Do you use a breaker bar?

I always use a breaker bar to break loose any nuts/bolts that requires over 20 ft/lbs of torque to be tightened! Also use only 6 point sockets with my breaker bar.

In addition to a good quality breaker bar in every size 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4 inch, a sliding T-Handle is even more useful by allowing you to fit it in tighter spaces, and use two hands on some applications .02

Definite +1 on 6 flat sockets when using a breaker bar, 12's can and do split when abused.
Also when using a breaker on some tight little bugger of a nut put a foam kneeler where you know your hand is going to smack the blummin garage floor. It'll still hurt but you won't bleed so much.
Upt'North.

Apply some heat to the little stubborn buggers if they don't want to budge also.

Kevin_56 said:

That would be a YES from me. ODDBALL.

Add to that damaging the points of your HEX nuts or bolt heads.

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I use a 6-point socket on hex bolts when possible if I have the right size available. As I recall, I only have a few select 6-point sockets in my toolbox, including the one for the rear axle nut.

klaproth said:

Where do you purchase eight point sockets? I am not sure I've ever seen any.

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A little off topic (forgive me, please), but my Dad, who's now 94, had some 4 point box wrenches for the farm machinery that was made before his day.

I usually use a BB to loosen high torque fasteners. In certain instances, (sprocket nuts, flywheel bolts, etc.} an air impact wrench is more practical. I usually use air impact to loosen wheel lug nuts, start them at low torque, then tighten to spec with a torque wrench.

Kevin_56 said:

I had to see if an 8 point would fit a hex nut size for size. Yes it will.



BUT you only have less than 1.14mm or .045 of an inch of socket to hex contact.

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Kevin.... you have way too much time on your hands!!!

my craftsman 1/2" drive torque wrench has a really long handle, so I just use that. I sometimes have to use it as a hammer too. It'll make a great melee weapon for when the zombie apocalypse happens....

flip-flop said:

my craftsman 1/2" drive torque wrench has a really long handle, so I just use that. I sometimes have to use it as a hammer too.

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I'm guess you mean it was a torque wrench that is now a dedicated breaker bar?

PB Blaster or equivalent and patience should be in the kit as well. I think they're a bigger part of the finesse. And as to finesse I think that most of the time a somewhat quick action with the breaker bar may be better that slowly trying to 'untorque' a stubborn bolt much the same way an impact driver is used on screws.

I'm new to PB Blaster (thanks Igofar!) but have been 'breaking' fasteners free for some time. I do know of an incident where a friend bent a 12" breaker bar trying to finesse a fastener off. The girl at the Sear/Craftsman counter told me about 'snapping' it free and it worked. Oh damn... I mean it worked for my friend. That's what I meant to say...

T_C said:

I'm guess you mean it was a torque wrench that is now a dedicated breaker bar?

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ohh! I got think I got one!! (nibble, nibble).... LOL....

Al st1100 said:

you have way too much time on your hands!!!

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AL - I like fact over fiction or knee jerk, which I did in the post before the drawing one. I know for a fact that a 19mm wrench/socket fits a 3/4" hex better than a 3/4 wrench. Same as 11mm on a 7/16 fastener.

Practice makes perfection. I do drawings all the time in my work to correctly get the geometry I need to program the machine I run.

While we’re on the subject...one of the other motorcycle forums in which I participate had quite a discussion about tools and fasteners and we agreed on a hierarchy of technologies to be used when one encounters a stuck, seized or rusted fastener:
- profanity;
- chemicals;
- heat;
- violence.

(NOTE: the order may be changed to suit the circumstances, mood and availability of technology)

Alternatively, the expectations one might have for a given type of tool may be graphically illustrated as shown below.



..and for DavidR8 - while I’m sure that we all appreciated your correction from eight point sockets to six - just look at all the fun people had puzzling over the original version!

Thanks Pete!
I had a good chuckle over your picture.


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--use a breaker bar now; after a kind gentleman at the ace hardware store told me in no uncertain terms to not use a big lead pipe fitted over my 3/8 inch ratchet handle; ha ha

--if you have the clearance, I think a lot of auto techs are going to the battery operated cordless impact guns and battery operated ratchets, Milwaukee, dewalt, Makita, hitachi, but there is still debate on whether cordless will replace some hand tools , or air impacts

Yes, I use a breaker bar, and for those of us who have skinny arms, a pipe that will help extend it for a bit more leverage...

Have even done the evil deed of cascading open/box wrenches to get more leverage where the breaker would not fit....

Kevin_56 said:

AL - I like fact over fiction or knee jerk, which I did in the post before the drawing one. I know for a fact that a 19mm wrench/socket fits a 3/4" hex better than a 3/4 wrench. Same as 11mm on a 7/16 fastener.

Practice makes perfection. I do drawings all the time in my work to correctly get the geometry I need to program the machine I run.

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7/8=22mm, 24mm=15/16 , 8mm = 5/16 and so on but 1/2 will fit a worn 13mm but its tight

MaxPete said:

Alternatively, the expectations one might have for a given type of tool may be graphically illustrated as shown below.

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Hmmm, not a single breaker bar in the picture......

dwalby said:

Hmmm, not a single breaker bar in the picture......

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Or a 12" or 15" Crescent wrench