MrTorgue
Grizzly Clint
Yup. Having a toddler really cramps my style. Both my wife and I wanna be our camping and stuff on weekends but meh I guess that’s the price we paid for having a kid late in life.
Builds SouthTxGX’s question and build thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter SouthTxGX
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- Thread starter
- #222
Goose gear base is finally in! Had some free time at work so I removed the 3rd row yesterday and then brought the base with me tonight and bolted it in. Getting the front brackets aligned was a pain, but it wasn’t too bad. Gonna throw in the side pieces tomorrow to see how bad the gap is since I don’t have 3rd row a/c.
- Thread starter
- #223
Over the past couple of days I’ve learned to to respect high priced tools and that having the right tools for the job make everything so much easier. I usually go to a buddies house to grease the UCAs and check torque on the front suspension. He was out of town this weekend for work so I decided to tackle it myself. I’ve bought tools similar to his over the past few months and learned that I should’ve just shelled out the money for the same stuff. My kobalt torque wrench was a good deal, but the distance between clicks is too much for the tight spaces of the fender well. The crowsfoot torque adapters are a pain compared to the box end ones. Also broke a craftsman ratcheting wrench. Looks like my Christmas bonus is getting sent to snap on for the same wrenches and adapters we were using previously. Also got a gearwrench 120xp extra long 19mm flex head wrench on the way. His made loosening the uca nuts so much easier with the extra leverage.
That said, I also like to live dangerously lol. Got a hi lift jack and used it to lift the gx for the job. I’ll be getting a pro eagle when I get my drawers and fridge done so I can figure out a way to mount it in the rear.
That said, I also like to live dangerously lol. Got a hi lift jack and used it to lift the gx for the job. I’ll be getting a pro eagle when I get my drawers and fridge done so I can figure out a way to mount it in the rear.
- Thread starter
- #225
Indeed. Cheaper stuff can do the job in most situations but the specialty stuff really comes in handy even with the higher prices.
MrTorgue
Grizzly Clint
^ This 100%. In fact I go out of my way to acquire hand tools 30+ years old because they most certainly don’t make em like they used to.
Looking right at you craftsman!!!!!
- Thread starter
- #227
This is the second craftsman wrench I’ve broke in the past month. The first one was from around 2008ish, but I didn’t really use it much.
Coming from a pro, don't buy anything Craftsman from this century. Snap-On, Mac, Matco, and Cornwell may be expensive, but they are for a reason. GearWrench makes great stuff for the money, but still won't hold up like the top-tier tools with daily use. GW's 84-tooth ratchets are some of my favorites, and their XL non-flex head ratcheting wrenches are bulletproof. The Husky ratcheting wrenches are actually made by Apex Tool Group, the owners of GearWrench. Husky has some decent stuff, believe it or not. Kobalt is getting better but is still pretty cheap, same with the "Autocraft" or "Duralast" brands at Advance and AutoZone. Harbor Freight is hit-or-miss, some stuff's great, some is garbage. However, with lifetime warranties you'll only ever have to buy it once.
MrTorgue
Grizzly Clint
Husky and Kobalt for intermediate hand tools have served me well enough. I’ve also had hit or miss with Pittsburgh tools from Harbor Freight. The screwdrivers tend to be the winners with that brand.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
What tool do you use to torque upper control arm nut at ride height? No way my torque wrench gets in there around the tire. I took tire off, and jacked lower control arm up until hub to fender was at ride height, then torqued, but if you have a tool combo that works with tires on the ground, that'd be awesome. My torque wrench might not have enough "clicks" either.
- Thread starter
- #231
Snap on techangle flex head 3/8” torque wrench with a 19mm snap on box end torque adapter gets it every time. I’m waiting on the torque adapter to come back in stock to see if that’s all I really need since it’s only about $40. If not I’ll either get the same torque wrench or try the gearwrench 120xp flex head version. Watched a couple videos on it and it seems like a pretty good setup. We also use that wrench with a 9/16” adapter for the strut tower bolts since the rear one is a pita.
I got this in the mail today and it should help with breaking the nuts loose with the extra leverage.
I got this in the mail today and it should help with breaking the nuts loose with the extra leverage.
re_guderian
SILVER Star
re_guderian
SILVER Star
Double-
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I'm clearly new to purchasing snap on tools. That'll do the trick, but at that price point, and my frequency of usage, I might be better off just going to the dealership.
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I'm clearly new to purchasing snap on tools. That'll do the trick, but at that price point, and my frequency of usage, I might be better off just going to the dealership.
Ha! Welcome to my world.
Precision Instruments beam-type torque wrenches are the best bang for the buck I've found. Super reliable, easy to use, and they never need to be touched when the calibration man comes to town.
Precision Instruments beam-type torque wrenches are the best bang for the buck I've found. Super reliable, easy to use, and they never need to be touched when the calibration man comes to town.
- Thread starter
- #235
Yeah they’re not cheap at all. That’s why I want to try the adapter first and see if it’ll do the job with my current wrench. He’s been a diesel mechanic in the oilfield for over 15 years so he buys the expensive stuff since he depends on it every day. The good thing is he offered to get me snap on stuff at his prices so it won’t sting as much.Double-
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I'm clearly new to purchasing snap on tools. That'll do the trick, but at that price point, and my frequency of usage, I might be better off just going to the dealership.
r2m
Richard
Why not a 1/2" drive breaker bar and maybe a section of pipe on the end?
Then you can use the breaker bar for other tough nuts.
r2m
Richard
I'm kind of in the same boat, but with smaller fasteners and less torque. It's extremely difficult to get a wrench between the roof of my rig and the bottom of the RTT on the roof rack. A ratchet and socket won't fit in that space either, so I purchased a bunch of those box-end ratchets from Harbor Freight:
www.harborfreight.com
They're cheap enough and I never use them for tightening or loosening heavy torque nuts, just for ease of swinging a nut down quickly!
Metric Ratcheting Double Box End Wrench Set, 4 Piece
Amazing deals on this 4Pc Metric Box End Ratcheting Wrench Set at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
My harbor freight $20 torque wrench is 8 years old and I took it to work recently and did a test on our machine and it was still within 4% which is in spec.
