Ratchet torque

[subarub4]

I was wondering with the different tooth versions is the torque number the same? I just wonder if I risk breaking a ratchet trying to get this bolt off.

 

[Snakebyt]

less teeth are bigger, less likely to break, but more teeth, means more teeth engaged at a time, less stress on each tooth..at least thats my take on it. maybe someone with more experience will chime in

 

[subarub4]

less teeth are bigger, less likely to break, but more teeth, means more teeth engaged at a time, less stress on each tooth..at least thats my take on it. maybe someone with more experience will chime in

That's what I was thinking as far the less teeth being larger

 

[fatfillup]

Small sample size but I have seen a higher percentage of fine tooth Snap on ratchets broken then the older coarser tooth Snappy ratchets in my used tool business.

When in doubt, use a breaker bar or jump up a drive size.

 

[travisn1]

 

[kythri]

Do you not have a breaker bar?

 

[Codejack]

IMO, the anvil should break before the teeth...

 

[subarub4]

Do you not have a breaker bar?

I do but almost all of them have the same type of head that flips over 90 degrees and in my case it makes for a bad angle for me to put a cheater pipe on it

 

[subarub4]

Here's what happened to one of them I had husky brand btw my Milwaukee 452 ft.lbs did not remove it as well

 

[toolaholic]

Step up to 3/4 drive. I have a 24 inch 45 tooth 3/4 Wright.

 

[WhiffySpark]

What are you trying to remove?

 

[HanShotFirst]

IMO, the absolute toughest ratchet money can buy is the old school SK. They can be picked up used for around $20.00 (3/8”), and everyone ought to have one in 3/8” & 1/2” stowed away for just such an occasion.

Now if I was a pro wrench, I would buy a Snappy Dual80 in 3/8” & 1/2” (which I personally have found to be about as tough as the SK), and my “every day” ratchet would also be my “tough times” ratchet.

Use the right tool. Breaker bars if you have the option, long handle 1/2” is your next choice. Don’t forget impact...sometimes the beating of an impact is what’s needed.

Someone walked away with my 18” handle swivel 1/2” SK...and I really miss that ratchet!

 

[M_George]

I would never recommend putting a cheater bar on any ratchet. Worst comes to worse, see what HF has. Better than destroying a good tool.

 

[Mr_B]

IMO, the anvil should break before the teeth...

on a proper good ratchet yes it likely will.
What tends happen on low and midrange stuff is the teeth cam out either due to tooth edges failing or general alignment and play allow it to happen before reach torque limit of drive square anvil, also most have less teeth engagement and not as good teeth meshing as some better made examples . My HF 3/8 been warranted once due to cam out from using it hard, was pushing it pretty hard though.
Had same happen on an extendable 1/4 72T taiwan but again pushed hard .
Got fair few taiwan ratchets and snapon and in general they all hold up well regardless of tooth count, some of the newer off brand taiwan or china stuff at 90T and up not the best but the 72T from better factories or with usable warranty gives you pretty good ratchet generally .

 

[Olafur]

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ratchet-handles-torture-test/

 

[HanShotFirst]

If you do any real wrenching at all, then you need a long handle 1/2" ratchet...and preferably a flex head with a long handle. The Pittsburgh Pro's are a smoking deal when you weigh it all out. To get slightly better, you pretty much have to spend double the money. To get a good US made long/flex 1/2" ratchet, you're going to start at around $75, and can easily spend twice that.

But the first time you need it, suddenly $75 doesn't seem like it was all that much money!

 

[Codejack]

on a proper good ratchet yes it likely will.
What tends happen on low and midrange stuff is the teeth cam out either due to tooth edges failing or general alignment and play allow it to happen before reach torque limit of drive square anvil, also most have less teeth engagement and not as good teeth meshing as some better made examples . My HF 3/8 been warranted once due to cam out from using it hard, was pushing it pretty hard though.
Had same happen on an extendable 1/4 72T taiwan but again pushed hard .
Got fair few taiwan ratchets and snapon and in general they all hold up well regardless of tooth count, some of the newer off brand taiwan or china stuff at 90T and up not the best but the 72T from better factories or with usable warranty gives you pretty good ratchet generally .

I pulled a crank bolt off a Honda (north of 400 lb-ft) last weekend using a 25" breaker bar and an 18" extendable ratchet (1/2" drive)... both from Harbor Freight

No cheater, but the ratchet was braced against the control arm.

I did break the anvils off of 2 extensions, but one was chrome, and the other was impact, but a wobble adapter, so it wasn't as thick.

Now, my old 1/2" Williams/Kobalt would slip, but it was like a 40-tooth ratchet.

 

[Olafur]

Since actual test are few we don't have much reliable information about ratchet strength or fine tooth vs coarse in general. My feeling on the subject is - it doesn't matter until both suffer from dirt in the mechanism. Fine tooths are more prone to damage (skipping) because of this.

That said: Japanese tool store (who sells it's own tool brand among many other top brands) publishes magazine every now and then. They have published torture tests for some hand tools - including ratchets. Needless to say these are somewhat controversial and in question is the integrity of said tests. I have studied them back and forth trying to figure out if the tool store is trying to bias or push their own brand and can't rule out the possibility. However I can't understand why they would fake or distort the results from other tools they are also selling. So I tend to take them for granted.

These tests show that on average, current ratchets from few top brands are indeed stronger than breaker bars from same brands.

Much more here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=306388&page=2

 

[subarub4]

So what should I do? HF is a little far from me (my car is down which is why I'm asking here) I know on Amazon they have a 30" breaker bar, I don't know what home depot has in stores.. my current breaker bar is 19"

I gotta get that front oxygen sensor in

 

[WhiffySpark]

So what should I do? HF is a little far from me (my car is down which is why I'm asking here) I know on Amazon they have a 30" breaker bar, I don't know what home depot has in stores.. my current breaker bar is 19"

I gotta get that front oxygen sensor in

Unless you have a torch take it to a shop. If you snapped a ratchet it’s probably seized and will most likely pull threads out

 

[subarub4]

If you do any real wrenching at all, then you need a long handle 1/2" ratchet...and preferably a flex head with a long handle. The Pittsburgh Pro's are a smoking deal when you weigh it all out. To get slightly better, you pretty much have to spend double the money. To get a good US made long/flex 1/2" ratchet, you're going to start at around $75, and can easily spend twice that.

But the first time you need it, suddenly $75 doesn't seem like it was all that much money!

I always wondered about flex heads does the flex head lock into place or say if you are using it can it flex out of line when say tightening a bolt or whatever?

 

[subarub4]

Unless you have a torch take it to a shop. If you snapped a ratchet it’s probably seized and will most likely pull threads out

I have a torch it's propane it might be better to use Mapp gas on it however.. It's on a part of the exhaust manifold that I can replace in a section but who knows what the dealer would charge..

to be fair the ratchet was only 3/8" not something normally I would use on something that stuck the combination of not having a 19mm 1/2" socket nor a 1/2" ratchet forced me to downgrade.

 

[WhiffySpark]

I have a torch it's propane it might be better to use Mapp gas on it however.. It's on a part of the exhaust manifold that I can replace in a section but who knows what the dealer would charge..

to be fair the ratchet was only 3/8" not something normally I would use on something that stuck the combination of not having a 19mm 1/2" socket nor a 1/2" ratchet forced me to downgrade.

Wont get hot enough. What car? I can usually rethread them.

 

[subarub4]

Wont get hot enough. What car? I can usually rethread them.

Mapp wont get hot enough? It's the car in my avatar my '05 Legacy GT

 

[blake101]

Put some heat on it and use a breaker bar.

 

[kythri]

Wont get hot enough.

5300 °F isn't hot enough?

 

[WhiffySpark]

5300 °F isn't hot enough?

That’s an oxy torch. Not a handheld blue can propane torch. Big difference.

You want it growing cherry red. If it’s that stuck it usually pulls the threads out anyway

 

[Yarpo]

That’s an oxy torch. Not a handheld blue can propane torch. Big difference.

You want it growing cherry red. If it’s that stuck it usually pulls the threads out anyway

They make a yellow hand held propane torch, mapp gas.

3700 degrees seems plenty hot to me, I've used both the blue and yellow cans with great luck on cars.

https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/be...nVmse2lFa7i4BTLSq6I8MMimZKP48oxBoC8AYQAvD_BwE

 

[subarub4]

If it pulls out the threads would the thread chaser work still? I've had stuck oxygen sensors that kind of mangled threads but nothing ever this tight.

 

[WhiffySpark]

They make a yellow hand held propane torch, mapp gas.

3700 degrees seems plenty hot to me, I've used both the blue and yellow cans with great luck on cars.

https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/be...nVmse2lFa7i4BTLSq6I8MMimZKP48oxBoC8AYQAvD_BwE

That’s mapp pro. Not the same. It’ll work here and there but nothing compares to a real torch.

And yeah sometimes you can. I have two lisle rethreaders.

 

[HanShotFirst]

I always wondered about flex heads does the flex head lock into place or say if you are using it can it flex out of line when say tightening a bolt or whatever?

Some do, some don't, varies from brand to brand.

 

[M_George]

You can try getting it hot (black hot) then cooling it off with a wet rag. That will often shock the rust bond loose.

 

[General Geoff]

It’ll work here and there but nothing compares to a real torch.

Induction heater works just as well as an oxy-acetylene torch for getting bolts cherry red. Safer too.


Modern fine-tooth ratchets are superior in strength to coarser tooth ones. You'll inevitably shear off the square drive on a 3/8" ratchet somewhere between 300 and 350 lb-ft, though.

 

[WhiffySpark]

Induction heater works just as well as an oxy-acetylene torch for getting bolts cherry red. Safer too.


Modern fine-tooth ratchets are superior in strength to coarser tooth ones. You'll inevitably shear off the square drive on a 3/8" ratchet somewhere between 300 and 350 lb-ft, though.

I’ve always wanted to buy one just to have one. They’re interesting to me. Wonder if you can bend thin metal with an induction heater?

 

[subarub4]

I'm going to get a 3/4" breaker bar

Also which induction heater is this?

 

[fsae0607]

heat it with a torch and spray some penetrant on it.

I've had good luck with an impact gun on O2 sensors. Go easy, though. Give it a brap or two and try a breaker bar. Repeat.

 

[subarub4]

heat it with a torch and spray some penetrant on it.

I've had good luck with an impact gun on O2 sensors. Go easy, though. Give it a brap or two and try a breaker bar. Repeat.

Man I wish it was that easy but I tried both so far.. 20 seconds on my Milwaukee 1/2" impact at 452 Ft.lbs and using my propane torch and then spraying PB blaster on it.. still did not want to budge.

 

[General Geoff]

I'm going to get a 3/4" breaker bar

Also which induction heater is this?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XN9HO6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

or

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATSL7VE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

They're an expensive initial investment but, use it just a few times and it's paid for itself. Also cheaper in the long run than an oxy-acetylene torch due to not having to buy gas.

 

[subarub4]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XN9HO6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

or

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATSL7VE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

They're an expensive initial investment but, use it just a few times and it's paid for itself. Also cheaper in the long run than an oxy-acetylene torch due to not having to buy gas.

Well the only thing is the car is parked without a area for power so that's the end of that..

 

[General Geoff]

Well the only thing is the car is parked without a area for power so that's the end of that..

Park the car somewhere closer to a power outlet? Lack of an oxygen sensor won't prevent the car from running.

Or spend a couple hundred on one of the high-torque 1/2" impacts from Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Ingersoll-Rand, or even the new HF one. Assuming you have the clearance to get one of those behemoths onto the sensor.

Remember that when using an impact wrench, every extension and u-joint you use drastically reduces effective torque applied to the fastener or in this case, sensor. To get max breakaway torque, you want just the socket directly on the wrench anvil.