They stopped selling them because people were buying 10-100 of them at a time to resell on eBay for $5-15 bucks a piece.I was going to say Snap-on SPP744...
But it looks like they don't sell it any more. That's crazy? It was only $1.00 IIRC but is indispensible for rebuilding/relubing a ratchet. It's to hold the ball bearing in place while you insert the pawl. How the hell are people doing it without it? I guess one could make their own out of some metal banding strap.
Sounds like they should have just started selling them for that much themselves instead of discontinuing them. They for sure were underpriced for a $1 or whatever they were asking for them. Damn shame.
Yeah I've done it that way too but I'm waaay more liable to send that ball bearing flying into another dimension never to be seen again doing it like that. This tiny little piece of metal makes it so easy.
Big issue is resellers will resell anything with a upcharge because people don't realize there's an online avenue to buy officially along with the truck. That little piece was just a convenient target since people would buy the rebuild kits on eBay for 2-3x retail to fix the ratchet they bought at a yard sale/inherited and have issues. They don't know about the site so they're easy to target and snap on probably sold more SPPs than any other tool for the duration they were available to the public. Dealers can still get them for their own use but can't sell them. Might accidentally leave one with your order if you ask and leave an extra dollar on the truck type of deal.
I've had the same issue, lost a bearing a few weeks ago working on a 1/4 indestro with a seriously bad design. Got it together first try and it wouldn't ratchet so it got disassembled and reassembled 3 times before it finally launched the ball somewhere in my office. Design used a spiral spring clip that held the pawl and gear in but pinched the pawl harder than the spring could take. Probably designed to never be rebuilt with that clip.
Take a piece of wire and work the end flat and slightly concave might work.
and buy the ratchets and larger sockets to make a set. This question is hilarious not sure you nor I cheap home gamers are the typical type of customers SO focuses on.
If someone makes an inexpensive version of this I'd be interested. Thirty bucks is a bit much and it would get used rarely.Currently on backorder, but handy for working in tight spaces (like under a vehicle dashboard).
Snap-on Store
shop.snapon.com
For home gamer I would think the 1/4 drive ratchet t72, less than 5 inches, with extensions if needed, would fit. $30 for this tool is not bad, 1 trip to McDonalds for 3 people, keep the pickles.
Jawco makes a stubby-ish one (short shaft but a normal sized handle: https://bowerstool.com/jawco-1-4-drive-stubby-spinner-handle-nut-driver-usa/), you could cut down the handle if you want a true stubby.
Thanks for the replies. I think I have that one but the handle is pretty large. Having multiple bit ratchets and finger style 1/4 ratchets I'd probably only bite if it was pretty much the exact same size as that Snapon one.
I gave up and ordered a set from Matco. They are ok I guess.
www.mactools.com
THIS (previously posted) looks handy for pulling RTV'd on covers off...
Snap-on Store
