Knock Off Spinner Tool

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I miss Ernie (Excaliber) -- I think there should be a rule that if you've been on here for years you're simply not allowed to just disappear and never be heard from again.

...except in your case.

[patrickt]

Ahhh, Chas... anyway, I've had the same half inch drive Craftsman HD ratchet wrench now for over 35 years and, during that time (but not in the last couple of decades) I can vividly recall bouncing on the end of a pipe that was over the handle, in order to break a nut loose. Let's see, I was probably about 180, plus bouncing... yeah I think that gets in to the three hundred ft/lbs range. Soooooooo, I'm thinking that wrench is good for 400 ft/lbs or more.

[Silverback51]

That's what breaker bars are for.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

That's what breaker bars are for.

Yeah, yeah, yeah... sometimes they don't line up as nicely as a ratcheting wrench will. Now, unlike Chas., who has never hit the gym in his life, you'll be able to spot this unique tool that I used with that same ratchet wrench to break the balancer bolt loose a couple of years ago (even while my breaker bar was sitting idle in the corner...)

[RodKnock]

Is that the largest tuning fork ever made?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Is that the largest tuning fork ever made?

Excellent.

[rodneym]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Is that the largest tuning fork ever made?

That's just like Patrick. Instead of letting the tuning fork vibrate, he found a way to strengthen it with those reinforcements.

[patrickt]

Chas. loves a close up shot of a tool, so here you go. Yep, this is a Vintage Oil Ball Craftsman 44975 1/2" Ratchet. I'm thinking you could probably lift both both Silverback and Chas., along with their bathtubs full of water, with this wrench.

[Rick 427 Cobra]

add onjThese fancy (expensive) tools are no better than the ones Finishline sold. the only reason for using a cheater bar on a C-man ratchet is they will replace it when you break it, and you will break it sooner or later.
I asked Lynn Parks (Trigo wheels) once about torque and his reply was,"Tight? MFT!" Thats "mighty f'in tight" in technical terms. The problem with hammers is potential fender damage and in the rear with deep wheels, half the stiking force is at a 45* angle to the intended direction of travel. Result is bent/broken spinner ears.
I can't afford silly tools, so I made my own. Cost near nothing and WILL remove
a stuck spinner. Thats a beetle jack supporting the outer end. The pipe on the business end was turned to fit the axle I. D.

[Morris]

FYI...... We torqued the wheels on the
Gt-1 Corvette and the Cobra to 600 lbs with BBS wheels ......with a 5 ft 3/4" Snap-on torque wrench....... And take them off with a 3/4" impact gun.

Always never-seeze the threads and the nuts or moly-coat the threads on the nut and spindle......nuts are Stainless and some are aluminum.

Great sound when you are tightening the nuts.......Klunk-Klunk.....takes two people to do it....

Morris

[dont]

The thought of using my portable battery powered impact gun on my wheels is kind of appealing.[/quote]


A 1/2 impact is useless for removing spinners. I converted my spinner removal tool (since it was already useless) to use with my impact. It would not budge the tightened spinner. A BFH works best..

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Yeah, yeah, yeah... sometimes they don't line up as nicely as a ratcheting wrench will. Now, unlike Chas., who has never hit the gym in his life, you'll be able to spot this unique tool that I used with that same ratchet wrench to break the balancer bolt loose a couple of years ago (even while my breaker bar was sitting idle in the corner...)

Glad to see your curling bar got some use.

[MGlad]

I recently got my Cobra and will need to get the front wheels balanced. Olthoff's site has a video on the knock offs and he says you'll hear a definite change in pitch when it's tight, using a lead hammer. I wonder if a plastic dead blow hammer will give you the same clue that it's tight BTW, Dennis really bangs away when he's tightening the spinner in that video... 350 ft/lbs sounds reasonable.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by MGlad

I wonder if a plastic dead blow hammer will give you the same clue that it's tight

It will not nor will it tighten the k/o securely-don't use one.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

Glad to see your curling bar got some use.

Another gem by our boy from the Rube Goldberg Designer Collection.

[MGlad]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

It will not nor will it tighten the k/o securely-don't use one.

Hey thanks Chas... I do have a brass hammer. Guess I'll just have to be careful I don't mar the spinner.

[ERA Chas]

Mike-LEAD, LEAD! Not brass.
You'll ruin a brass hammer and hurt the wheel when you miss.
Lead is best for those reasons.
It's not hard or expensive to use the right tool.

[MGlad]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Mike-LEAD, LEAD! Not brass.
You'll ruin a brass hammer and hurt the wheel when you miss.
Lead is best for those reasons.
It's not hard or expensive to use the right tool.

Gotcha... Cobra Valley's got a 6# for $39. Then I found this one from Cook, a 5# for $31: Cook Hammer Company Lead Hammers 117 5 5lb. hammer*::*HeavyDutyStore.com

[ERA Chas]

^^^

[dont]

Get the 6# hammer. The extra weight helps.