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Question

Difficulty: MediumGripping and Holding Tools

An automotive technician needs to install an external snap ring (retaining ring) onto a transmission shaft. Which gripping tool is designed for this application, and how do its working tips move when the handles are squeezed?

  1. A
    Internal snap ring pliers, whose tips move inward toward each other to compress the ring
  2. External snap ring pliers, whose tips spread outward away from each other to expand the ringAnswer
  3. C
    Long needle-nose pliers, whose serrated flat jaws squeeze inward to pinch the ring lugs
  4. D
    Locking curved-jaw pliers, whose serrated jaws clamp the ring firmly under toggle pressure

Answer

External snap ring pliers, whose tips spread outward away from each other to expand the ring
External snap rings mount into exterior grooves on shafts. Installing them requires inserting round pin tips into the ring's lug holes and expanding the ring outward. External snap ring pliers feature a specialized pivot mechanism that spreads the tips apart when the operator squeezes the handles together, safely expanding the ring over the shaft without permanent deformation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the workpiece and fastener requirements
The fastener is an external snap ring installed over the outer diameter of a cylindrical transmission shaft.
Retaining rings are classified by whether they mount on an outside diameter (external/shaft) or an inside diameter (internal/bore).
2
Determine the required mechanical action to fit the ring onto the shaft
The snap ring must be expanded outward so its inner diameter clears the shaft diameter until it seats into the machined groove.
Spring steel external retaining rings require radial expansion across their lug holes to open.
3
Select the proper gripping tool and verify its tip motion
External snap ring pliers have cylindrical tips that insert into the ring lugs and spread outward when the user squeezes the handles.
The pivot and linkage on external snap ring pliers reverse the gripping motion into an expanding motion.

Key Concept

Distinguishing the design and jaw motion of external versus internal snap ring (retaining ring) pliers
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Gripping and Holding Tools

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