Do I need a breaker bar for my car?
I’ve found that the hardest part of DIY vehicle maintenance can be loosening stuck bolts; a good breaker bar can put you well on your way to success. Simply put: if you perform mechanical maintenance on any engine or vehicle, from a truck to a boat to a lawnmower, a breaker bar can help you.
What makes a good breaker bar?
To combat this, some of the strongest breaker bars (like the tested Neiko breaker bar) use chrome molybdenum for the head, which is heat-treated and resists percussive impact. Ease of Use – That all depends on the job at hand. There are three considerations: torque, open space, and angle.
What is the standard size of a breaker bar?
Breaker bars come in a broad range of lengths, from 18 inches to 40 inches. While longer may seem better when it comes to breaker bars, that’s not always the case. A breaker bar that’s too long may be difficult to get into tight spaces.
What happens if a breaker bar is too long?
A breaker bar that’s too long may be difficult to get into tight spaces. It may also produce too much torque, creating so much force that it shears off a bolt rather than loosens it. This risk makes it a good idea to always use safety glasses when using any size breaker bar.
What can I use if I don't have a breaker bar?
0:482:58Turn any Wrench into a Cheater Bar Mechanic Tips - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd you know put on the belt. This works with any bolt that you're trying to get off if you can'tMoreAnd you know put on the belt. This works with any bolt that you're trying to get off if you can't put a cheater bar on your wrench that's fine not a problem use a longer wrench.
Do breaker bars help?
Breaker bars work on the basic principle that a longer handle creates more torque. By producing more torque, the breaker bar is better able to free a locked nut than a shooter-handled ratchet that creates less torque.
Can I use a torque wrench as a breaker bar?
Never use your torque wrench as a breaker bar—that'll damage the torque mechanism.
Is a breaker bar a cheater bar?
0:201:26Cheater Bar - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo this may do it PC. That has enough torque to do it in the leverage. But if you want even moreMoreSo this may do it PC. That has enough torque to do it in the leverage. But if you want even more leverage. You can attach piece of plumbing tube. And we call these a cheater bar.
Is a breaker bar stronger than an impact?
Despite having the same purpose as a breaker bar which is loosening lug nuts with a lot of torque; the impact wrench provides much more acceleration using a hammering mechanism with either electric or air motors.
Is torque wrench necessary?
If you plan to do any major work on your engine or on some major powertrain components, you absolutely need a torque wrench. Overtightening cylinder-head bolts, for instance, can easily cause expensive damage and catastrophic coolant loss.
How much torque does a breaker bar add?
One big difference between breaker bars and torque wrenches is how easy they are to break. Because of their mechanics and design, breaker bars can manage much higher torque limits than torque wrenches. This enables the user to apply up to 2,500 ft/lbs of maximum torque on a breaker bar without the risk of breaking it.
How much torque can a 1/4 drive take?
If you assume a reasonable quality tool steel that can handle 100K psi, a 1/4" drive can take about 30 ft-lb, 3/8" about 100 ft-lbs, 1/2" about 230 ft-lbs, and 3/4" about 800 ft-lbs. Really good steel will bump this up, while special tools like a wobble extension may cut it to half.
What is a cheetah bar?
Cheater bars are usually used to free threaded pipe, screws, bolts, and other fasteners that are difficult to remove with a ratchet or pipe wrench alone. Cheater bars are also commonly used to operate valves.
Is it okay to use a pipe on the end of a breaker bar for more leverage?
Extending any tool with pipes or other contrived schemes is to be discouraged. You are always better off to get a bigger tool for the job for the sake of safety and well being.
How long should a cheater bar be?
What length do I need from the cheater pipe? you would need a 5 ft bar. With 100 lbs of force each foot exerts 100 ft/pounds of torque.
What is a breaker bar?
A big damn steel rod for loosening stubborn fasteners. Breaker bars work by giving the user increased leverage, resulting in higher torque at the b...
What makes a good breaker bar?
Its appropriateness for the job at hand. I’d encourage you to look at the fastener you need to loosen. What angle does the bar need to be at, and h...
How much torque can a breaker bar handle?
There are a lot of factors at play in this question. In-house at Gear Hungry, none of us have ever broken a ½-inch drive breaker bar. However, it’s...
How long should a breaker bar be?
I like to use as big a bar as I can. We’ve found a 15-inch bar is a good standby if you’re only going to have one; big enough to handle lug nuts or...
Do breaker bars work?
They work great! I most often use breaker bars for lug nuts. It is possible to break them from over-torquing. As advised above, apply the general r...
Is there more than one size of breaker bar?
Breaker bars are sized in length from around 10 inches to around 40 inches. Drive sizes include ¼, ⅜, ½, and ¾ inches. One-inch drives are availabl...
Can I use a breaker bar in place of a ratchet?
Breaker bars with ratchet ability do exist. This can be useful for a fastener you cannot physically reach; most of the time, I break the initial te...
What size breaker bar do I need?
2 general rules: 1) When in doubt, use a bigger bar than you think you need. 2) Don’t use a bar with a smaller drive size than the fastener you’re...
Breaker Bar Reviews
If you’re looking for a cheap breaker bar “just in case”, ABN might have the perfect solution for you. This entry-level model is available in either 3/8″ drive X 15″ or 1/2″ drive X 18″ — the most common sizes in the auto repair industry.
Buying Guide: What to Consider When Choosing a Breaker Bar
Breaker bars are available in various lengths, usually from 10 to 40 inches. Their handles are longer than most ratchets and wrenches to create more torque using the leverage principle. Thus, breaker bars are better at freeing a seized nut than rachets, even when using the same amount of pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In most cases, breaker bars are “last-resort” tools — when all else fails, it will be there for you.
Verdict
In the auto mechanic world, each tool is designed for a very specific job and should only be used only for that purpose. Breaker bars are not different; they are made to break tough bolts. You surely won’t use yours as often as other hand tools, but when you’ll need it, it will literally save your day.
What Is a Breaker Bar
Kind of similar to a torque wrench, the breaker bar has the ability to generate a surprising amount of torque force in a small form factor. But since this tool is different from the torque wrench, what’s it for?
What Does a Breaker Bar Used For and Process Of Using It
To remove frozen or rusty nuts off of a car is quite complicated and may get you into more trouble if you aren’t clear about the consequences of making a mistake.
Using a Cheater Bar
As the name sounds, the process involves some kind of cheating here. Basically, there are going to be nuts and bolts that are too rusty to remove by a breaker bar alone. In cases like these, you have to think about a way to increase the torque input into the bar.
Using a Ratchet Breaking Bar
Ratcheting breaker bars come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And thus, their prices differ quite a lot. If you have to use a ratcheting breaker bar, choose the right one that has the right head size as well as the one having the best build quality.
Final Words
Like torque wrenches, breaker bars have found their place in automotive tools. Check out our article about the difference between torque wrench vs breaker bar. Using them is easy and if the bar being used is of good quality, the rest of the work becomes a breeze.
Breaker Bar
Breaker bars have long handles and a non-ratcheting mechanism that provide the tool with great torque generation power as well as power multiplication. These two mechanisms deliver more leverage than you would have with an impact tool, and this results in a much more effective tool than any other type of wrench.
Impact Wrench vs. Breaker Bar Use Cases
Now that you know how these two tools work, understanding their use cases will help you make an informed decision. For stuck or rusted bolts, an impact wrench might be the best choice for you.
Which Is The Most Efficient Tool?
As you can read, impact wrenches and breaker bars have slightly different use cases and you must decide which fits best for your needs. They definitely can be complementary tools as you might need one better than the other under specific circumstances.
What is a breaker bar?
A breaker bar consists of a long steel bar that attaches to a head with a socket drive. This head usually rotates up to 240 degrees to allow the user to get the bar in the optimal position for creating the leverage needed to remove a difficult nut or bolt.
How does a breaker bar work?
Breaker bars work on the basic principle that a longer handle creates more torque. By producing more torque, the breaker bar is better able to free a locked nut than a shooter-handled ratchet that creates less torque. Breaker bars come in a broad range of lengths, from 18 inches to 40 inches.
What size breaker bar to use to remove lug nuts?
While an 18-inch breaker bar will suffice for removing lug nuts, a 24-inch bar is typically the best option. This allows the operator to remove the lug nuts easily without straining the back or placing an undue amount of force on the nuts or bolts.
How long is a telescoping breaker bar?
These telescoping breaker bars have an adjustable length, typically from around 16 to 24 inches. To operate these bars, the user typically twists the bar clockwise to extend or retract the bar and counterclockwise to tighten it.
What is a Maxpower breaker bar?
An innovative dual-head design makes this Maxpower breaker bar one of the most versatile models on the market. Its rotating head is double-sided, with a ½-inch drive on one side and a ⅜-inch drive on the other. A spring-loaded ball bearing ensures that sockets stay on regardless of which side is used.
How much does a breaker bar weigh?
This makes it more susceptible to bending or even breaking when a significant amount of force is applied. With that in mind, most breaker bars weigh between 1.5 and 3 pounds, depending on size, which makes them light enough to manage but stout enough to hold up to the forces they must endure.
What size drives are needed for a 40 inch breaker?
Larger ¾-inch drives are generally reserved for longer 40-inch breaker bars while smaller 6- to 8-inch breaker bars have ¼-inch drives. Avoid using adapters to change the drive size, as this could cause damage to the machinery or the breaker bar.
What is a breaker bar?
Breaker bars are long steel tools with a socket head at the end. While they share many features, breaker bars cannot ratchet and rely on brute force to remove bolts from sockets. This is why they feature long handles that turn leverage into torque.
How are breaker bars similar?
Breaker bars are similar in the ways that they look and work, but there are a few features that make them different. You’ll come across different drive sizes, lengths, and weights. For this reason, you need to carefully consider these features before you decide on a breaker bar.
What is a 40 inch breaker bar?
A 40-inch breaker bar offers a lot of torque and leverage. It also gives you the ability to work on a machine from a distance, which can be helpful for safety and perspective. Still, you need to be careful with these breaker bars. They produce a lot of torque, so you need to be cautious if you want to avoid breaking things. On the other hand, if you need to bust through rusted bolts or bolts secured with a locking compound, this is a breaker bar you want.
How heavy is a tekton breaker bar?
The TEKTON Breaker Bar is a great tool, but it’s heavy and bulky. The 40″ handle is excellent but it makes it challenging to work on smaller projects. Furthermore, the product weighs close to ten pounds. That’s more than triple the weight of most breaker bars on the market.
What size breaker bars are used for lug nuts?
Breaker bars with 18-inch handles are some of the most common products you’ll find. This is because they’re strong enough to remove lug nuts but not strong enough to damage components. You can also use these breaker bars for work that needs to be done under the hood.
Why do we use a great neck breaker bar?
Why we like it: We love the Great Neck Breaker Bar because it's affordable and easy to use. It's not the best breaker bar for frozen or rusted bolts, but it will help you get a wheel off in a pinch.
What happens if you mishandle a breaker bar?
Breaker bars are simple tools, but you need to be careful when you use one. If you mishandle a breaker bar, it can lead to injuries, broken bolts, and broken tools. For this reason, we’re going to take you through a few tips to help you get started.
What is Breaker bar?
The most essential tool is called breaker bars which are generally used with socket wrench plugs. And sometimes it is alternatively recognized as a power bar in the automobile market.
What is Impact Wrench?
An impact wrench is an electronic or air-filled power wrench through identical tool head addons, used for fitting and eliminating nuts, bolts, and screws. And it is correspondingly branded in different ways such as an impactor, air wrench, impact gun, air gun, rattle gun.
Difference between Breaker bar and Impact Wrench
Breaker bars and impact wrenches are two of the important tools that are vital for working not only on old cars but new cars alike. Just make sure when you buy these though that you are buying trustworthy brands as low-priced ones can bend or break. In my experience, A breaker bar and impact wrench work a slight in a different way.
Definition: What is an Impact Wrench?
An impact wrench is a device wrench power tool; basically, it is designed to give maximum torque output using a user’s minimum effort. Many people know impact wrench by different names, including torque gun, air wrench, windy gun, rattle gun, impact gun many more.
Definition: What is a Breaker Bar?
Breaker Bar is a very common tool for regular purpose use. Many people know it as Power Bar. It is specially designed to use both tightening and loosening tasks and is also used to break extremely tight straps easily.
Impact Wrench vs Breaker Bar: Detailed Comparison
In this section, we will discuss the main difference between impact wrench vs breaker bar. From which you can easily understand which is the perfect choice for you. Let’s see.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
The breaker bar’s length is essential, and a longer bar means higher torque. You can use a 16 to 24 inches breaker bar to get the perfect general work purpose.
Final Verdict: Who Wins the Battle? Which One is Best for Your Work?
Impact wrench and breaker bar are two essential tools in the automotive industry. If you want to get faster results, also if you find a tool for working in a heavy-duty and large project, then an impact wrench is an excellent choice for you to work.
