It is by far the most common turning tool found today and is the bread and butter of any good lock picking set! There are tons of variations of the tension wrench from its style, size, and length.
The tension wrench is nothing more than a small strip of spring steel that has a few slight bends applied to it. It truly is a simple design constructed from a simple material, which makes it not only easy for manufacturers to make, but also very cheap!
When used in the bottom of the keyway, the tension wrench sticks out at an angle that is very comfortable to apply force to when you are picking a lock in your hand. For this reason — along with being extremely cheap — the tension wrench is an excellent beginner tool as most individuals learning how to pick a lock typically begin with padlocks that can easily be tensioned from the bottom of the keyway. However, note that this benefit can quickly turn into a nightmarish drawback if you are left-handed.
When picking a lock, we sometimes have to leverage our pick off the bottom of the keyway or even some lower warding in order to fully lift a pin to a set. However, some keyways can be very large and have a huge gap between the area in which you can leverage your pick and the pins.
This massive gap can make leveraging your pick and reaching the pins very difficult. Using a tension wrench at the bottom of the keyway can provide a platform that gives you a higher point of leverage and helps reduce the distance between your pick and the pins. It also gives you a smooth base to slide your pick on. Some locks have extremely tight or paracentric keyways curved that make it nearly impossible to fit any sort of tensioning tool at the top of the keyway.
As a result, we are typically left tensioning from the bottom of the keyway using our tension wrenches. So don't be fooled into thinking tension wrenches are just for beginner locks, they have their place throughout the entire spectrum of lock picking! As we can see there are some great reasons to use a tension wrench as your go-to turning tool, but sadly nothing is perfect.
Let's look at some of the drawbacks of the mighty tension wrench! Perhaps the greatest drawback and the primary reason many pickers transition to a top of the keyway turning tool — such as a prybar — is because the tension wrench can take up a TON of useful room in the keyway. This gives us as pickers less room to maneuver and leverage our picks and can make picking some locks very difficult, if not impossible. The second greatest drawback of the tension wrench is that because you are turning the keyway from the edge, the force on the wrench can easily be transmitted directly into the body of the lock.
This results in binding the core — otherwise said, the plug won't rotate. You can also bind the core by using a tension wrench that is too small for the lock.
In addition, there are some locks that are designed to bind if tensioned from the bottom of the keyway! Because tension wrenches are used at the bottom of the keyway, they typically rub against the inside of the keyway.
Not only can this cause excess friction, but if there are any nicks, dents, or slag on your wrench or on the inside of the keyway, you may encounter false feedback or even bind your turning tool. Lastly, because your tool is rubbing against the bottom of the keyway, you can easily erode away sections and create a rut that your tension wrench will get stuck in. This can sometimes make it impossible to continue using that particular tool on that lock.
So we now have a solid understanding of the pros and cons of the tension wrench, but what about their characteristics? Why are there several different types of tension wrenches and what is the difference between their slight variations? First up is the straight tension wrench!
This little guy is nothing more than a flat piece of steel with a degree bend applied to a single end. Now to fully understand the purpose and power of the straight wrench, it is absolutely critical that we understand three things:. This third point is where the straight tension wrench shines brightest! Because the straight wrench is a straight piece of metal it will not flex and will remain rigid while you apply torque to it , thus providing you with a maximum degree of feedback!
I understand that it can be kinda hard to put this into context without something to compare it to. So let's take a look at a tool that is the exact opposite of the straight tension wrench. You may recognize these tensioning tools that have a degree twist down the shaft.
They are very popular and common in many lock picking sets. Are they saying that your front axle components are not strong enough to constantly rotate like your rear axle, and need to be disconnected if not in use? An often overlooked draw back is that hubs stick out and can get damaged when off-road. Hub components are usually cast aluminum that break easily. A broken hub could leave you stranded in the back country. So, what should you do?
I would recommend that you leave your locking hubs disconnected when there is no need for 4WD in sight. You'll achieve a quieter ride on pavement with less vibrations with hubs unlocked. Lock them as needed for 4WD operation doesn't matter whether you lock them before you shift into 4WD or right after and unlock them when going back to 2WD again, doesn't matter whether you unlock them before shifting out of 4WD or right after. Leaving them locked while in 2WD will have no negative effects.
I would recommend you leave your hubs locked while in 2WD during bad weather seasons. This will allow you to shift in and out of 4WD whenever the need arises. When the transfer case is in two-wheel drive, the hubs should be released allowing the wheels to turn freely when spun by hand. If the axle shaft turns when you spin the wheel, it means the hub has not disengaged.
To check engagement, rotate the axle shaft backwards. This should lock the hub. Try turning the wheel by hand again. The axle shaft should now turn with the wheel if the hub is locked. If the hub fails to lock, the hub will have to be disassembled and inspected or replaced.
To check release, hold the axle shaft steady and rotate the wheel backwards. You should hear a click as the locking mechanism slides back out and disengages the hub. Rotate the wheel forward again and it should turn freely. Another way to check the hubs is to raise the vehicle on a frame contact lift so all four wheels are off the ground. Then start the engine and place the transfer case in four-wheel drive and the transmission in drive. If the front wheels don't turn, look at the front axle shafts.
If both shafts are turning, but one wheel is not, the problem is a bad hub on the wheel that isn't turning. If the front driveshafts are not turning when the transfer case is in four-wheel drive, the problem is inside the differential broken side gears or the transfer case broken chain, shift linkage, etc.
If the driveshaft between the transfer case and differential is turning, the problem is in the differential. If the driveshaft is not turning, the vehicle is going to need repairs to the transfer case. Refer to the vehicle owners manual for recommended hub maintenance. For normal driving, the hubs should be cleaned, inspected and lubricated every 2 years or 24, to 30, miles.
For off-road use or driving in hub-deep mud or water, more frequent maintenance is usually reduce the risk of hub trouble. To service the hub, some disassembly is required. The outer hub cover is usually attached to the hub with five or six Torx screws or a snap ring. Disassembly and reassembly procedures will vary from one hub design to another, so refer to the OEM service information for the particulars. If you don't have a manual or online service information, disassemble one hub at a time.
That way if you can't remember how the parts came apart, you can always refer to the other hub as a guide. The following information is from Ford service article and covers the automatic locking hubs on Bronco II, Ford Ranger and Explorer.
Ford says that the automatic locking hubs on these vehicles have an O-ring seal between the hublock and wheel hub to prevent contamination. When the hublock is removed, the 0-ring seal should be checked for damage. If contamination is found in the wheel end, the source of the contamination may be the hublock seal, the wheel bearing seals or the axle spindle seals.
Hub problems may be indicated if a buzzing noise is heard in two-wheel mode shortly after operating in four-wheel drive. This may occur if one of the hublocks fails to disengage. As the vehicle moves forward, the hub that failed to disengage will rotate its axle shaft through the differential and attempt to rotate the other axle shaft in the opposite direction.
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