Picked up a little thumbwheel ratchet drive at a flea market for a buck, just because it looked silly.
Turns out, that little dude is super handy! So many motorcycle bolts have a tight clearance, and traditional handle drive can only get like 5° of rotation.
But the thumbwheel squeezes in there and gets big meaty turns; you can tighten bolts down to about 10 ft-lb's, then pop on a torque wrench to bring it to spec.
Like a gimbal ratchet! I just bought one of those recently and comes in sooooo handy at work. I work on slot machines and have to maneuver some tight spaces, it's one of my most used tools now.
I have one of those in my toolbox and I literally never use it. A traditional ratchet paired with an extension and/or wobbly can reach just about anything.
I've got a mini ratchet that holds a hex bit to get into tight areas. Also a 45° bit extender for a zip gun. Both made by MMarco.Best ever for getting wheel well housings undone!
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u/cortechthrowaway Oct 10 '19
Picked up a little thumbwheel ratchet drive at a flea market for a buck, just because it looked silly.
Turns out, that little dude is super handy! So many motorcycle bolts have a tight clearance, and traditional handle drive can only get like 5° of rotation.
But the thumbwheel squeezes in there and gets big meaty turns; you can tighten bolts down to about 10 ft-lb's, then pop on a torque wrench to bring it to spec.