20 years - horrific abuse - RIP

[BChild]

About 20 years ago - I bought a Sealey Breaker Bar - approx 3 ft and I read on the package that the knuckle end was a consumable and designed to break first I thought well when I break it I'll buy an replacement......

I've abused it way more that any other tool I own - when I couldn't get the leverage needed I've assisted it with a GPZ600 fork leg and if that wasn't enough occasionally a scaffold pole.

It never gets to work on nice new stuff just rusty Opels, Mercs and BMW's

It's split my head open on a few occasions and it's cracked it's fair share of sockets.

But yesterday it was defeated (shattered) by a hub nut


















On a 6 year old Renault..............

I think it was the shame of it [/joke]

RIP knuckle - you've been a good friend and companion



Any recomendation for decent replacement knuckles that aren't made of cheese - guessing most are????

 

[the snooper]

get the welder out

 

[Richard.]

I feel your pain.
20 years man n boy

 

[Wallace]

Take it to Halfords and see if they notice it's made by Sealey. They might swap it for one of theirs made from cheese.

 

[anjum]

A bit of superglue will see you alright, mate!

 

[DanielW]

I've abused it way more that any other tool I own

Yer havin a laff ain't ya.

 

[ms08]

Take it to Halfords and see if they notice it's made by Sealey. They might swap it for one of theirs made from cheese.

I have always found Halfords tools to be reasonable quality now. I bought a 120 piece socket set last Christmas on offer for £60 and it all seems good quality stuff.
I took a 15 year old torque wrench back to them a year or so back - no receipt and they change it for new without a quibble on Lifetime tools guarantee.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Sealey... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AK730-RK-...K730-AK7302-/251254968758?hash=item3a7ff691b6

I bought one very recently but can't comment on the quality. But not that many years ago I bought a bar using that head and can certainly say that it wasn't made of cheese, it took some real punishment before it broke. There's no reason to think the replacements aren't any good is there?

 

[pedrobedro]

I have an extending bar that uses the same knuckle and it's also had a lot of abuse with no sign of failing. I used it on Sierra rear hub nuts and they were seriously tight.

 

[DAPPH]

See if you can get hold of some HAZET stuff, it's German my sockets swingles & extensions are over 40 years old and still going strong....

I tell lies .. one of the " tee's" keeper ball bearings on the end of the Tommy bar came out when it fell 30 feet or so on to a concrete floor many years ago .
I re- drilled the hole with a centre drill and popped in a steel blind waterproof pop rivet .


The secret of not busting your knuckles & universal joints is to only put a medium pressure on them , then with a hammer give the socket as sharp rap where it sits on the nut . All this using an extension pipe for a bigger lever is simply not needed.
If you can't get a strike like that try hitting the end of the extension bar along its axis ......... it's the shock impact that helps break the bind up .

If it's tight wheel studs , set the socket on the nut and use a trolley jack to support the outer end of the bar , again once its under medium pressure ,give it a sharp crack with a hammer on the shaft.

On the tank transporters the guys had four foot long 2 " box spanners , many a time these " Professional " drivers would shear the wheel studs when either tightening or removing the wheel nut. I guess I removed hundreds of the transporters wheels just using 3/4" square drive sockets & tommy bar with the jack ,a 2 & 1/2 pound ball pene hammer & occasionally a 24 " long power bar ,tube to hit with the hammer . .