Ratchet Straps in Tool Box

[Jeeper]

How many of you keep ratchet straps in your tool box? Not for securing loads but I mean for automotive work.

Reason I am asking is a few weeks I was working on a mid-90s Bronco. I was installing a lift kit and it has a TTB suspension. I could not get radius arms to line up. After hitting google, many people used ratchet straps to get the suspension parts to align and bolt up. Sure enough it did the trick.

Then the other night I was watching "wheeler dealers" and the guy used a ratchet strap to compress the suspension of an old lotus while replaceing a ball joint.

Didn't think ratchet straps were that common. What do you all think? Do you use them and for what do you use them?

 

[MattPersman]

yes I have several, i strap down transmissions to the jack with them or whatever else I might need it for. most techs do not as I have lent out mine to the majority of people I have worked with over the years.

 

[BWS]

Have,and still use them in M/C frame chiropractic work.

 

[str8axle55]

I keep a couple in my box as well.

 

[lotsoftools]

Not in the box, but I keep them handy. Used them to lift the gas tank into place on my Suburban after changing the fuel pump.

 

[rquackenbush]

I keep them under the back seat in my truck and use them more for securing loads in the bed and on the trailer. That said, they've keep in handy more than once in the shop.

 

[Mazdaratti3]

Don't keep them in my box but keep close by in the garage. Works great for suspension like you said and used one the other day to compress that rear "propeller" shaft on a Kawasaki Brute Force so that it could be removed.

 

[Sh1thead]

I keep one in the bottom drawer to wrap around crank pulleys so i can torque the bolt properly

 

[briggsguy17]

Yep. They work well for securing calipers on big trucks and holding items such as struts, control arms and any other suspension component that is too heavy for other means.

 

[raddksn]

I use them to partialy compress rear slideframe on snowmobiles, makes it much easyer to R&R

 

[Scout Driver]

I keep a couple ratchet straps nearby as well as a come-along. The come-along was handy for lining up the axle locating pins when doing a suspension lift on a Scout.

When re-gluing the joints on some chairs, my ratchet straps worked much better than clamps when holding the chairs together tightly while the glue dried.

Scott

 

[sdguy55]

Have them in mine. And i even have several of just the hooks because they come in handy for different chaining configurations.

 

[Mmfh]

Use them often, mostly for use with the trailer, but nice to have to hold up trannys after you pull the engine out, hold the ****** to the jack while going back in.

That Bronco trick with the radius arm bushings, works great on the Explorers too.

 

[atomicpunk]

I do, used allot for securing fuel tanks to the trans jack when removing them, also use them to secure things to the work bench to keep from moving around.

 

[wreckerman5357]

I have 2 hanging on the side of my box plus a 2 ton come-along right now. You never know when you might need a strap or a come-along.

 

[99TJSahara]

I have some in my box, use them to keep steering wheels from moving when I do steering rack replacements or steering shafts, secure transmissons/tcases to jacks, etc

 

[crewchief888]

i work on const eq, i use them quite a bit for "positioning" hyd hoses out of my way when making repairs.

ive used them in the garage for holding driveshafts out of the way, when i narrowed the front clip on my off road truck, i used a couple to hold the cut fenders in position while i fabbed mounts.

this morningi was changing the tensioner pulley on my riding mower, ratchet strap held the clutch pedal down for me.

used them to seat beads on tires.

even held a rear axle in place when the spring hanger "removed" itself from the frame, it was ugly but at least it was drivable back to the parking lot, so we could weld up the frame

 

[Syndicate]

After all, is this not why Snap-on, MAC, MATCO, and CORNWELL carry them on the tool trucks???

 

[Tunger]

I keep a couple in my box at work. Use them for seating beads on tires, holding misc stuff out of the way, holding transmissions on the jack, and they are great when doing intake gaskets on gm 3.1 & 3.4 v-6's for rolling the engine forward and holding it there. Tons of other uses but those are the stand outs for me. I also keep a mess of bungee cords in my box for other fun stuff.