Suggestions please on a tool for this job

[tintinmt]

Please see attached picture of a roof rack fixing to the roof of a van. I have a lot of these to undo and the only tool I can use at the moment is a 13mm ring spanner which only gives a third of a turn with each use. Access prevents a socket and we don't seem to be able to get a ratchet spanner in there either.
Any better suggestions gratefully received!

 

[hotrodder]

Personally i'd douse 'em all with plusgas or similar, crack 'em with a ring/open ended spanner and then swap to a open ended speed wrench if they're still too tight to spin out hand

 

[Abb]

Looks very tight for a small socket set, so all I can suggest is a ratchet spanner. If you have managed to get a ring spanner in, buy a ratchet version of the size you require.

 

[jotter22]

Could you get a cheap ratchet spanner in if you set about it with a grinder to reduce the bulk?

Tony.

 

[tintinmt]

The speed wrench looks like a good step in the right direction. The ratchet spanner won't fit over the head of the bolt due to restricted space caused by the upright section behind.
I was wondering if there was a ratchet type mechanism that was a slimmer design.

 

[tintinmt]

Could you get a cheap ratchet spanner in if you set about it with a grinder to reduce the bulk?

Tony.

I could try this...... I wonder how much I could take off before the ratchet mechanism became exposed. From memory, I think I would have to take off too much but I'll try to measure tomorrow.

 

[John Jones Jr]

Looking at the photo, I think maybe the roof bar and it's support should come off first and then you could have better access to those bolts. See if the two nuts directly above the bolts will undo.

 

[E55BOF]

I suspect a Snap-On, or similar quality, ratchet ring spanner would be about as slim as you could buy. Cracking them with a normal open-ended spanner, then a speed wrench if you cannot then run them out by hand, sounds like the best bet, though I don't know whether a third of a turn would be enough to allow the speed wrench to do its stuff.

How many do you have to do, by the way?

 

[tintinmt]

They are stainless steel so they can be moved without too much difficulty. The issue is access. Even when they are lose, it's very fiddly to spin them by hand.
There are 12 of these per vehicle and there are 1000's of vehicles in total :-(
I am personally doing 6 to 8 racks per day amongst other things.

 

[tintinmt]

We can gain access from above, but by including two further fixings to undo (and then do up again) it makes the job longer.

 

[toolman1954]

I have studied the picture and the restricted space and I cannot think of any commercially available tool that will fit the nuts.However, all is not lost and just requires some ingenuity. My thoughts are this, will a 1/4" drive 13mm socket fit onto the nut??. If so then you stand a chance to make up an adapter. You will need to grind off the top of the socket at a distance of 2 x the bolt head height. You could just use 2 x 13mm nuts to create this distance. Into the ground off socket stick a piece of 13mm Hex key,,,, some araldite to hold it in place and cut the hex key so you can put a 13mm ratchet spanner on it. At least using an adapter will give you enough grip to undo or tighten the bolts and then use fingers. Regards Steve

 

[tintinmt]

I get your drift...

 

[Simon_M]

Looking at the photo, I think maybe the roof bar and it's support should come off first and then you could have better access to those bolts. See if the two nuts directly above the bolts will undo.

This.

 

[tintinmt]

Thanks. See post #10. Unfortunately, that makes the job longer overall.

 

[Minz]

How about this?

KS TOOLS 'DUO GEARplus®' Reversible Ratchet Ring/Open-End Combi Spanners with Open Jaw Ratchet Function

 

[MercedesDriver]

This open ratchet should do the job.
http://pop.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/05/320x240/54ca696a60f31_-_wrench-7-lg.jpg

You can find it at Stahlwille catalogue
http://www.stahlwille-online.de/ind...hid=&scmd=pdetail&pcid=2616&cid=3044&pid=3326

 

[Giantvanman]

How freely do the bolts spin when cracked? I think you said they turn okay but are fiddly….would a thin toothed belt (like a serpentine but with teeth going across the belt rather than continuous ribs) grip sufficiently under tension using a cordless drill's chuck as the drive 'cog' and tensioner, as it were?

Or use a cone drill bit to make a hole in the upright to allow access for a socket on an extension and paint the legs afterwards.

 

[Sp!ke]

From the picture it looks like a normal socket and extension bar would do it.

 

[jaymanek]

A shallow 1/4 multi point socket with wobbly ended extension on power tool... If tight crack off first with spanner

 

[tintinmt]

That really seems to be the answer. Let's see if I can buy one!