Ratchet Questions I feel like asking today.

[ChevyEFI]

Answer what you can.

SO lists a Hy-Lok in 1/4"
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=&Group_ID=674761
I could see that being handy for steering box over-center adjustment if the opening is large enough. Where else would you use them? Anyone have one? Are there other makes? Larger sizes of them?

Spud ratchet.
buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=&Group_ID=680911
Does anyone else (who hasn't used one) think the design presents more risk if it's dropped from a height?

Who else has a Wright 1/2" long contour handle ratchet?
www.amazon.com/Wright-Tool-14494-Co...HW8A4I/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1367708024
Do you like it? I know I've seen some happy reviews of the 1/4" w/ 3/8" square and other Wrights.

What is your take on the Wright 4481?
http://www.toolup.com/wright-tool_4480_ratchet-open-head-10-12-series-80.aspx
Might be a tiny bit better for clearance.

I like the classic look of the Wrights w/ contour handle.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[DOUGD]

The Hy Lok ratchet is used to install Hy lok fasteners that are common in the aviation industry. A Hy Lok fastener will use a collar or nut to secure it and is held steady with an allan wrench on the same end of the fastener as the nut or collar. The small hole in the ratchet lets the allan wrench pass through to the fastener to keep it from spinning. Hole is relatively small so a Hy Lok ratchet is not much use elsewhere. I also have the long handle 1/2" Wright Contour ratchet and it is an excellent tool.

 

[jeremy v]

Spud ratchets are not designed with a point like that to be safer if dropped. If one is dropped (if it has enough time to correct its' initial orientation before hitting something) it will end up falling head first since that is the heaviest end, whether it has a regular or a longer pointed handle.

The pointed handle is so that you can use the ratchet handle as an alignment tool when joining I-beams etc. that use bolt plates or rivets instead of welding as the attachment method. When a crane lowers a beam into place, once the bolt plate alignment is close enough between that beam and a fixed column for example, you can jam the pointed ratchet handle into one of the bolt plate holes (and through both structural pieces to be joined). This will stop any wind sway from the item hanging from the crane and force the rest of the bolt plate holes into alignment with each other which allows the attachment bolts to then be fed through all the remaining holes and the nuts started. Then you can remove the spud ratchet, install the last bolt in the hole where the spud ratchet was, and use the spud ratchet to tighten all the bolts up, all using a single tool. That designed-in purpose is the same reason spud wrenches and adjustable spud wrenches have pointed handles.