Breaker Bar
A long, non-ratcheting wrench handle used with sockets to loosen extremely tight or seized fasteners.
A breaker bar is a hand tool consisting of a long, solid steel handle and a swiveling drive head that holds standard sockets. Unlike a standard ratchet, a breaker bar does not contain any internal gear mechanisms. This makes it significantly stronger and allows it to withstand extreme torque without the risk of breaking internal ratcheting teeth.
The primary purpose of a breaker bar is to provide leverage to loosen tight, rusted, or seized fasteners, such as lug nuts, axle nuts, harmonic balancer bolts, and suspension mounts. The long handle (typically 18 to 30 inches) increases the leverage applied by the user, making it easier to break the initial static friction of the bolt. Once the fastener is broken loose, a standard ratchet is used to quickly spin it off.
Using a breaker bar is safer than using a standard ratchet with a cheater pipe, which can slip and cause injury. Mechanics use breaker bars to avoid damaging their expensive ratchets on high-torque fasteners. When using a breaker bar, it is important to ensure the socket is fully seated on the fastener head to prevent rounding off the metal corners.