Long handled 15mm spanner for leverage on axle nut plus what's on the end of a Park Tool wrench?

[John_S]

Hi All,

Yesterday I had to remove the wheel on my wifes bike, a Globe Daily, and I found it quite hard at first to undo the 15mm axle nuts. Now I only have a 15mm with a fairly short handle (about 10cm or approximately 4 inches with the tool having been made for portability) and it made me think that a wrench with a longer handle would have given me more leverage and made the job of both undoing and then tightening the axle nuts an easier job.

I also have a Genesis Day One Alfine 8 with also has 15mm axle nuts on it and so with two bikes that have 15mm axles nuts I’m happy to buy a tool which would make this job easier.

I started searching for a tool but one thing has me confused. Now the 15mm axle nuts are a hexagon shape and so for example you could get a tool like this and it has a bit at the end of the wrench with a hexagon shaped bit which goes over the end of the nut allowing you to loosen or tighten the nut.

BBB BTL-57 BoxFix Wheel Wrench Tool (14 and 15mm wheel nut tool)
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/bbb-btl-57-boxfix-wheel-wrench-tool

Or there is this from Park Tool which is a 15mm Metric Wrench:-
https://www.parktool.com/product/15mm-metric-wrench-mw-15?category=General%20Shop%20Tools
or this:-
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/park-tool-mwr15-ratcheting-wrench-15mm/?sessionid=fa4a1353847216dfa3dbc93600ab78540dc37aca

Now both of these Park Tools have a traditional spanner at one end which has two sides that you can put onto the nut. But at the other end there is something different and it’s not a hexagon shape to go straight over the nut. So my question is what is the other bit at the end of the Park Tool spanner? Is it a socket and to use it you’d need to own a separate socket set and have a 15mm socket which would have the hexagon shaped bit and you’d have to put the 15mm socket into the end of the Park Tool spanner before you could use it to loosen or tighten an axle nut?

Or can you use this end straight onto a nut? The SJS website says that this bit is a 12-point two-way ratcheting box end but I'm still none the wiser as to how this works.

Lastly whilst I'm on this subject some places call these tools spanners and some places call them wrenches and which should it be or can both be used for the same thing?

Thanks for any advice!

John

[Brucey]

spanner (british) = wrench (mosty American)

12-point drive = bi-hex will work on a hexagon nut.


My advice is to go to a tool shop and buy a 15mm combination spanner of suitable length.



'silverline' ones are good enough and are not expensive.

cheers

[Jdsk]

Or there is this from Park Tool which is a 15mm Metric Wrench:-
https://www.parktool.com/product/15mm-metric-wrench-mw-15?category=General%20Shop%20Tools
or this:-
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/park-tool-mwr15-ratcheting-wrench-15mm/?sessionid=fa4a1353847216dfa3dbc93600ab78540dc37aca

Now both of these Park Tools have a traditional spanner at one end which has two sides that you can put onto the nut. But at the other end there is something different and it’s not a hexagon shape to go straight over the nut. So my question is what is the other bit at the end of the Park Tool spanner? Is it a socket and to use it you’d need to own a separate socket set and have a 15mm socket which would have the hexagon shaped bit and you’d have to put the 15mm socket into the end of the Park Tool spanner before you could use it to loosen or tighten an axle nut?

Or can you use this end straight onto a nut? The SJS website says that this bit is a 12-point two-way ratcheting box end but I'm still none the wiser as to how this works.

12 point as Brucey describes.

You don't need another bit.

The ratcheting end allows you to leave the tool on the nut and move the tool backwards and forwards without removing it. That can save time. Ratchets only work one way. With some ratcheting tools you make them act the other way by turning them over. With others you move a lever.

Jonathan

[cycleruk]

The 12 point just means that there are more ways to fit the spanner on the nut. Especially useful if trying to get to a confined nut with very little clearance round it. No matter what type you buy but a good make will last a life time.

[Mike Sales]

I have a nice long 14/15 mm ratcheting spanner with a orange plastic grip which is a pleasure to use.
I cannot remember where I bought it, but it was purposed as a bike tool.

[simonineaston]

I only have a 15mm with a fairly short handle

Know the feeling - my ring spanners are quite stubby, itself an advantage sometimes, but... there are a couple ways of extending a spanner to gain extra leverage. Any tough tube that'll slip over the end will do it. I'm in the lucky postion of having a leftover motorcycle fork leg, which lives in the car and makes short work of every wheel "nut" I've have had to wrestle with Of course, not everybody has left over motorcycle parts. However you can use another spanner if you are careful.

[Mike Sales]

I have a nice long 14/15 mm ratcheting spanner with a orange plastic grip which is a pleasure to use.
I cannot remember where I bought it, but it was purposed as a bike tool.

Found it. Hozan brand. It's a bit expensive.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOZAN-C-160-Bicycle-Tool-RATCHETING-HUB-NUT-WRENCH-from-Japan/163558575315?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo

[Mick F]

I bought a cheapish 15mm spanner and cut off the open end.
It's now 5" long.
I put some heatshrink on it, and it works well on the rear wheel of my Moulton.

I have no issues about getting the nuts tight enough or undoing them. Maybe your wife's bike had the wheel nuts more tight than required.

This is mine, and it fits in my saddle pouch easily.

[John_S]

Hi All,

Many thanks for the replies and help above whuch is much appreciated!

Hi Brucey, thanks for your message explaining things and I have got a local hardware shop which would probably have one of these. However at the moment they're not open and I'll wait a bit longer to see if they do reopen but if not I'll probably buy something online.

Hi Jonathan, thanks for your explanation about the Park Tool spanner working without the need for any extra bits and if I did go for something like that online if my local hardware doesn't reopen soon for me to buy just a bog standard spanner then I guess that the ratchet mechanism might be handy.

Hi cycleruk, thanks for the message and for the explanation re: the 12 point and yes having used the normal spanners with just the hexagon nut shape I can see now that the 12 point gives you more options for the angle at which you can use it which is good to understand now that I know that the 12 point part can be used without the need for any extra bits.

Hi Simon, thanks for th ideas re: how to extend a spanner and I should have thought of some of those options yesterday when I was trying to undo the nuts. But I'll know for next time although I am happy to buy a spanner with a longer handle because I think that it will come is useful.

Hi Mike, thanks for the tip re: that tool and it does look really good and probably built to last a lifetime. If I was in a workshop or used one all of the time then I might consider that but I think it will be a bit too expensive to justify for the number of times that I'll use it. Although I did find it slightly cheaper than eBay on Planetx.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOHOZC160/hozan-c-160-ratcheting-hub-nut-wrench-tool

Hi Mick, you might be right about the nuts because they were done up incredibly tight. To be hinest I don't think that the wheel has been off in a very long time and not since a bike shop that we bought a front basket from fitted the basket and seemingly afterwards did the nuts up very tightly.

Thanks for all of the advice and tips!

John

[mattsccm]

Mick has it. If it needs more oomph that that it is too tight.

[reohn2]

MickF's 5"(125mm) spanner/wrench is 1"(25mm) longer than it needs be to get enough torque to tighten bicycle axle nuts
That's not a criticism of MickF's spanner just an observation that the longer the tool,the easier it is to overtighten a nut,bicycle axle nuts needn't be very tight otherwise they preload the wheel bearings and shorten their life.
By way of explanation I have 5mm hexbolt skewers replacing qr skewers on all my bikes.With a 2inch long hexkey I can easily overtighten the skewers,but only ever apply two finger pressure lightly when tightening them

[Mick F]

............ also ...........

As the ring spanner is a double hex, it will go on at any half angle in between a hexagon ...... ie 30deg.
This means that the (short) spanner can be aligned so that the spanner is almost in line with the frame chainstays or seatstays ......... or fork legs.

By doing that, you can squeeze, rather than just hang off the end of the spanner.

[Jdsk]

Hi Jonathan, thanks for your explanation about the Park Tool spanner working without the need for any extra bits and if I did go for something like that online if my local hardware doesn't reopen soon for me to buy just a bog standard spanner then I guess that the ratchet mechanism might be handy.

It's very hard to advise without knowing what you've already got and what other jobs you plan to take on.

If I can't get a socket on I use my flexiheaded ratchet spanners more than any other set. Those have open jaws at one end and a ratchet at the other, but at the ratchet end the neck has a hinge just below the head. The hinge often improves access.

Mine are Halfords Advanced or Professional with the lifetime guarantee. Often going cheap and you can add the Club discount as well. You could click and collect outside the shop the last time I checked.

Jonathan

[merseymouth]

Hi, I'd use a 15mm socket on my 1/2" Torque wrench, over 18" long so plenty of leverage. The heavy duty hex form socket used with impact drivers gives a snug fit.
No help at the road side, but then again one should never set out on a machine that's fastenings have been tightened with long leverage tools, asking to be stranded! MM

[reohn2]

Jdsk
You need something light enough to carry with you on the bike should you puncture.
IME it's always best to have the tool you fitted the wheel with,with you,then you know you'll be able to undo the nuts by the roadside.