"tightness" of various sockets/ wrenches?

[eljefino]

This has always bothered me. I'd like them to hold the fasteners more tightly.

First, something that's 8mm almost always will let a 5/16" fit it. 5/16"= 7.9mm.

Secondly, most of my sockets and wrenches are not squared off, IOW, there is a rounded end presumably so they can slip onto the fastener more easily. I've actually put a few sockets on the grinding wheel to square them off because of this.

Both factors IMO lead to rounded off bolt heads, and I use six point sockets!

On really critical stuff like crank pulleys and axle nuts I've even been known to put a bit of electrical tape in to tighten things up.

I use mid-to-low grade stuff-- Husky, Stanley. It's all the same. Is the top tier any better? Is there some collusion by fastener makers to undersize stuff slightly for ease of assembly?

 

[labman]

I like the fit of a 15/16'' socket on a 24mm nut. 19mm=3/4''

5/32'', 5/16, 5/8'', 5/4'' = 4mm, 8mm, 16mm, 32mm

 

[Stu_Rock]

Sometimes it's advantageous. I had two GM cars with the 60° V6 engine, and the 13mm water outlet bolts were really tricky to get to. I was able to use a 1/2in wrench on it, doing 1/24 of a turn, flipping, and then turning 1/24 again (over and over). There was too much slop with a 13mm wrench for that procedure to work.

 

[Torino]

Fit is dependent upon how worn the forming dies are allowed to be before replacement. Chinese sockets are the worst. When formed on new dies who knows what they are. As the wear progresses they become (much) worse. Ya takes yer chances. John--Las Vegas.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Find a friend with some good wrenches and sockets from Snap-on or another good truck brand and give them a try. I have had guys bring me cars where they kept trying to break a bolt loose and couldn't with Craftsman, Husky or similar sockets. I always managed to get them out although sometimes that meant snapping the bolt off and drilling them out....

 

[doitmyself]

elj.....if you have the time, join the garage journal forum and study their tool forum.

Not too long ago (months) a guy did a "test" with dye marker on various wrenches and he documented where the wrenches/sockets engaged the nut surface. Some engaged at the very corner tips while many engaged away from the nut corner. He included pictures.

 

[severach]

For fasteners and tools the male part is exactly sized. That includes nuts, bolts, hex keys, and Torx. The female part is always oversized by an amount specified in some standard. That includes sockets, wrenches, and inverted Torx. You can verify this with a caliper and new tools.

Snapon may be a bit better but not much. The fit and finish of brand name tools is quite good. Even some Harbor Freight tools have a good fit.

For the badly rounded and rusted fasteners you need a set of Metrinch tools. They will turn bolts that brand name sockets including Snapon slide on. I have a small set of Metrinch equivalents by Benchtop, an old K-Mart brand name. The loose fit makes them a hassle for day to day use but it's what allows them to turn what was rounded by the best.

 

[Ike_Clanton]

^I had a few Benchtop tools. Surprisingly good considering the price. I still cruise stores not known for tools for oddball items. I once had a Stanley 3/8" ratchet with a locking flex head AND a locking telescoping handle. The boys at the shop made fun of it until they started borrowing it.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
elj.....if you have the time, join the garage journal forum and study their tool forum.

Not too long ago (months) a guy did a "test" with dye marker on various wrenches and he documented where the wrenches/sockets engaged the nut surface. Some engaged at the very corner tips while many engaged away from the nut corner. He included pictures.


Cool! Over there now looking. (Am a dormant member)

 

[eljefino]

Found it: http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57071

 

[Ike_Clanton]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Found it: http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57071


Good stuff!

 

[GMGuy]

Its not always the tools with sloppy fit, but the fasteners as well that are undersized. Find yourself an old american made bolt, and try your wrench on it, probably has a nice fit. Give it a try with a new bolt, depending on the source of the bolt, you are going to find a lot of slop. Smaller hardware even more so. We use a lot of #10 and 5/16" bolts-nuts at work, what I thought where [censored] tools turned out to be sloppy fastener specs. Getting an 10+ year old piece of equipment to work on it was immediatly apparent it was the hardware not the tools that where the culprit.

Alex.

 

[labman]

What I hate it is the trend toward replacing #10's wiht 3/16'' No, they aren't the same and I see no reason to abandon the the #10's that were common most of my life. I am sure it is the French and their ISO nonsnese.

 

[NJC]

Originally Posted By: labman
I like the fit of a 15/16'' socket on a 24mm nut. 19mm=3/4''

5/32'', 5/16, 5/8'', 5/4'' = 4mm, 8mm, 16mm, 32mm


7/8" and 22mm are close too, and can be used in a pinch. Although 7/8" = 22.23m. 1 1/4" also = 31.75nmm.