Carlyle 3/8 Flex head ratchet - flex teeth rounded.

[DTuck]

Anybody who owns a Carlyle 3/8" locking flex head ratchet ever have the teeth that determines the position the head sits in round off/strip? I was using it yesterday doing all 4 brakes on my sister in laws car and just breaking 14mm caliper bolts made it round the teeth off so it won't stay in position now.

 

[Fedwrench]

Nope.

I'm having problems even visualizing how that could happen in the first place. The grooves with the locking mechanism only prevent forward and rearward head movement and when loosening or tightening a fastener, the pressure would be side to side. interesting

Pictures? should be able to warranty it though. sorry to hear your having issues with it.

 

[DTuck]

Nope.

I'm having problems even visualizing how that could happen in the first place. The grooves with the locking mechanism only prevent forward and rearward head movement and when loosening or tightening a fastener, the pressure would be side to side. interesting

Pictures? should be able to warranty it though. sorry to hear your having issues with it.

I'll try to get some pictures later on. You're right in theory that it should've happened but somehow it did. Maybe there was more play in the head than there should've been? With the head locked in I can push on it slightly now with my hand on the back of the ratchet head and the thing will bury itself to the last position going forwards I have Carlyle p90 ratchets and the 72t in 3/8 and 1/2 and this is the only bad experience I've had.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Nope.

I'm having problems even visualizing how that could happen in the first place. The grooves with the locking mechanism only prevent forward and rearward head movement and when loosening or tightening a fastener, the pressure would be side to side. interesting

When using a flex handle ratchet, the force is only completely side to side when the ratchet is fully straight and the force is only being applied side to side. If it's flexed, or pulled on at a diagonal angle, there's force on that locking mechanism.

Time for an upgrade, OP, if flex handle ratchets are your preference.

 

[mudflap]

When using a flex handle ratchet, the force is only completely side to side when the ratchet is fully straight and the force is only being applied side to side. If it's flexed, or pulled on at a diagonal angle, there's force on that locking mechanism.

Time for an upgrade, OP, if flex handle ratchets are your preference.

Upgrade to what...? I have the same rat..it's solid. If you put too much front/back force on any brand the locking mech will fail. How do the ones with detents work..?

 

[eschoendorff]

I’d warranty the ratchet and see if it happens again. If it does maybe it’s time to try another brand.

 

[mudflap]

Anybody who owns a Carlyle 3/8" locking flex head ratchet ever have the teeth that determines the position the head sits in round off/strip? I was using it yesterday doing all 4 brakes on my sister in laws car and just breaking 14mm caliper bolts made it round the teeth off so it won't stay in position now.

You must mean the caliper bracket..? Thats the only thing brake related on car i can think of that could be 14mm. Yep..those are on there..cheater pipe..?

 

[DTuck]

You must mean the caliper bracket..? Thats the only thing brake related on car i can think of that could be 14mm. Yep..those are on there..cheater pipe..?

It's an 04 CR-V. Yes I didnt think I'd have to specify that it was the bolts that the caliper held onto the bracket with when I said 14mm. They weren't on there that tight and there was no need for a cheater. Just one arm pulling on it and it sheared the teeth. Happened on the 2nd brake into the job.

 

[DTuck]

I’d warranty the ratchet and see if it happens again. If it does maybe it’s time to try another brand.

That's what I plan to do, just was surprised that it happened it's not like I was trying to break something torqued down significantly.

 

[DTuck]

Upgrade to what...? I have the same rat..it's solid. If you put too much front/back force on any brand the locking mech will fail. How do the ones with detents work..?

I agree it's a solid ratchet and I love my Carlyle tools, just didn't expect it to happen. My long 1/2 locking flex head Carlyle ratchet was had zero issues and it's seen some borderline abuse.

 

[shanny19]

When using a flex handle ratchet, the force is only completely side to side when the ratchet is fully straight and the force is only being applied side to side. If it's flexed, or pulled on at a diagonal angle, there's force on that locking mechanism.

Time for an upgrade, OP, if flex handle ratchets are your preference.

Upgrade? from Carlyle? pretty sure that doesn’t exist.

 

[Wamsutta]

Upgrade? from Carlyle? pretty sure that doesn’t exist.

I'm pretty sure it does exit. There's one company I can think of that's been making ratchets for about a hundred years in America; and they do a pretty good job at it.

 

[turnthewrench 2.0]

I'm pretty sure it does exit. There's one company I can think of that's been making ratchets for about a hundred years in America; and they do a pretty good job at it.

 

[mudflap]

Well...should be an easy warranty at your local Napa store. I know some others would say those teeth couldnt shear unless significant force was applied in the wrong direction. But hey...i know stuff happens in the heat of the battle...lol. You could certainly pay more..i have, but in terms of quality..form/function, warranty and service. There isnt much of an upgrade out there.

 

[CR888]

I'm pretty sure it does exit. There's one company I can think of that's been making ratchets for about a hundred years in America; and they do a pretty good job at it.

SK?

 

[mudflap]

I'm pretty sure it does exit. There's one company I can think of that's been making ratchets for about a hundred years in America; and they do a pretty good job at it.

Push their locking flex in the wrong direction..then wait a week or 2 for the truck to come around, and hope the driver will look the other way and warranty it... It's been that way for a hundred years because back when some of us started out buying our tools we didnt have the better options we have now.

 

[toolmutt]

SK?

SK doesn't offer a locking flex ratchet.

 

[turnthewrench 2.0]

It's been that way for a hundred years because back when some of us started out buying our tools we didnt have the better options we have now.

Fast forward a hundred years and mechs keep buying them in spite of having "better options". My educated guess is that they know how to make darn gooder tools!

 

[Fedwrench]

I'm pretty sure it does exit. There's one company I can think of that's been making ratchets for about a hundred years in America; and they do a pretty good job at it.

Cornwell?

This might be a stretch but, try flushing out the locking mechanism with brake clean just in case there's a piece of something preventing the locking mechanism from being fully engaged.

 

[Skin]

When using a flex handle ratchet, the force is only completely side to side when the ratchet is fully straight and the force is only being applied side to side. If it's flexed, or pulled on at a diagonal angle, there's force on that locking mechanism.

Time for an upgrade, OP, if flex handle ratchets are your preference.

That's not the way it works since the force is on the vertical axis. There should be almost no shear load on the flex teeth unless you're leaning or pulling horizontally.

You're basically saying a flex ratchet without teeth doesn't work since there is nothing to lock its horizontal axis.

 

[Mr_B]

Call napa and warranty it, job jobbed
I got a few carlyle ratchets and they taken daily pro use good, had one little loose in jaw as machining bit off but swapped that out and didn't even need go store as they swapped it over when done a parts delivery .

 

[ku17]

That sounds like a defect in the heat treating of the metal. You would expect tool steel to shear before it rounded over. A reasonable retailer would warranty that when they saw what happened.

 

[mudflap]

That sounds like a defect in the heat treating of the metal. You would expect tool steel to shear before it rounded over. A reasonable retailer would warranty that

You would think..but i have an Armstrong flex ratchet. Ball and detent style. The ball has made a groove..rolled the detents over..and it just flops around now.