Impromptu DBE wrench extender

[Spacey_G]

My car has a caliper bracket bolt with a 17mm head positioned in a way where only a wrench or shallow 3/8" socket will fit. I can get a shallow 1/2" socket on the bolt, but cannot fit a drive tool into the socket. The bolt is pretty tight and has red loctite.

The last time I did a brake job, I managed to get these bolts out with a Gearwrench XL box end wrench, but I had to really lean into it. Since then, I thought of a way to extend the length of a double box end wrench using a hex bit socket and a ratchet. I haven't tried this yet, and I'm not sure it's a good idea. Is there some obvious hazard here? This is what it would look like:

 

[Packard V8]

And this is better than the traditional cheater pipe how/why?

If this is a job you plan to do several more times, why not buy a used HF DBE, cut off the unneeded end and weld on a bar handle. Back in the day, most techs had a drawer full of specialized fabricated tools.

jack vines

 

[Spacey_G]

It has a knurled grip?

Yeah, not sure why I didn't think of that...

 

[JiminAZ]

That setup is going to want to roll. I vote for the cheater pipe

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I've cracked an 8mm doing that setup. 17 would likely be fine.

 

[rmsg0040]

I will keep that set in mind in case of something in the future

 

[sberry]

Wrench cheater.

 

[sk farmer]

Wrench cheater.

i have seen that and similar things done before. that looks like a much better plan. less chance of twisting and one could even wire or tape it together to minimize the chance of slipping

i believe there is also a commercial made version as well.

 

[Ign]

Eh, OP's idea is very similar to the EZ Red wrench connectors:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WIWIVU/?tag=atomicindus08-20