NAC: The Tightest Lug Nuts Ever

[George Selby]

At 03:27 PM 8/14/2006, you wrote:
>Out of curiosity, has anyone broken a breaker bar doing this kind of  work?
>Last time I did a timing belt job, the breaker bar seemed like it  was under
>far more strain than my trusty craftsman 1/2-in ratcheting socket  wrench.
>

I've broken a 1/2" breaker bar (the swiveling head breaks out of it's 
mount,) and I've bent a couple at least 4-5" from straight (just flip it 
over and bend it back it you want a straight bar, although I've sometimes 
found the bend to be useful for clearance purposes.) I think that why the 
recommend you use safety goggles when you use a breaker 
bar.  Interestingly, placing a thin leverage tube ( I use a thin wall 3" 
diameter tube about 5 feet long) over the breaker bar will keep the bar 
from bending while trying to loosen the same same bolt that applying force 
directly to the bar will bend it.  I finally had to go out and buy a 3/4" 
breaker bar while installing the pinion nut on my Jeep rear axle, when the 
1/2" bar started bending with the leverage tube over it I knew it wasn't 
going to hold.

I've also broken a 3/8" racket directly in half (the metal bar snapped in two.)

Good thing they were all Craftsman products so I just brought the broken 
stuff in and walked out with new ones.

George Selby