Tool for awkward nut (not me)

[PerryGunn]

On my wooden driveway gates, I have adjustable hinges (3 per side) and occasionally need to wind the hinges in/out a little to keep them aligned

The hinges are this type with 32mm nuts

Loosening off the outer nut is easy but, because of the coach bolt head behind the thread, there's no clearance to get a long 32mm socket over the inner bolt. There's not enough room above/below the nut to use a normal spanner and anything that I have with jaws that will open wide enough will not fit far enough in between the nut and the top/bottom plate to grip the nut properly.

I've been coping with this by lifting the gate with wedges to take the load off the hinges, fully loosening the outer nut and managing to turn the inner nut bit-by-bit with my fingers - this gets a bit painful after a while - and then retightening the outer nut.

I'm sure there must be a specialist spanner or set of grips for this sort of thing but I haven't had any luck finding anything that I can be certain will work

I'd be most grateful if someone can point me in the right direction

Perry

 

[Inspector]

Unless I'm missing something a box end wrench should fit. You guys call them ring spanners I think. As an aircraft mechanic we came across nuts and bolts in tight places and if we had to would take a box end or socket and grind off more around it to make it fit. Better to do so with a cheaper wrench over an expensive one.

Pete

 

[bjm]

How about something like this

 

[PerryGunn]

Unless I'm missing something a box end wrench should fit. You guys call them ring spanners I think. As an aircraft mechanic we came across nuts and bolts in tight places and if we had to would take a box end or socket and grind off more around it to make it fit. Better to do so with a cheaper wrench over an expensive one.

Pete

I've been looking at buying a 32mm split ring spanner but, as I'd have no other use for it, wanted to find out if there was something better/more appropriate before buying it

 

[PerryGunn]

How about something like this

The problem with a socket is that the dome of the coach bolt head is only a couple of mm from the hinge bolt thread so I don't have enough clearance to slip a deep socket down over the nut.

 

[MikeK]

This doesn't answer you immediate needs, but have you considered tack welding the inner nut and washer to the hinge bracket?

 

[PerryGunn]

This doesn't answer you immediate needs, but have you considered tack welding the inner nut and washer to the hinge bracket?

It's a nice idea but, due to the hinge design, I'd have to unbolt and drop the hinge pin plate in order to rotate the whole hinge bolt - the gate posts are wood and it's probably not the best idea to keep removing/replacing the fastenings

It's this style of hinge

 

[lurker]

Would a cheap box wrench do it (not a ring spanner) .
does anyone know what size a spark plug hex is?
cars used to come with a flimsy box spanner in the supplied kit.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dickie-854...&qid=1604504393&s=diy&sr=1-9&ts_id=1939048031

 

[bjm]

The problem with a socket is that the dome of the coach bolt head is only a couple of mm from the hinge bolt thread so I don't have enough clearance to slip a deep socket down over the nut.

Are you saying there isn't enough room to wind the nut past the coach bolt then?

 

[artie]

Have you looked into why they need adjusted so often.

Might be simpler to solve that.?

 

[Inspector]

Looks like replacing the coach bolt with a countersunk bolt would solve your problem

Pete

 

[PerryGunn]

Are you saying there isn't enough room to wind the nut past the coach bolt then?

Yes, it was possible when they were first installed as, with the outer bolt wound all the way back (and not on the hinge pin), the bolt can be tilted outwards so the nut can clear the coach bolt.

 

[PerryGunn]

Looks like replacing the coach bolt with a countersunk bolt would solve your problem

It may well come to that - but it'll be a job for next summer (or dryer/warmer weather anyway)

 

[bjm]

Yes, it was possible when they were first installed as, with the outer bolt wound all the way back (and not on the hinge pin), the bolt can be tilted outwards so the nut can clear the coach bolt.

That would be my first job then - to adjust everything so you can get a socket over it.

 

[clogs]

Perry
the spanner u showed is called a pipe spanner....def not suitable
the best I can suggest is one of these.....tube spanner...they are aprox 0.5mm thick....they will go places a socket won't......
they are not as strong as a socket....
they will distort a little so u can wack em in a bit with a hammer...getting off is no probs.....
the prob is just a bad design of the hinge area...
if u can get it turned make sure u oil or grease the bolt for the future....

 

[PerryGunn]

Have you looked into why they need adjusted so often.

Might be simpler to solve that.?

It's not that they need to be adjusted often - they were installed during the hottest part of the summer and I'm gradually easing them back as the weather gets wetter. Hopefully, once they've been through their first winter they'll be as far back as they'll ever need to be.

 

[PerryGunn]

Perry
the spanner u showed is called a pipe spanner....def not suitable
the best I can suggest is one of these.....tube spanner...they are aprox 0.5mm thick....they will go places a socket won't......
they are not as strong as a socket....
they will distort a little so u can wack em in a bit with a hammer...getting off is no probs.....
the prob is just a bad design of the hinge area...
if u can get it turned make sure u oil or grease the bolt for the future....
View attachment 95802

Thanks, I'll see if I can find one in 32mm - it doesn't need to be that strong, I can move the nuts bit-by-bit with my fingers but it's awkward (and painful after the first few) so I just need something that will let me turn the nuts without too much faff

 

[PerryGunn]

Would a cheap box wrench do it (not a ring spanner) .
does anyone know what size a spark plug hex is?
cars used to come with a flimsy box spanner in the supplied kit.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dickie-854...&qid=1604504393&s=diy&sr=1-9&ts_id=1939048031

Thank you - I missed your post initially and have only just seen it

That looks good to me as I could cut out a section if there's trouble clearing the coach bolt - as suggested by @Inspector (perhaps I misunderstood the type of spanner he was referring to)

 

[PerryGunn]

@clogs and @lurker thank you both - your posts re box spanners gave me a 'lightbulb moment'

I've just decamped to the workshop, cut a section of thin-walled PVC pipe, heated it with a hot air gun and tapped it over a 32mm bolt with a mallet and let it cool.

The end has conformed nicely to the bolt flats and I can wiggle it past the coach bolt head, the remainder is still round and only just touches the coach bolt head so I'll be able to use it to turn the nut when necessary - might just have to cobble together something to give a bit more grip on the end but that won't be difficult

Thanks again everyone

 

[Inspector]

I was referring to a wrench that fully encloses the nut. The ones with a piece cut out I would refer to as a flare nut wrench. Doesn't really matter as long as it gets the job done.

Pete