Ratchet spanners

I've seen one that was supposed to grab in only one direction because of some curved surfaces on one(?) side of the jaw. I never tried it and don't remember any link to it.

jsw

Found it!

But not 22mm:

These do?

--Winston

--Winston

Over the years, I've seen numerous as-seen-on-TV-magic wrenches that have some notches in the open end pocket, which allow a return swing to work without sliding or lifting the wrench pocket from the hex fastener (flip over to apply force the other way), so this design kinda works like a ratcheting open-end wrench.

So, modifying/grinding a common open-end wrench (possibly copying one of the types mentioned) might yield a useable 22mm if the fastener torque is reasonable.

I recently saw a cheap set similar to that style, with a slightly different gimmic.. which fit both metric and SAE sizes. They do work, although they're sorta light-duty.. good enuff for bicycle or car trunk toolkit. The open ends have 7 notches plus a partial notch. The box ends are normal-looking 12 point.

They are "Jobsmart" brand from a TSC Tractor Supply Co store.

Winston wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news4.newsguy.com:

The problem with this approach (and some of the others mentioned) is that it ratchets on the nut. Eventually, it's going to round over the nut. OK for a 1 shot deal, but not for regular use on the same nut.

Doug White

Long before the nut is unservicable, the machine will be in the scrap heap for other reasons. ( Any design that has 'insufficient tool clearance' for often - accessed fasteners is likely to have additional design flaws that will limit the life of the machine, generally speaking.)

--Winston

-- ...in order that a man may be happy, it is necessary that he should not only be capable of his work, but a good judge of his work. -- John Ruskin

I like the inch and a half diameter universal socket wrench I often see advertised - a half inch square drive tube filled with ~1/8 inch diameter rods (I never examined one closely enough to determine what holds them in place, or allows them to grip a nut). Try pulling the plugs out of a Chrysler 225 slant six with one of these! Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Thank you and all the others. I love this group! I am glad that I was not crazy and that such things actually exist. Today I saw one like the Toptul AEAT in our local Lordco. They did not have 22 mm and would order one - for $76!!!

I think in the end I shall manage with what I got but I shall keep my options open - now that I know there are some.

BTW someone suggested a crow's foot wrench but I don't think it would work.

Michael Koblic, Campbell River, BC

(...)

Compared to $13. that isn't much of a bargain:

--Winston

I don't think they make a 22mm line wrench, but you could look. They're used for brake and hydraulic lines.

-- ...in order that a man may be happy, it is necessary that he should not only be capable of his work, but a good judge of his work. -- John Ruskin

I've got some floppy jaw wrenches I use once in a while in tight quarters where I can't get an open end wrench. I don't think mine would handle 22mm, but there might be a bigger one around. Heck, might be able to do it with a sink basin wrench if you don't mind roughing up the fastener a little.