In a couple of recent jobs I undertook on my Disco I found a handy application for a simple tool I made. The two situations were removing an oil filter and removing/replacing shock absorbers.
In both cases you have cylindrical objects that either don't spin when you want to remove them (oil filter) or do spin when you want them to stay put (shock body rotates when you try to remove/replace lower retaining nut).
The solutions I knew of for these problems were dirty and destructive: stab a screwdriver into your oil filter to turn it, crush the shock tube with giant channel lock pliers to hold it still. I wanted to achieve the same (or better) result without the mess and damage. Enter the friction wrench.
In my mountaineering and whitewater rafting guiding days I frequently had use for a friction knot: wrap your rope/webbing 3 times around an object to create an anchor point that retains 100% tensile strength of your material. I figured I could use the same principle on my Rover.
Materials needed:
1. Tie an overhand knot in one end of the webbing.
2. Thread the webbing through the eye on the end of the wrench handle until the knot bumps up against it.
How to use the friction wrench:
1. Figure out which direction you need to position the wrench. If you are removing a stubborn oil filter, you need to apply torque counterclockwise. If you are removing a shock retaining nut, you need to counteract the rotation of the shock tube.
2. Wrap the webbing around the object you are trying to spin/immobilize. You need at least 3 complete wraps, the more the merrier. Keep the wraps snug! The idea is to maximize the surface area contact between the webbing and object, so wrap like the stripes on a barber pole or candy cane, not like a Ho Ho or cinnamon roll. If you wrap the webbing in the wrong direction it will be immediately obvious as soon as you try to use it. Remove and wrap the other way.
3. Grab the crescent wrench and crank (for removing oil filter) or brace the wrench against the chassis (for removing shock). Proceed to loosen nut with open end wrench/gear wrench.
Other tips & suggestions:
atriot:
In both cases you have cylindrical objects that either don't spin when you want to remove them (oil filter) or do spin when you want them to stay put (shock body rotates when you try to remove/replace lower retaining nut).
The solutions I knew of for these problems were dirty and destructive: stab a screwdriver into your oil filter to turn it, crush the shock tube with giant channel lock pliers to hold it still. I wanted to achieve the same (or better) result without the mess and damage. Enter the friction wrench.
In my mountaineering and whitewater rafting guiding days I frequently had use for a friction knot: wrap your rope/webbing 3 times around an object to create an anchor point that retains 100% tensile strength of your material. I figured I could use the same principle on my Rover.
Materials needed:
- 18" length of 1" tubular climbing webbing. Cost is about $0.45 at your local mountaineering shop.
- Crescent wrench, length of your choosing. 10" or 12" work great.
1. Tie an overhand knot in one end of the webbing.
2. Thread the webbing through the eye on the end of the wrench handle until the knot bumps up against it.
How to use the friction wrench:
1. Figure out which direction you need to position the wrench. If you are removing a stubborn oil filter, you need to apply torque counterclockwise. If you are removing a shock retaining nut, you need to counteract the rotation of the shock tube.
2. Wrap the webbing around the object you are trying to spin/immobilize. You need at least 3 complete wraps, the more the merrier. Keep the wraps snug! The idea is to maximize the surface area contact between the webbing and object, so wrap like the stripes on a barber pole or candy cane, not like a Ho Ho or cinnamon roll. If you wrap the webbing in the wrong direction it will be immediately obvious as soon as you try to use it. Remove and wrap the other way.
3. Grab the crescent wrench and crank (for removing oil filter) or brace the wrench against the chassis (for removing shock). Proceed to loosen nut with open end wrench/gear wrench.
Other tips & suggestions:
- Keep the webbing under tension (by tugging on the loose end) before applying force to the wrench. A snug fit will ensure first time success, if it's loose you don't generate enough friction.
- Spending a little extra time positioning the wrench will make it stay put better.
- Need more torque? Thread the webbing through a longer wrench.
atriot:
