Source for good quality large wrenches?
 

Hi

I am looking for a decent set of 27, 28 & 30mm wrenches. This is the size I need to adjust my ARP rear suspension toe adjustment. They need to be thin (thinner than Craftsman).

Any experience with these?

http://www.toptul-usa.com



Thanks

I like these Martin Tool wrenches, you can get them online from sears. However, it does not look like there is a 28 in the set.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00 930147000&subcat=Wrenches

There are times you have no choice other than buying "specialty" tools,

When I need some of those "real big" wrenches, I head out to the pawn shop. Then with a little dremel work, I have ones that work very well for cheap.

David Duffield

Stahlwille tools.

www.stahlwille.com

AFJuvat

got a grinder?

toptul makes great wrenches :)
i work for them. if anyone wants to give them a try, i have no problem selling them at cost.

thanks, brian

Smart Racing Products has a wrench set specifically designed for the ERP 935 rear suspension. They show the sizes in inches, but they equate to the metric sizes that you're looking for. In round numbers, $90 for the set of three.

I bought mine at Sears. Craftsman ain't what it used to be, but it still has a lifetime warranty.

i am still using my Snap-On wrenches purchased 27 years ago

I only buy cheap tools in that size range, I don't use them enough to justify the price of large wrenches. I bought six large wrenches 1-1/4 up to 2" for $50 years ago, they are still like new.

Buy a cheap one and grind it down.

SK offers a nice (#86225) 26(?) piece set and I found it at thetoolwarehouse.net for 212.50 a while back, free shipping too!
-Jeremy

That is my approach also.

I ground down a cheap 26mm for the rear ride hight bolt. Thats way better than the "special tool" you can buy.... and cheaper.


edit: I'll never learn to spell cheap (cheep).....

Ditto!

I own Snap-On, Mac and Craftman wrenches in various configurations in metric and inch sizes up to 1 1/8". All my LARGER wrenches are cheap Harbor Freight style inch series and all are as good as new and I have never damaged or rounded a fastener in this size range.

by all means buy cheap tools???????????? then when they spread open on you at 2am or break, you have big jolly giggles! sk/wayne-proto-williams-snap-on etc are the only way to go PERIOD! gosh in all my years in aerospace....................NOT ONCE HAVE I SEEN CHEAP ASS TOOLS ON THE FLIGHT LINE. military or commercial. now maybe with the experimental guys thats another story, but then we both know how often they auger in! would you want any of the airlines YOU FLY ON using chinese torque wrenches on internal rotating hot turbine fan parts???????????? treat your porsche like a F-16, and it will be very very happy. i just love caveman club tools and rounded off 6pt bolts and nuts!

I guess in your years of experiance you must have seen a lot of 30 mm wrenches spread open. You're awesome, I take back my silly suggestion.

I'm in the quality camp. You can get high quality large mm wrenches (MAC, Matco, Proto, S&K etc) all day, every day, on Ebay for $10.00-$15.00 each, less if you find a set or just get lucky. Of course Snap-On will be more but some argue they are worth it (different debate). My point is, take a bag lunch to work for a few days and spend the savings on quality tools. You won't regret it, especially if you're in the hobby for the long term! Just my $.02. :)

funny how this host doesnt sell cheap tools only quality. amazing also how alot of people try to scrimp on the most important item aside from knowledge and thats the correct tool to do the job correctly the first time and safely. and as a matter of fact i have seen cheap ass tools larger than 30mm spread on numerous occasions. be it a mining application, nuclear weapons or energy application, mil or comm aerospace, heavy trucks to automotive etc normal use aside from caveman technology of using cheater bars! and knowing first hand by touring stuttgart und BMW im munchen, i never once saw cheap tools in anyones rollaway. let alone on their CNC or manual mills or lathes. have seen one too many times, the cheap approach to solving problem and the drastic results. how do i know? have sold aerospace machine and hand tools all my life! if you dont have the time to do it right the first time...........when will you find time to do it the second time. a side note........was involved in PROJECT MERCURY proto hand tool sale that totaled over 1 million dollars for one purchase order! reason....while lighting off nuke in test area one of the blast doors failed(horizontal shot), radiation leaked contaminating tools and equiptment. of all the hand tools nuked and super heated what survived? despite having to be shipped off in barrels, were proto hand tools. yes they were junk, but they were intact. now come on............think about this. do you want cheap tools used on nukes let alone your racey car ripping around at mach speed let alone the next commercial plane you fly on. and yes i spent 30 bucks w/ host for their soft socket for my lug nuts. cheap and porsche are not ever used in the same sentence!

Now you are being silly, it depends on the application.

For the rear suspension you need big wrenches, but they don't need to handle so much torque.

I have bought big very cheap 36 mm wrenches for the oil lines. A 36 mm wrench can handle alot of torque, even if its of low quality, way more than the oil lines themself.

I have also bought an equaly cheap 46mm wrench that I used on my cam nuts. It might be of low quality but a wrench of that size will not be bent or broken with only human power...

I do not know you and you obviously do not know me. In my post above I mentioned that all my wrenches in smaller sizes are name brand. I have Snap On micro turn box ends, odd angle open ends, slim open ends, Mac long 6pt box ends, Snap On stubbies, Sraftsman swivel boxes along with others. I am an AP/IA part-time at home and special machine designing mechanical engineer by day. I have made my own 911 engine yoke, cam nut tool, CIS pressure tester, clutch alignment tool and many other tools and equipment. If you want to buy a set of Snap On monster wrenches to use once a year on your car for many hundreds of dollars, by all means knock yourself out, but you can keep your holier than though comments to yourself.

My home, heated, 50x80 shop/hangar is equipped with lathes/tigwelders/paint booth/ shears/brakes/lifts/torches/shrinker-stretchers/sandblaster/forklift/rivetingtools/beadroller/3 rolling tool chests/grinders/saws/powerwasher etc etc. How does that stack up against your garage?:rolleyes:

I second that: :rolleyes:

I'll use only Snap-On for all aircraft, space shuttle and reactor repairs henceforth. And don't get me started on my home nuclear fusion project.

OK Friends.simmer down now (LOL) We all want quaility. otherwise why would you own a PORSCHE.I have those wrenches from Smart racing and they are crap. They must be stamped out ! How do I know is I had to use a file to remove the cut marks on the inside of the wrenches before they would fit properly on the nuts to adjust EPR spring plates and ERP 935 front end camber adjustment. I considered sending them back, just too big of a hassle.Now ... what to do because they need to be thin and short for clearence reasons. GO to your favorite Bicycle shop !!! They can order wrenches in any MM size you want..thin and short. Good Luck D.C.

as for my garage.......3 aircraft hangers in one state, one very large hanger in neighboring state that holds aircraft paint booth and at last count maybe 12-14 planes. turbine dehavilland, yaks, otters beavers and oh yea the little old grumman mallard (1941) full restoration. and yea over 50 gruppe B and rally cars just purchased in europe soon to arrive here.its obvious from the holier than thou comments you were affected by statement that cheap tools beget cheap results. no offense intended. i have been first on hand and watched 2 men burn to death in front of me here at this airport, i have been witness to 5 other crashes on strip, i have been in a ground loop in dornier do-27..............and you know what? they were all traced back to A&P mechanic by NTSB and FAA. i dont scrimp on tools when lives are at stake PERIOD! is there a difference btwn a plane and a porsche be it on the street or track? i dont think so. thats all

Well, if I could afford 14 planes and 50 cars, then I would buy the absolute best tools, even if the application for them wouldn't need it....

I can't tell from this whether your experience with Proto tools has been good or bad. I own lots of Proto tools and have found them to be equal to, or better than, my other high end tools (MAC, Matco, Cornwell, Snap-on, Hazet and Stahlwille). I also like the Craftsman Professional line a lot. Not quite on par with those mentioned above but very nicely made and available at your local Sears with a lifetime guarantee.

P.S. we can argue about tools all day. If you like a certain tool and it works to keep your car on the road, I say buy it. It's all about the driving anyway. :D

Charles, you definately one upped me! I will stand by my opinion of using cheap large wrenches for occasional relatively low torque use though. If you can afford a Mallard resto, a $1000.00 tool is peanuts:D .

By chance, was your Mallard ever owned by Tony Barnum? Over the years he has owned quite of few of the 50 ish Mallards ever built. I hope your tank sealant is doing it's job as it sounds like corrosion in the wing due to water getting trapped between the tank sealant and the aluminum is a scary deal for those old Mallards (recent Florida crash comes to mind).

Man, the biggest "Grumman" I ever owned was a Yankee, which probably equates to the value of one of your props. :D

PS: Do you need any fabric resto work done, I promise I will only use the good tools on it!:)

Look at Lisle and KD for fan clutch wrenches, these are flat and inexpensive. For the 26mm, get a cheap one from harbor freight and grind it down. I bought a Martin thin wrench and it was still a little too fat to fit with ease.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/shake.gif

Heresy!

yes, dont forget a few blondes half your age :)

If I ever won a lottery, I'd have a pair of huge rollaways loaded with Snap-On's best...one metric, one SAE. Then I'd NEVER work on a car again. But boy, could I ever do so if I wanted to! :D
I'll confess, the bulk of my tools are "craftsperson". I did just pick up a set of deep boxends, Stahlwillie...I like their "I-beam" handle feature.

Charles I know my life is better for just having the opportunity to benefit from all your wisdom.

Ever since I found out that the points on my AT&T credit card could be redeemed for Snap-On purchase certificates, I've been replacing the Sears and other old stuff in my box...

For big wrenches I use the inexpensive DIN894 style ones. (They say made in Germany on them.) I milled a couple of them flat for use on spring plates.

The flat Smart Racing wrenched are soft and weren't up to the task of adjusting the spring plates with the sway bars still connected.
-Chris

is it worth mentioning that 400 feet at the bottom of the gulf of mexico I've only used or seen proto torque wreches?

and yet I still don't have one at the house

I agree with most. I use the Harbor Freight tools on things that don't are used all the time. Anymore Harbor Freight tools are just as good as the lower/mid level name brands. They are all made in the same country anymore.

On a side note I am up for adoption for those who have a mechanics shop garage at home.....:(
I only dream of my 40'x60' pole barn with a lift and all the tools needed for just about anything.

Neat aircraft, spent a lot of hours in one, now if I could just have my hearing back.

Tim

Edit note: did not mean do-27, meant do-28, never flew in a 27.

Tim