Offset breaker bar
- Thread starter rhp
- Start date
When you don't have a ratchet adaptor to situate the socket on the fastener. The 45 deg. offset basically gives you another angle with which "to attack the fastener." Those may be Snap-On's words, in regard to their 4-way wrenches.
In other words, if you only have a small window to swing the breaker bar, the 45 deg would help if the regular drive does not give you a chance. At least that is my take on the situation.
In other words, if you only have a small window to swing the breaker bar, the 45 deg would help if the regular drive does not give you a chance. At least that is my take on the situation.
That looks like a regular breaker bar .. am I wrong?
Moose-LandTran
Well-known member
The square drive is "turned" 45 degrees, to allow a slightly different (well, 45 degree!) angle for the socket to engage.
The square drive is "turned" 45 degrees, to allow a slightly different (well, 45 degree!) angle for the socket to engage.
Oh ... ok; thanks Moose
Don't own one of those 45 degree offset breaker bar then ..
Moose-LandTran
Well-known member
I don't have one either, i have 12-point sockets and 45-or-so Snap-on rathchets instead!
Personally, i've never needed one. Well, yet.krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
most older breaker bars were 45* offset. i don't see the need myself.
help me. 12 pt socket = 12 positions, breaker 4 sides= 4 positions, 45 degree breaker 4 more, 12 x 4 x 4 = 192. with 192 positions who needs an 80 point snap on. what happens with a 12 pt fastener? twice as many points so 384 positions. i may be off with my math.
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
the offset does not change the number of "positions" it is simply turned 45*..........
i don't get the ratchet question a 72 point socket still won't ratchet
if you keep rotating the socket and switching between the two bars you should be able to come up with that many positions. same theory behind the angle wrenches. flip them side to side and end for end to get the different angles. 360 degrees divide 80 = 4 degrees of ratchet swing. my question then 12 pt socket with 2 dif. bars can you get 360 divide 182 =1.978- degree for bar swing?
Uncle Buck
Banned
The benefit is lost on me.
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
volvo
Well-known member
.
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... Torque multiplication. defiantly Not, I didn't see picture till later. I thought he was talking about a shorter flat bar that when placed at a 90 degree, you multiply the toque readings.
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... Torque multiplication. defiantly Not, I didn't see picture till later. I thought he was talking about a shorter flat bar that when placed at a 90 degree, you multiply the toque readings.
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krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
skeletonizer
Well-known member
One more tool for the freak that has to have it all. Another $100.00 in SO's pocket.
Maybe they should make a 33 degree offset too.
Think of it like this. Put the socket on the bar and then on the hypothetical bolt.
If you rotate the bar/socket 30 degrees then that's a new, unique orientation. There are 12 such orientations. If you remove the socket and turn it 90 degrees on the breaker bar you get nothing extra; no new positions. Now you can do the same thing with the 45 degree bar (these will be different positions than on the other bar). Total of 24 for 15 degree swing.
But then again I haven't had any coffee today so my thinking might be mud.
edit: just checked on a 6 pt that the above is false. going to check a 12
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Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
In all actuality, when you compare a socket on a standard bar and a socket on a 45 degree offset, you are only changing the position that you can get on a bolt or nut by 15 degrees being that a 6 point is made at every 60 degrees and a 12 point at every 30 degrees. So the difference between 60 and 45, and 30 and 45, is 15 degrees. At 24" out from the socket, the end of the handle would only change by 6" for 15 degrees. Justifiable expenditure for what it is?
Chris Adams
Well-known member
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Say Krusty, where are you getting that info on older bars? I have them from pre War, to today, (14 bars) and none are 45 offset. Which, I agree would have minimum use. I have Williams, Wizard, Craftsman, Snap-On, Challenger, ForgeMaster and others, some from the 30's, 40's 50's and 70's but none offset.
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
chris..........all but one of the early snap on breaker bars i own are 45* off set...........
i guess i should have stated that "most early snap on breaker bars" sorry for the confusion
i guess i should have stated that "most early snap on breaker bars" sorry for the confusion
garfunkle24
Well-known member
Are you sure you guys are talking about the same kind of offset? I understand that the OP means the square drive on the bar is rotated 45* from the more typical position, perpendicular to the axis of the bar.
From this post, with you saying you've encountered none of them, I'm wondering if you're thinking more of an offset (ie bend) in the bar handle itself?
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
I have a double ended 1/2" breaker bar made by Wright and both ends are 45 degree offsets 
I bought it cause I needed a 1/2" breaker, and this one was double ended and nice and shiny!
Its great for doing suspension work, two sockets on one bar means less time looking for the other damn socket!
I bought it cause I needed a 1/2" breaker, and this one was double ended and nice and shiny!
Its great for doing suspension work, two sockets on one bar means less time looking for the other damn socket!
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
like the no1 and the 10c here........
http://alloy-artifacts.com/snapon-bluepoint-tools-p2.html#12dr
http://alloy-artifacts.com/snapon-bluepoint-tools-p2.html#12dr
J.A.F.E.
Well-known member
With a 12 pt socket it's not likely of much advantage over the standard one other than user preference. With 6 pt or 4 pt sockets it may be different.
But I'm confused here why are all the tool junkies ragging on a tool?
But I'm confused here
why are all the tool junkies ragging on a tool?Chris Adams
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I see thanks for clearing that up for me.
Good link for the snap on picts.
I think, maybe back in the haze that used to be my memory, that I have seen one or more of those sometime, but none of my bars presently are like that.
Chris Adams
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Nope, I got what he meant, I think. The link Krusty posted shows the bars and that is what I was talking about. None of mine are 45 and as I just posted to Krusty, I may, just may, have seen one like that somewhere in the long ago.
I think that it was pretty rare except perhaps in Snap-On.
I think they were much more useful before ratchets became as strong as they are now.
I remember using breaker bars a lot back in the low 70's on bolts I would now casually break loose with my 710 Snap-Ons or my Big Dawg.
NugeConstruction
Well-known member
J.A.F.E. kindly answered just about all my questions about breaker bars at, and noted the 45 degree offset in the image I posted at the time:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=406682&postcount=2
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=406682&postcount=2
Art From De Leon
Well-known member
You ought to pitch it to them, the way they keep inventing tools for 'new' applications, they might just go for it.
I never saw a need for the 45 degree offset, in that a swivel, or an extension would not take care of. The angle head (4 way) open end wrenches do serve a purpose.
getoffmyinternet
New member
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- Feb 1, 2016
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- 1
Two kinds of offset - bent handle and 45 degree head. I've seen a craftsman one that was both which I thought was cool but not sure if very useful.
For those of you that don't get why it would be helpful to have a 45 degree head, I'm specifically looking for one after running into a situation where I need to use a dogbone to hook around a corner. Wrenches and crows feet are too fat to get around it, ratchet doesn't fit, socket doesn't fit, a standard breaker with a dogbone at a 90 doesn't fit; a 45 degree breaker would be perfect.
The snapon F10HA seems to be the most common aside from 1/2" drives which are still available. That double ended solid bar would be cool except being 45 on both ends is just silly. Why wouldn't they make it 45 on one end and 90 on the other so you can flip it around to suit your needs?
I haven't been able to find any 1/4" or 3/8" offset breakers still in production unfortunately.
For those of you that don't get why it would be helpful to have a 45 degree head, I'm specifically looking for one after running into a situation where I need to use a dogbone to hook around a corner. Wrenches and crows feet are too fat to get around it, ratchet doesn't fit, socket doesn't fit, a standard breaker with a dogbone at a 90 doesn't fit; a 45 degree breaker would be perfect.
The snapon F10HA seems to be the most common aside from 1/2" drives which are still available. That double ended solid bar would be cool except being 45 on both ends is just silly. Why wouldn't they make it 45 on one end and 90 on the other so you can flip it around to suit your needs?
I haven't been able to find any 1/4" or 3/8" offset breakers still in production unfortunately.
anndel
Well-known member
Snap On or Mayhew (USA Made and cheaper than Snap On)