20 years - horrific abuse - RIP - NSFW

[B'stard Child]

About 20 years ago - I bought a Sealey Breaker Bar - approx 3 ft and I read on the package that the knuckle end was a consumable and designed to break first I thought well when I break it I'll buy an replacement......

I've abused it way more that any other tool I own - when I couldn't get the leverage needed I've assisted it with a GPZ600 fork leg and if that wasn't enough occasionally a scaffold pole.

It never gets to work on nice new stuff just rusty Opels, Mercs and BMW's

It's split my head open on a few occasions and it's cracked it's fair share of sockets.

But yesterday it was defeated (shattered) by a hub nut


















On a 6 year old Renault.............. (I said it was NSFW)

I think it was the shame of it [/joke]

RIP knuckle - you've been a good friend and companion



Any recomendation for decent replacement knuckles that aren't made of cheese - guessing most are????

[B'stard Child]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Halfords Professional?

Remarkably serious reply to a TIC thread - thank you

I'm holding a minute silence tomorrow in memory of all the broken tools

[B'stard Child]

Actualy - the 750mm breaker bar in halfords is a Sealey one and it's only 17.99.......

But I think I'd rather repair my friend - especially as it fits in my toolbox

[B'stard Child]

NiceCupOfTea said:

B'stard Child said:

NiceCupOfTea said:

Halfords Professional?

Remarkably serious reply to a TIC thread - thank you

I'm holding a minute silence tomorrow in memory of all the broken tools

Is it just me who can't throw out broken old tools? I have a broken ratchet spanner and a smashed thin walled socket in my tool box!

Smashed sockets - they get binned - they normally have resulted in some pain when they broke

Broken tools with usable ends go in one drawer - eventually they get customised to be specific application tools

Getrag 265 to bell housing bolts - cut down ring spanner - to just two inches long (just enough to get another ring spanner on it

welded 10mm ring spanner - silly cranked angle - LC throttle body bolts

Broken tools don't really die - they just get recycled

(caveat to the above - changing the oil on a getrag box on my track car was a faff and a half but was made easier by driling a hole in the right place in the transmission tunnel - rubber grommet all good.......)

[B'stard Child]

Jam Spavlin said:

My sincere condolences to you b.c. R.I.P little breaker bar knuckle.

Thank you - sir - it's almost like using a pet - quite distressing really

Halfords said:

Replacement knuckle joint for ak730 & ak7302 1/2""sq drive breaker bar. *note: knuckle joints are not covered by lifetime warranty and are treated as consumable items.

Well I'm not planning in working on a Renault again so will one last another 20 years.................

My money is on no..........

Will update when the inevitable happens.

[B'stard Child]

ch427 said:

I think those style knuckles are readily available, may be worth checking a sealey stockist online as its lasted so long.

I'm sure they are - however I'd put money on the fact that they aren't the same quality they were 20 years ago..... Like most things!

[B'stard Child]

blade7 said:

Weld it back together.

Considered it

[B'stard Child]

aka_kerrly said:

Great thread,

Err not sure about that but it was a slow news day when I started the thread

aka_kerrly said:

I remember the sad feeling when I obliterated my first Halfords 1/4 inch ratchet that I'd been using for several years.

It was no where near as bad as the pain caused when another ratchet snapped trying to undo a gearbox bolt. That required a trip to hospital as I managed to rip the nail off an split the top of my finger in half.

Ouch..............

aka_kerrly said:

Has there been a "post pics of your broken/modified tools" topic?

I think there was a while back - In fact I think I contributed to it but it's not in my bookmarks.....

Start a new one