Ordered Two New Tools Today.

[leehljp]

I decided to change the front struts and rear shocks on my 2018 Camry. After looking at the YouTube videos, it was obvious that some extra force was needed at some points that could not manage using an impact wrench, which I have. I do not have a full set of metric long wrenches. Then I had an idea. I knew about and have used pipes as extensions on ratchets when I lived on a farm 60 years ago.

So I decided to look on Amazon and see if there were anything in the "extension" category for normal wrenches. SURPRISE to me! There were basically two kinds and I ordered one of each.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DF23TFXS...sin_title&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFF3XFQJ...fed_asin_title

One is an extension bar with a couple of bent ears to hold onto the wrench; the other is similar but without a bar and allows a ratchet wrench or regular wrench to become an extension.

I did not know that these existed. Anyone have or use these on occasion?

[LCHIEN]

Is that better than a 24 inch breaker bar?
I think I have a 3/8 drive and 1/2" drive from HF, they were cheap on sale at one time.

[leehljp]

The diversity helps. Yes I have a couple of breaker bars, 3/8 and 1/2". In some cases there is just not enough room for a breaker bar. In my specific case, which I will begin in an hour or so, the area only allow only a 4 to 6 inch swing at the end, and the YouTubers use ratchet wrenches, which I have because it would take forever to use open end or boxed end and limited space for sockets. So a ratchet extension on a ratchet wrench would be ideal. The placement allows adjusting the length to the best length available for breaking and loosening the nuts.

I don't yet have the two tools I posted above, but I am going to put the new shocks on the rear this morning. It would help but I will find a way to "break" the nuts from the bolts.

[twistsol]

Growing up as a farm kid that had to make do. I always just slip a 2 or 3 foot piece of galvanized pipe over the ratchet handle.

Mathematically, a 25 inch bar is 4.167% better than a 24 inch bar

[dbhost]

We always did the "Cheater pipe" setup. Slip some old galvanized over the wrench in question and PRAY it doesn't slip... OSHA would NOT approve...

[leehljp]

That is what we did on the farm, way back when. I was wanting something in the way of a short galvanized pipe, of which I don't have any that will fit over a ratchet wrench now, so I decided to see what Amazon had. I like what I see. I miss all of the scrap iron and pipes and angle iron, and galvanized pipe of different sizes, and channel iron that we had on the farm - to make things. That was fun!

[capncarl]

My go to cheater has always been a floor jack handle. It was always nearby and easy to get off the Jack. Last year while replacing some steering components on my truck I grabbed the Jack handle off my small lightweight 1 ton aluminum floor jack…. and bent the dang handle, never able to achieve the 400 ft/lb torque needed.

[leehljp]

I forgot to give a report on the two items in the OP. The wrench extender works great. I have a 14" pipe that I have used as an extender but it is 1" inside diameter and will not fit over wrenches 3/4" and larger. AND up under the car in tight spots a long bar will not work. The wrench extender worked well on the 17mm wrench and allowed me to get it into tight spaces. It worked well where I normally would have to go and cut a thick pipe to the right length.

It is going into my travel tool box. Very happy with its versatility. BTW, it is heavy duty.

[LCHIEN]

If we are going to talk about new tools....

I ordered a cordless 5.5" circular saw from eBay, a C3 Craftsman to go with the C3 cordless tools I still use. $30 shipped and I already have lithium batteries for all my other C3 tools.

And for $20 from the Ryobi outlet store (Discount tools) I bought this Ryobi cordless power cutter for cardboard and other light sheet materials.


Geez I don't need these and now I have to find a place to put them... But fun!
I'll be able to break down large lumber before bringing home.
Remind me not to buy any more stuff.

[leehljp]

I have looked at power cutters before but never pulled the switch on getting one. It would probably be one that I would use quite often, especially since half of my purchases are from amazon. All of those boxes and bags could use a good cutter! Be sure to give us a review on it. Thanks.

[capncarl]

Not on the subject but fascinating to me what someone would do. I recently ordered a 2oz tube of fabric adhesive from eBay. Shipping was quick but the seller had shipped it in a thin plastic Walmart or Lowe’s type plastic bag, just dropped the item in the bag and tucked the 2 handles under the sick on label and sent it on its way! The item wasn’t damaged or anything so obviously UPS was as suprised as I was or it would have been crushed or something. It fell out of the plastic bag before I even got a chance to open it! The seller didn’t loose money on the shipping!

[capncarl]

Leeljhp, you do know that there is also an extension handle made that fits combination end wrenches rather than socket wrenches. It’s cumbersome to use and almost guarantees some skint knuckles or a broken bolt.

[leehljp]

Well, I did think of getting a two (1" and 1 1/2" pipes 14 - 16" long, and flatten one end slightly to slip over different size wrench for tight spots.