an answer to my problem

You guys remember when I was Whining and moaning about not being abale to release the small latch on the common tie down ratchet?

"Took the hand strength of a gorilla,etc."

Well, I set out to make a tool to release the damn thing. As I examined what to cut or weld or hacksaw off I looked just below the dual-spring loaded little POS.

And guess what...there is a 3/8 inch round hole there. You simply move the big ratchet handle out of the way and put a Phillips screwdriver in the hole and pry the secondary lever open.The whole thing pops open in a hearbeat with almost no effort.

I've asked 20 people about how to get these damn things open and no one knew anything about this hidden release .

Live and learn.

 

Persistance pays off.....

 

How about that, I never noticed an 'extra' hole in those, I'll hafta check mine (I hope they're not so cheap as to omit that).


Thanks.

 

I'd like to say I knew that all along......however, I can't tell that lie. I've fought those SOB's for years.

Thanks, Ron

 

Here is the offending ratchet that everybody uses.

It ratchets stuff down 'till it won't move, but you need the local arm wrestling champion to get the secondary latch to relsease.

The pencil points to the hole in the back of the main bracket. Notice in figure two that there is a neat curve in the secondary bracket to center your prying tool.

Figure three shows a Phillips screwdriver inserted and eaisily prying against the secondary latch. It pops open with no trouble.

Why they don't include this simple instruction with these things is beyond me.

There, I've done my good deed for the day

 

Hi Butch, mine looks like yours, to release mine you just unfold it untill it is open (flat) and then I pull up on the middle of the whole thing to release it. At the last meet in Tulsa I ran a 12.51 @ 107 MPH, the next Sat. I ran a 12.33 @ 107 MPH. With a 4 speed, everything happens real quick. Joe

 

Congratulations on your 12.33.

I couldn't pull the secondary latch because I lost so much hand-strength after chemotherapy.

Did you know that chemotherapy drugs are made by Weed Be Gone, inc.?

 

Butch,

I know...I've been taking the drugs. One more treatment and I'm done.

Ron

 

Why not? The Coumadin that I'm taking is basically rat poison. Who knows what other pesticide companies make medicines as a side line.

My theory is that if the eight ***orted pills a day that I take, (not counting vitamins) keep my heart pumping, it's a good thing.