqued the lug nuts correctly you shouldn't need a Gorilla Bar to remove them...

 

[Brandon_K]

Of course, if you've torqued the lug nuts correctly you shouldn't need a Gorilla Bar to remove them...

Are you saying you're going to remove 120ft-lb nuts by hand? I'm very curious to what you mean by this..

 

[Zrexxer]

Of course, if you've torqued the lug nuts correctly you shouldn't need a Gorilla Bar to remove them...

I'll give you the factory lug wrench that came with my Chevy truck and see if you still have that opinion trying to get lugs off that were correctly torqued to the spec of 140 ft lbs... Yes, you'll need something better.

 

[tonydanzah]

Are you saying you're going to remove 120ft-lb nuts by hand? I'm very curious to what you mean by this..

pretty easy to do if you just stand on the ratchet or breaker bar, most adult males weigh more than 120 lbs.

 

[Brandon_K]

You can stick with your factory lug wrench, I'll keep my leverage thank you. Have you tried standing on a ratchet with a 6" ext? My rims have 3.25" of backspace, making them rather deep, making standing on anything a pain in the ***. Out of curiousity, when you rotate your tires at home, do you use your OE lug wrench or do you pull out the impact gun?

Not to mention, some of us that run aftermarket rims also end up with different lug's. When I converted to the teflon coated AR's, the 3/4" junk factory lugs went away in favor of solid 13/16" acorn's, which were ultimately replaced with (oddly enough) Gorilla Automotive wheel locks, which also requires a 13/16" for the wheel lock key. The Gorilla wheel locks "The System" was one of the only black lug nuts I could find and as a bonus every lug is a lock.

My Jeep is black on black, with black teflon coated wheels, the chrome lugs stuck out like a sore thumb. And as I mentioned, as a bonus every lug is a lock, nice to have when you have ~$500 wrapped up into each corner wheel/tire.

 

[bmxr4life87]

What about your wife? Yeah I change flats for my wife but there may be a situation where I can't come help her! I don't want her straining to get em free and I keep a hf torque wrench in her car so she can get her lugnuts close and not severely under/over torqued

 

[tonydanzah]

Since I have the tools now when I'm at home I use my impact. When I visit my folks and rotated there tires, I use the factory equipment and stand on the factory tools if I can't break it loose. In college I also just used a 4 way or the factory tools and rotated in the parking lot with an extra jack.

 

[tressler]

I carry an 18" Proto 1/2" drive breaker bar in my car. They can be had on eBay for less than $10 and they are VERY tough.

 

[mkirkpatrick]

I got that handle and a proto 1/2 extension at a yard sale for 1.00, I don' t think that it is worth 20.00, but .50 yeah. You can get a breaker bar from hf and put a socket with it for cheaper than the "kit".

 

[TopFuel]

I have a Gorilla lug wrench. My trailer didn't come with a lug wrench and the tow vehicle's factory lug wrench is the typical late model lug wrench which does a better job rounding off nuts than it does loosening them. No way to use the typical factory wrench let alone "stand on it" without it going moving off the lug. Might as well call AAA and leave the factory lug wrench buried in the trunk. Been there and done that . The Gorilla wrench is made well and the one I have came with two double ended sockets which means the one compact wrench fits four different sized lugs. That plus the bend at the end of the handle to reach into the offset of the wheel along with the telescoping handle makes it a practical tool. If I sell the tow vehicle or the trailer the Gorilla will move over to the next vehicle. I give it a

 

[scheu]

I've got one. I got it (can't remember where or $) to put in my ex's car after adding custom wheels. The lug nuts were recessed pretty deep, factory lug wrench wouldn't fit, and I didn't want to leave any of my good tools in her trunk. Come to think of it, I'm not sure how I ened up with it after the divorce... or if I've ever even used it?!?
scheu

 

[nexum1919]

it can ruin the locks instantly because of the angle of the head. since it is not a 90 degree angle, as you crank on it, it also applies a force in a manner that wants to tilt the socket down and basically wants to pull the socket out. (imagine hammering a stuck socket sideways in order to to get it out)

6 point socket and lug can tolerate this tilting force but a locking nut and the key will just slip out, rounding off or breaking an edge off the key, nut or both. You'll need to push the key in while cranking down on it, almost fighting against yourself, and if the lock is real tight, it's a fight you cannot win.

if possible bend the bar to give it a 90 degree angle and use get 3" extension to be able to use their flip sockets.

 

[peter_x]

What about a combination breaker bar/speed handle? Turn anvil 90 degrees to break the nuts, then turn it back to remove them quickly.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...4&group_ID=350&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[alkemyst]

Gorilla makes a decent tool...still I prefer a solid breaker.

For my needs though I'd need a breaker bar, socket, a small extension so I can clear the body.

When I have torqued my lugs they come off well...when I take it to a shop it's rare they don't impact those things on to uber tight.

Personally though if I break down I just call AAA. I don't carry a spare and it's not worth the risk to change a tire on the side of the road anymore with people in the shoulders so often.

 

[quneur]

I have a 4-way I keep in my car. It works since I only put perhaps 70-80 ft-lbs of torque on my lugs. It also makes it easier to spin the nut off once broken. It would work on the OP situation as he said 'C A R' not 'T R U C K'. Only make sure the jack (trolley not factory) will lift the car high enough so the 4way won't hit the ground.

 

[Art From De Leon]

I have a 4-way I keep in my car. It works since I only put perhaps 70-80 ft-lbs of torque on my lugs. It also makes it easier to spin the nut off once broken. It would work on the OP situation as he said 'C A R' not 'T R U C K'. Only make sure the jack (trolley not factory) will lift the car high enough so the 4way won't hit the ground.

Or you can hold the wrench stationary, and rotate the tire.

 

[BanjoSavesTheDay]

I really don't think you'll be able to get away with anything less than an L113H. That's just me anyway.

 

[Joe B.]

I used a Craftsman 18" breaker bar for years on my Mustang and I never had a problem. 24" would have been nice but I can't see it being necessary for lug nuts on a typical car. The Craftsman breakers are not that elegant but they are beefy and don't cost much. You could always toss in an extra piece of pipe in cae you need more leverage.