>>So I measure 1.64 feet on my breaker bar
>>and make a mark on the bar and stand with one foot on each side
>>of the bar, and equalize my wieght.
>
>Is this right? I've wondered this before. Chiefly because the instructions
>to my torque wrench are awfully ticky about having the handle swivel on
>that little fulcrum in there while I'm sweating and grunting. No pulling on
>the bottom of the handle for an extra two inches of leverage! It's hard
>sometimes...
>
>So we want to stand on it, okay. But whatever we put inboard of the
>line--the foot-pound line above--is going to be "lighter" than what we put
>outboard. Less leverage. How do we calculate how much of the mass to put
>outboard? Probably at 390 feet it doesn't matter, but I bet at 4 feet it
>does. Maybe Brother Maher knows, he can do math...

I try to get the weight at my index point by standing on the bar with one
foot, with my shoe inboard of the index mark and just touching the mark with
the outside (distal) edge of the shoe.  (This is a lot easier to do than to
describe.)  By rolling the foot to the outside edge, the weight is placed on
the index mark.  This is where the rain gutter of the car is useful for
balance, as I occasionally have difficulty standing on terra firma with both
feet! ;-)

Another alternative that I haven't tried yet (I just thought of it) would be
to tie a cord/rope/baling-wire to the breaker bar at the point that you wish
to apply the weight and fashion it into a stirrup.  Step into the stirrup,
but hold on so that hoss doesn't throw you ;-)  If anyone tries this (and it
actually works) please let me know.

--Randy '84 '86

Randy Farchmin    --->            farchmir@milwaukee.tec.wi.us
Dept of Natural(?) Sciences
Milwaukee Area Technical College