Why short 3/4 breaker bars?

[Buckgnarly]

So assuming no one adds the cheater bar, why do so many compaines make 18" 3/4 breaker bars while making 18-24" 1/2" breakers? Do they assume you to cheat?

 

[unslow1]

I know sometimes I have clearance problems. Especially in wheel wells. Working on ball joints and strut bolts can be a little tight.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I think it is mainly due to the assumption that the ¾" drive hand tools are more often used for "finesse" applications like motor base adjustments than final torquing or removal. Most of the time those are the province of the #5 spline or 1" drive impact.

 

[mattwgrizwald]

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[Buckgnarly]

I think it is mainly due to the assumption that the ¾" drive hand tools are more often used for "finesse" applications like motor base adjustments than final torquing or removal. Most of the time those are the province of the #5 spline or 1" drive impact.

HA!HA!....don't think I have ever "finessed" a 3/4 aplication!

Good point on the clearance above though.


I simple hate to abuse or do some half assed use of tools, and have been looking to add to my 24" 1/2" and 18" 3/4breaker bars.

 

[redwrench60]

Most 3/4" drive sets I see that have a breaker bar come in some kind if case, either metal or plastic for mobil repair. I always assumed it was to fit in those.

 

[RCStocker]

The longer bars are a little heavier in the head most times. It does not take much extra thickness in good metal to really boost the strength. Some times you need the extra length to get to a nut or bolt. I have had hard to reach places on ships when I worked for the Navy. I had to use a long handled breaker bar to get to the missing bolt I had to install. The are not necessarily made for more torque force. If you can't break something loose with a cheater pipe using the same amount of force you did without the cheater then don't go nuts and pull any more. Every foot doubles the pounds of pull. If you are pulling with 200 pounds of force the cheater will make it 400 pounds. It is easy to pull 200 pounds and if you brace yourself you can pull much more.

Remember if you are breaking loose lug nuts to stand and pull up. Push with your legs. At one time I could dead lift about 600 pounds. I can still pick up the back end of my VW dune buggy engine and all.

Pulling up you puch against the ground. When you push it down you only have your body weigh and you only have about two thiers of that. It springs with the give in your hands and arms. I have mag rims on my Linclon's When they put my tires on I told them to do it by hand. The man picked up the impact and I stopped him on the spot.

I have never torqued a lug nut in my life and I have owned so many cars and truck I lost count years ago. I buy and sell them as well and give them to my family. I have never had a wheel come off in over a million miles of driving.

I think that the home grage mechanic should have a 3/4" drive set.
The sockets start at 3/4" Everything is metric now but you should have both set of tools if you work on used things.

If you need to use a smaller socket just step it down with an adaptor. The adaptor will break and not the breaker bar. They are cheap and you will not cry when you break the smaller size breaker bar.

I have worked for GM, US Navy and Boeing Air Craft. I have had my own cabinet shop and construction business. I seldom ware out an electric tool. I have only cracked a couple of sockets when using a cheater bar on C man socket. I have broken many wood handled hammers because I pryed to much with them and did not pull the nail by turing the head sideways to get leverage. I was to lazy to get nail pullers in my younger days. One day I said I had had enough of being stupid and I have not broken a hammer handle sense.

If you are beraking tools you are doing something stupid. Not to say that the there really are tools with flaws that break.

 

[transittech]

Because a 40" 3/4 breaker would be heavy, expensive, and cumbersome.


(Just my $.02, I am not defending them, I think short 3/4" are kind of stupid too.)

 

[littletoes]

I've never needed a 3/4" breaker bar for any automotive application.....

I do have a 24" Snappy 1/2" breaker bar, and that has carried me through several lift kits, and spring change outs, including replacing running gear on all types of 4X4's.

Here's one for you-In fall training, I know the average "medium" sized guy will generate 5000 lbs in a 6' fall.

I know, me, without a cheater, can generate more power jumping up and down on a bar than what any guy out there can just about lift, and there are some true monsters out there.
Yea I've broken bars doing this.....just saying I don't think anyone can lift more pulling up, than they can generate by jumping up and down. The Force can be amazing.

yea, put me on the List for a longer 3/4" breaker bar.....don't force me to buy 1"...although I still WANT one !!!

 

[Chadwilliam1]

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=674950&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=674949&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

I have both of those at work but I have never used them together. I have an 18" bar for the ratchet head and a breaker bar attachment as well. although I have never used the breaker head for my 18" because that is how long my ratchet is. I just go get the 3' breaker bar before adding a pipe.


I agree a 3/4 bar should be 24" at least.

 

[bobcatdan]

I have a 18" SK 3/4" and used it mostly for holding nuts while using an impact. I have a 36" matco breaker for when the going get toughs.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

HA!HA!....don't think I have ever "finessed" a 3/4 aplication!

Good point on the clearance above though.


I simple hate to abuse or do some half assed use of tools, and have been looking to add to my 24" 1/2" and 18" 3/4breaker bars.

The only times I've EVER used my ¾" breaker bar have been turning jacking bolts "by the flat" for horizontal adjustments, and a few times for turning gearbox shafts. I did use it to prop a chute door open once, but that doesn't really count.

 

[csargents1546]

I don't understand the need for a short 3/4 breaker bar. Professionally I use a 3/4 drive ez red extendable ratchet for breaking head bolts loose on navistar 6.0L and 6.4L As well as torque to yield head bolts. I look at those short breaker bars and think I have 1/2 drive that are longer.

 

[NoNN37]

I have a 18" SK 3/4" and used it mostly for holding nuts while using an impact. I have a 36" matco breaker for when the going get toughs.

this. they can be used to hold hard to reach with a closed wrench nut.

 

[trexdoink]

Tool designers are sissies so they don't think we can lift a long 3/4. I saw an extendable on the SO truck a few weeks back. It wasn't a snappy but one of the other lines they carry. They are out there, just have to search around.

 

[buffalobill]

I've never needed a 3/4" breaker bar for any automotive application.....

I do have a 24" Snappy 1/2" breaker bar, and that has carried me through several lift kits, and spring change outs, including replacing running gear on all types of 4X4's.

Here's one for you-In fall training, I know the average "medium" sized guy will generate 5000 lbs in a 6' fall.

I know, me, without a cheater, can generate more power jumping up and down on a bar than what any guy out there can just about lift, and there are some true monsters out there.
Yea I've broken bars doing this.....just saying I don't think anyone can lift more pulling up, than they can generate by jumping up and down. The Force can be amazing.

yea, put me on the List for a longer 3/4" breaker bar.....don't force me to buy 1"...although I still WANT one !!!

i dunno, id like to see a comparison done, i always feel safer with both boots FIRMLY on the ground when i'm putting alot of *** into something. i have watched guys bounce on breaker bars before, sometimes it works, other times the socket slips off the nut because of the uneven pressure.

 

[plinker]

I have a 18" SK 3/4" and used it mostly for holding nuts while using an impact. I have a 36" matco breaker for when the going get toughs.

this. they can be used to hold hard to reach with a closed wrench nut.

+1
This is the main use I have for any of my breaker bars. Wrenches tend to hurt with a big enough impact.

As for length, The shorter bars/ratchets are good for for when you dont need the extra length (3'-4') in your way.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

Tool designers are sissies so they don't think we can lift a long 3/4. I saw an extendable on the SO truck a few weeks back. It wasn't a snappy but one of the other lines they carry. They are out there, just have to search around.

I don't know about that - I've got combo wrenches that weigh around 20 pounds a piece. I think my 20" ¾" drive breaker MIGHT go about 4½-5 lbs.

 

[Wakefield]

The handle on the S-K 3/4" drive clubby looks like an invitation to a pipe--
seems like some years ago more than 15 inches was rare for a 1/2" drive bar and then they started making them longer--perhaps they just didn't get around to the 3/4" drive lengthening as quickly as to the more common 1/2" drive bar-- when did Snap On first offer a 24" in 1/2" inch drive?
in the days of the 15" bar were mechanics supposed to be Superman?

 

[Wakefield]

The Wright 1 and 7/16ths combination wrench is talking trash to the S-K 3/4" bar right now--

 

[bart1]

I think Wright has a 42" long one. Check harryepstein.com

 

[Coach James]

.....Every foot doubles the pounds of pull. If you are pulling with 200 pounds of force the cheater will make it 400 pounds. It is easy to pull 200 pounds and if you brace yourself you can pull much more.......

How do you figure? If I go from a 2ft to 3ft bar, the torque would increase by only 50%.

Coach

 

[littletoes]

i dunno, id like to see a comparison done, i always feel safer with both boots FIRMLY on the ground when i'm putting alot of *** into something. i have watched guys bounce on breaker bars before, sometimes it works, other times the socket slips off the nut because of the uneven pressure.

Oh yea, you are SO RIGHT! I've used 2 1/2" and 3" pipe as a cheater on a 48" pipe wrench, over 10" long.

Had one student shatter a 60" ci Rigid pipe wrench on an oil rig, tying to unscrew one stick from another.

Sure, it ain't safe....but they won't buy us BIGGER tools!

 

[Packard V8]

The best 3/4" breaker bar I've ever seen is my old Armstrong 300#/ft flat beam type torque wrench. It's 34" long and will make things happen. Best of all, I paid $5 for it at an estate sale.

jack vines

 

[vssjim]

Most shorter breaker bars that are fairly short are left overs from history. I really don't remember alot of long handled tools of any size until fairly recently when you really think about it. Looking in older catalogs real long ratchets and breaker bars didn't really start to shop up until the seventies for alot of companies and later for alot of others.

 

[RCStocker]

The best 3/4" breaker bar I've ever seen is my old Armstrong 300#/ft flat beam type torque wrench. It's 34" long and will make things happen. Best of all, I paid $5 for it at an estate sale.

jack vines

There you go. I am not the only one who finds deals like this. 34" should break it loose and that was one hell of a buy.

 

[littletoes]

Most shorter breaker bars that are fairly short are left overs from history. I really don't remember alot of long handled tools of any size until fairly recently when you really think about it. Looking in older catalogs real long ratchets and breaker bars didn't really start to shop up until the seventies for alot of companies and later for alot of others.

That's probably a good call.....equipment these days are much more massively built.

We have equipment (think strip mines), today that you could fit the largest of yesteryear in the bucket of today.

This stuff takes much larger tools to install.

Think 3 1/2" drive sockets.....

 

[dsmnickk90]

How do you figure? If I go from a 2ft to 3ft bar, the torque would increase by only 50%.

Coach

I think hes trying to say if hes pulling 200 pounds on a 1 foot bar if he adds another foot he would be getting 400ft.lbs out of the same 200 pounds of effort.

 

[Hammell]

My wright catilog shows a regular 23inch breaker bars, ( i own one) and a 24 in bull bar and 17 1/2 sliding T. Although they do have 42 inch 3/4 drive ratchet that looks cool. I just have the 24in 3/4 chrome ratchet. I see Princess auto has a longer 3/4 drive breaker bar 36inch for $29 bucks., They actually rate it for 740 ftlbs. don;t know about their ratchets.

 

[fflintstone]

A buddy asked to borrow a ¾ or 1” breaker bar. When I realized I dint have either.
The cheapest USA ¾ was at Cripe so I made an order.

I scoured for a 1” drive breaker and only found Taiwan and china ones for $60 and up.

Won a 1” Williams on eBay, the handle had been cut down to around 17”. I think I will weld up a cheater for it someday.

The reason ¾ are shorter than they should be is purely cost. It cost more to make, package, ship a longer handle. That is why long handled tools demand a premium.

 

[jrlp]

One of my favorite and most-used tools is a craftsman 3/4" 18" t-handle. I've put a 4' pipe on it, used it braced against a frame to remove crank bolts with a starter, used adaptors and used it on finesse stuff as well.

Off the top of my head, 'soft' uses for it is have it in the middle setting, and use it for banjo bolts. That way you grab each end of the rod, and can keep the socket on the shallow banjo head and not side-load and shear it. I also use it as a giant tap handle, and after hammering a spline socket on lug nuts, I have it in the middle so it doesn't cam off. I've drilled/tapped one end 1/4-20 and use it as a small slide hammer as well.

It's by far my favorite tool. If I could find one that had ball detents to lock it at either end and the middle, I'd upgrade to that in an instant.

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

That's probably a good call.....equipment these days are much more massively built.

We have equipment (think strip mines), today that you could fit the largest of yesteryear in the bucket of today.

This stuff takes much larger tools to install.

Think 3 1/2" drive sockets.....

Once you get to the big bolts, you are using an impact or the Hytorc. 3/4 drive stuff is really rarely used on property here.

 

[DaleK]

In my Chinese 3/4 set the long extension slides over the short breaker to take it out to about 30". Works good. I've used a 90hp loader tractor as a cheater on the end with no problems

 

[Wakefield]

It just dawned on me that breaker bars got longer when vehicles got power steering!!
Not as many truck driver arms to pull the short bars.

 

[bobcatdan]

Most shorter breaker bars that are fairly short are left overs from history. I really don't remember alot of long handled tools of any size until fairly recently when you really think about it. Looking in older catalogs real long ratchets and breaker bars didn't really start to shop up until the seventies for alot of companies and later for alot of others.

I'm pretty sure this is right on. I tried responding with something close but just could not word it right. For many years, 15" was the standard 1/2" breaker bar. SO has offered a long handle for their 3/4" drive since the late 30's or 40's. Thats said, their design has next to not changed since then. This goes for many other companies too. SK's 3/4 design is as old as dirt. These tools are not sold in mass quanties like the smaller driver and if a tool works, it is not changed. More of it has to with what products has a company added threw the years as not so much of what have they up redesign. I bought a cornwell 3/4" ratchet brand new off the truck, it still has a oil hole on the end of head.