12pt vs 6pt in 3/4" sizes

[F-22]

Hey so the consensus is generally that if you only have one set, 6pt is better. But what about very large fasteners? I guess the difference gets very blurred then?


Reason I'm asking - my cousin "borrowed" my 3/4" Toptul set and ended up modifying some sockets on his lathe. He said he'll pay for a new set.

Well, what a great time to upgrade. US sets are very pricey but I saw a 3/4" set on japanese Amazon that I can get to Europe for ~400€. However it is 12pt.

Since I work on bikes a lot maybe a 12pt set wouldn't be bad? Some use odd and large 12pt rear wheel nuts.

But for just working on my tractor - would it make a difference? I figure if I really needed a 6pt socket for some delicate stuff I could just borrow the toptul one from my cousin.


Anyone know of another high quality brand that offers a 3/4" kit for under 400€ and is better than Toptul? Probably a tough order.

 

[catalytic]

I have 6pt everything Wright, except my 3/4" drive sockets, which are an extended set of 12pt Wright. I did not know that people used 6pt sockets in 3/4" drive size, and I don't think most mfg's make 6pt 3/4" drive.

I don't see a lot of rounded over 2-3/8" bolt heads. Maybe you all are stronger than me...

Also, do you already have an extended set of 1/2" drive impact sockets up to the biggest size you need (they go up to above 2" like the 3/4" drive stuff). Depending on what you're doing you may end up reaching for those first, especially if you ever have to pick one set to carry in the field. My 3/4 Wright set is great but it weighs a ton.... Even the ratchet weighs a ton.

 

[F-22]

Yes I have a full set of 1/2" and I use 3/4" maybe once per year. I just like nice tools.

The other option is Tekton which would cost about the same as toptul. Toptul came with locking extensions. I guess the pear head toptul 72 tooth ratchet is nicer to use. Must say Toptul was really good quality to begin with. I just want some diversity. Shiny chrome is also appealing to me.

I guess Tekton comes in a really nice case? I like the Koken metal case but it seems like the Tekton is more organized? My 3/4" set sits ob the shelf most of the time togeher with other rarely used tools and I don't want stuff rattling whenever I pull something off the shelf.

 

[crewchief888]

most of my 3/4" dr sockets are 12pt chrome, i have a few select 6pt some shallow, some deep for specific bolts.
yes they have been beat on with impacts over the years.
i can only recall ever breaking 1 socket, a 1" 12pt shallow impact. i probably had 2000+ft/lbs on it when it let go

 

[johninct]

You can get 3/4"- 6 point from Snap-On in impact. 12 point comes in handy when you have a pipe on a breaker bar.

 

[MattV]

In my trade 3/4" is the most used socket set by far. Often we put more force on our 3/4" stuff than we should, as there isn't really room for 1" stuff in the trucks. I don't think I've ever used a 6 point socket with it, and in my experience you'll break your ratchet long before a 12 point socket causes you problems.

 

[Dave455]

I think you are correct, the difference between 6 point and 12 point becomes far les relevant at 3/4 drive sizes. If you’re turning a 32mm hub nut, it’s probably not going to get rounded over by application of a 12 point socket!

Having said that, I have one set of 3/4 drive 6 point sockets, only in metric sizes, and I do like them. I know that I can lean on them with the biggest breaker bar or torque wrench I own, with complete confidance.

If I was buying again, in SAE or Whit sizes, I would opt for used. Definitely the best buy, but they would almost certainly be 12 point.

If I was buying Metric, I’d probably have to go new, and if I was doing that I’d probably get the 6 point. If I needed 12’s for specific applications then I’d buy those sockets only, in 12 point.

I’d probably go KoKen - I can get a 6 point set for about that money. Other options would be Hazet or Stahlwille, but they are going to be half as much again.

As an aside, if any relative “borrowed” any of my tools, and dared to modify them, then he wouldn’t be borrowing any more! Paying for them is fine in theory, but what price do you put on a pre war Blackhawk set with sentimental value?

 

[matthew]

both 6pt and 12pt have the exact same engagement points on a 6 sided nut. I think the two things it makes a difference on:

1. If the nut rusts by 0.1mm, that will make a bigger percentage difference on smaller fasteners. So 6pt will allow damaged fasteners to engage further off the corner.

2. Rigidity of the wall of the sockets may be slightly less. This would depend a bit on the socket design.

I think both factors are largely irrelevant on the fastener sizes wall thicknesses, and broach depths used on 3/4” sockets.

If you’ve had the set for a few years and have a pretty good idea of how you use it, is it something that makes sense to consider switching to impact?

 

[Mgdoug3]

All of my USA 3/4" drive chrome sockets are 12 point. The cheap 3/4 I have acquired over the years have been 6 point. I've never rounded off a nut when using my 12 point 3/4 sockets.

 

[kbeefy]

I have 6pt and 12pt in various sizes. There are a few Front axle nuts out there that are 12pt.

I don't use either often enough to say for sure, but even with 12pt on a 6pt fastener theres pretty good contact surface.
I've never rounded one off.

 

[charbar]

90% of my 3/4 drive is also 12 point and I have never had an issue with them or wished they were 6 point. Just seems to be a non issue when you start getting to that size of sockets/fasteners. If anything I would prefer the 12 point just for the times you do run across 12 point fasteners.

 

[619DioFan]

All my 3/4 drive chrome sockets are 12 point ( from HF ) use a 3/4 x 40 inch breaker bar with them , zero issues. I have a set of 1 inch drive impact sockets ( also HF ) those are 6 point. Doubt they will ever break , lifetime warranty. I just fix my own junk.

 

[Samuel D]

I prefer tight-fitting 12-point (bi-hex) sockets to 6-point even in pretty small sizes, never mind 3/4″-inch drive.

Reasons:

• easier / faster to fit on the fastener
• better access with non-ratcheting tools (more available wrench angles)
• twice as many wear surfaces (or surfaces to absorb minor plastic deformation).

In typical use, there’s no difference between 6-point and 12-point. The same contact surface areas and pressures are involved.

In the extreme cases of ruined or badly manufactured fasteners or heavily worn tools, sure, a 6-point socket might botch the job when a 12-point wouldn’t do anything useful. But something has gone terribly wrong by that stage, and you risk causing terminal damage to the tool.

Wrecking fasteners with a 12-point socket is nothing to be proud of. I like to apply penetrating oil, heat, and shock instead of dumb force.

By the way, when working with steel fasteners in aluminium, e.g. many engine screws, bicycle pedals in cranks, etc., tip a kettle of boiling water over the joint immediately before breaking the fastener loose. It’s amazing what that can do, and everyone has a kettle if not a torch.

I don’t think you’ll beat Toptul quality for close to Toptul prices when it comes to sockets, although I’ve had a couple of poor Toptul punches and spanners of late (should probably do a thread about that to compare with other people’s experiences).

 

[F-22]

As an aside, if any relative “borrowed” any of my tools, and dared to modify them, then he wouldn’t be borrowing any more! Paying for them is fine in theory, but what price do you put on a pre war Blackhawk set with sentimental value?

Yes I was quite bummed up, especially cause he did it without my knowledge, and I had another spare 36mm 3/4" old socket that would be more fitting for any kind of modification.

But I mainly work on motorcycles and drive a land cruiser, so I really rarely use them. He has 3 Alfa Romeos - guess that makes it a lot more understandable
They say 95% of all Alfas ever made are still on the road. The rest made it home.
That said, when his V6 Turbo GTV starts spinning up, it certainly is a thing of beauty and gives me goosebumps

If you’ve had the set for a few years and have a pretty good idea of how you use it, is it something that makes sense to consider switching to impact?

I really don't need them enough to warrant also buying an impact gun... I mainly use them on my own equipment and I prefer to not use impacts just to not damage the finish on fasteners.


The Toptul set is just really nice. But I just want to switch it up a bit and I think I'll get myself a Tekton set if I can find one in Europe. I'm a sucker for nice shiny chrome, especially if I'm not paying for it

Used to German tools the most, so the satin and matte finish feels boring to me, even if the Toptul tools were really nice.

 

[catalytic]

You work on tractors but don't have impact guns? That's unexpected... I don't have power impact because I rarely use it, but I do have a full collection of SWENCH (manual impact ratchets) that are THE answer to rusted on fasteners. I expect that would be even more useful if you're working in the field away from power.

FWIW, 3/4" sets of Wright military 12pt chrome sockets come up from time to time used, as our military services liked them. I used to have a big-ish set of Wright 12pt, but eventually I found a military 3/4" drive set that is super-extended (I think 7/8" - 2-3/8"). Huge but cool. Might keep an eye out if you're not in a rush.

 

[F-22]

You work on tractors but don't have impact guns? That's unexpected...

Only on my own (a 1960 Fendt Fix, a 1980 Pasquali and a 2008 Lamborghini). Not supersized American tractors
I wonder, does the US military use both SAE and metric wrenches?

 

[Ricky Joe]

Only on my own (a 1960 Fendt Fix, a 1980 Pasquali and a 2008 Lamborghini). Not supersized American tractors
I wonder, does the US military use both SAE and metric wrenches?

I’m sure they do.

 

[Dave455]

Yes I was quite bummed up, especially cause he did it without my knowledge, and I had another spare 36mm 3/4" old socket that would be more fitting for any kind of modification.

But I mainly work on motorcycles and drive a land cruiser, so I really rarely use them. He has 3 Alfa Romeos - guess that makes it a lot more understandable
They say 95% of all Alfas ever made are still on the road. The rest made it home.
That said, when his V6 Turbo GTV starts spinning up, it certainly is a thing of beauty and gives me goosebumps

When you get your new tools you will have to include a period of “re education” for your Cousin! Some folks just don’t get it!

I suppose though, that if he has 3 Alfa’s he’s already been punished enough…!

Tekton and Toptul strike me as two sides of the same coin. Both perfectly acceptable.

For approx €350 (before VAT) you can get one of these KoKen sets. 6 or 12 point are available.


I own basically this Beta set. Mine is older, and I got it on an incredibly good deal. I really need it maybe 2 or 3 times a year, but it paid for itself with the first couple of uses.

 

[honcho]

I wonder, does the US military use both SAE and metric wrenches?

In the U.S. Army, metrification came along for ground vehicles during the big vehicle acquisitions of the 1980s and beyond. The units I was in at the time were issued supplemental metric tool kits when the new vehicles hit our motorpools. Like many American vehicles of that area, they often had a mix of metric and fractional fasteners. Plus, when you fitted old auxiliary equipment to the new vehicles, mounting hardware was almost always fractional. To add to the confusion, you had oddball fitting that used fittings like Bristol Spline. Instead of simplifying things, we just added more tools to the mix.

 

[F-22]

For approx €350 (before VAT) you can get one of these KoKen sets. 6 or 12 point are available.

I think I'll go for Koken in the end. It costs me 480€ from Japanese Amazon. Where do you order yours? I have a friend in London so he might be able to bring it over by plane when he comes to visit his family here in EU without customs (not sure how it'd go with the weight, might need a couple trips to get it all over ).

 

[Dave455]

I think I'll go for Koken in the end. It costs me 480€ from Japanese Amazon. Where do you order yours? I have a friend in London so he might be able to bring it over by plane when he comes to visit his family here in EU without customs (not sure how it'd go with the weight, might need a couple trips to get it all over ).

I use a couple of dealers in the U.K. Consolidated Tools in Manchester is one (always given me excellent service) and U.K. Tools in Bolton is the other.

U.K. tools have a better website (easier to browse) and it was their prices I was quoting. They ship internationally, and international orders will be tax free.

 

[Hohn]

I prefer tight-fitting 12-point (bi-hex) sockets to 6-point even in pretty small sizes, never mind 3/4″-inch drive.

Reasons:

• easier / faster to fit on the fastener
• better access with non-ratcheting tools (more available wrench angles)
• twice as many wear surfaces (or surfaces to absorb minor plastic deformation).

In typical use, there’s no difference between 6-point and 12-point. The same contact surface areas and pressures are involved.

In the extreme cases of ruined or badly manufactured fasteners or heavily worn tools, sure, a 6-point socket might botch the job when a 12-point wouldn’t do anything useful. But something has gone terribly wrong by that stage, and you risk causing terminal damage to the tool.

Wrecking fasteners with a 12-point socket is nothing to be proud of. I like to apply penetrating oil, heat, and shock instead of dumb force.

By the way, when working with steel fasteners in aluminium, e.g. many engine screws, bicycle pedals in cranks, etc., tip a kettle of boiling water over the joint immediately before breaking the fastener loose. It’s amazing what that can do, and everyone has a kettle if not a torch.

I don’t think you’ll beat Toptul quality for close to Toptul prices when it comes to sockets, although I’ve had a couple of poor Toptul punches and spanners of late (should probably do a thread about that to compare with other people’s experiences).

Agree with this, but as a resident of the "Rust Belt" I'd argue that it's not a "typical use" for road-borne vehlces here and you'll definitely be wanting 6pt tools on some corroded 6point heads.

 

[Samuel D]

Gorgeous tractor, F-22, and – if it’s anything like a neighbour’s Massey 35 that I worked on when I lived in the countryside – probably very practical too.

That Massey Ferguson was a wondrous machine. You can still get essentially that 1950s machine in some parts of Africa. Imagine a small farm built around an imported brand new African Massey 35. Stuff of dreams, man.

I honestly think the world would be a better place if tractors were still built as simply as these ones … and motorcycles as simply as the Honda CG … and bicycles as simply as 1990s road bikes … etc., etc. To me consumer technology has jumped the shark, so to speak, in almost every field. Certainly my life has only gotten more annoying with each new tech shift for about the last two decades. At least there has been progress on the social front to go along with our technological dystopia. IMO.

 

[65k10]

I'd probably stick with 12pt sockets in 3/4 drive. Mostly because I have found with the heavier and bulkier 3/4 drive tools getting a 6pt socket positioned correctly on the fastener can be a bit annoying compared to getting a 12pt on the fastener.

 

[F-22]

Gorgeous tractor, F-22, and – if it’s anything like a neighbour’s Massey 35 that I worked on when I lived in the countryside – probably very practical too.

That Massey Ferguson was a wondrous machine. You can still get essentially that 1950s machine in some parts of Africa. Imagine a small farm built around an imported brand new African Massey 35. Stuff of dreams, man.

I honestly think the world would be a better place if tractors were still built as simply as these ones … and motorcycles as simply as the Honda CG … and bicycles as simply as 1990s road bikes … etc., etc. To me consumer technology has jumped the shark, so to speak, in almost every field. Certainly my life has only gotten more annoying with each new tech shift for about the last two decades. At least there has been progress on the social front to go along with our technological dystopia. IMO.

The Fendt really is awesome. It is in continuous use since it was made. Fuel consumption is next to zero, it's just an air cooled single cylinder diesel with ~14hp. I mainly use it for towing and raking hay. Wish I had the old side mower attachment. Probably works very well with it. Mine does have the optional hydraulic three point hitch, cause original base models at the time had a manual long lever instead. The hydraulic is ridiculously oversized. I had to replace the rod and seal, and if I recall correctly it's a 50mm piston rod - it's really slow for modern tractor standards because the pump does not have a high output either, but it really can lift anything.

Old water cooled tractors always got a cracked block cause people poured water in it and forgot about it in winter. For a low rev diesel, air cooled is just indestructible and simple.


With the mower:




Very interesting reply to me, cause I just bought a very simple Honda myself. It's a brand new Honda Livo.



Probably one of 10-20 in Europe. Drum brakes, simple slide carburetor, enclosed chain, four speed engine. Has an electric starter and a kickstarter and starts up just fine even without a battery (even the lights work fine without a battery). Honda claims 180MPG. I hear it is around 150 in reality, but I'm not minding it

Some guy brought a container of them over from India and managed to make them road legal here. I paid 620€ for a brand new bike. It costs 595€ new in India (he probably got some kind of a bulk discount though?). Equivalent CB125F here costs 3090€ brand new, and comes with a disc brake up front, LED lights, 5 speeds and fuel injection.

For a commuter bike, it does the job fine. I could buy 5 of them for the price of one European CB125F - and they definitely aren't 5 times worse. Even the emissions are probably neglectably different, since even these originally come with a catalytic converter.

I typically use a scooter to commute to work, but I wanted something with large tyres and this will work just fine. A full tank costs 15€ and gets you over 700-800km. My Land Cruise... well, 15€ would nearly be enough for 100km



Edit:
Also, my current mower is this crazy Italian contraption:





The BCS Motofalciatrice. No safety devices whatsoever, but it is very effective. The drive is through an eccentric ball which is very unique.
It is also in continuous use since the 70's. After the mowing, all the rust goes off and it's shiny every year. Always starts on the first pull and its built like a tank, everything is steel or an alloy casting. It has a differential so it is easy to turn, it has a diff lock so it does not pull at the side while mowing or on the hill, it has a central handbrake but also individual left and right wheel brake levers so you can turn on the spot when the diff is not locked.

You can see the crazy eccentric drive on this video at around 0:33

With the drive and the wheels at the side, it does not get the typical buildup of grass on the middle as with most modern mowers. But it necessitates that very weird power transfer...

I hear they still sell new ones in third world countries like India. You can get attachments for it to tie together weath or I think something for processing rice plantations (not sure).

Doubt they ever sold it in the USA. Probably did not want to deal with the lawsuits. As well as it works, it is really fast and if you're not careful or don't know exactly how to operate it, it can quickly impale stuff or push you on the wall. If you fall off the seat or let go of the handlebars it won't stop going

 

[Dave455]

Gorgeous tractor, F-22, and – if it’s anything like a neighbour’s Massey 35 that I worked on when I lived in the countryside – probably very practical too.

That Massey Ferguson was a wondrous machine. You can still get essentially that 1950s machine in some parts of Africa. Imagine a small farm built around an imported brand new African Massey 35. Stuff of dreams, man.

I honestly think the world would be a better place if tractors were still built as simply as these ones … and motorcycles as simply as the Honda CG … and bicycles as simply as 1990s road bikes … etc., etc. To me consumer technology has jumped the shark, so to speak, in almost every field. Certainly my life has only gotten more annoying with each new tech shift for about the last two decades. At least there has been progress on the social front to go along with our technological dystopia. IMO.

This echoes my sentiments almost 100%!

The Massey Ferguson 35 is probably the definitive tractor - ask a child to draw “a tractor” and you probably get an MF 35.

They were built in Coventry, at the Banner Lane factory, from the 1950’s. They were still supplying kits for assembly overseas until the factory closed in 2002. I believe over 3,000,000 were produced.

Sadly, MF had been passed from one owner to another, and when faced by the inevitable drive to “cut costs”, and dire threats from the French government should they close the French factory, it was Banner Lane that was closed.

I assume that the kits currently supplied to Africa originate with one of the original licensed manufacturers - I believe these included India and Pakistan. I wish them the best.

Yes, in almost every field, the basic vehicles and equipment that are essential to our lives have become ever more complicated, to the point where reliability is actually greatly reduced compared to the older machines, and maintenance difficult without manufacturer support.

I live in a rural part of the U.K. and while I admit that 35 H.P. is inadequate for all modern needs, there are many tasks for which it’s just fine. I’ve seen the “replacements” for the MF 35 come and go (at least two times over) but the 35 keeps chugging along.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Most of us already have 1/2" drive sockets in 12 point for sizes up to 1 1/2". Other than a 3/8" drive set, I think a 1/2" impact 12-point set up to 1 1/2" is the second or third most common set of sockets that people have.

Most of us have a variety of 1/2" drive ratchets, and if we do have 3/4" drive tools, they're much more limited in terms of ratchet styles and extensions.

Given that, it makes sense to me to go 6-point for 3/4" drive. If you do come across a 12-point fastener, you have a 1/2"-drive tool that will work. Or you already know of a very specific 12-point fastener for your trade and you can have that single 12-point 3/4" drive socket.

I think we're primarily going to use 1/2" drive for sizes up to 1 1/2"unless something needs a lot of torque, and time to go up to 3/4" drive. And if it needs a lot of torque, maybe the added extra engagement from 6-point will help. It will be harder to get the socket in the perfect position compared to 12-point, but if it's that annoying, you could use the 3/4" in 6-point to break and then go to 1/2"-drive in 12-point to finish.

Of course, 3/4" drive goes to 2" and 1/2" drive only goes to 1 1/2" so if you're doing a lot between 1 9/16" and 2" maybe you do have both 6-point and 12-point for those last few. There's "only" 8 sizes above 1 1/2" up to 2" so you could run 6-point up to and including 1 1/2" and then run both 6-point and 12-point for bigger.

Or just get 6-point and 12-point in all sizes and also the same for 1" drive because this is GJ.

 

[Wamsutta]

I think the easiest thing to do is source out another Toptul set and make your cousin pay for it.

 

[cannuck]

I tend to stay with 12PT for 3/4 chrome, but do 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 and 1" impact in 6 point (except for one oddball size SnapOn 12 pt for something I forget)

 

[bcschief]

I tend to stay with 12PT for 3/4 chrome, but do 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 and 1" impact in 6 point (except for one oddball size SnapOn 12 pt for something I forget)

Maybe 12pt 12mm driveline socket.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

I tend to stay with 12PT for 3/4 chrome, but do 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 and 1" impact in 6 point (except for one oddball size SnapOn 12 pt for something I forget)

Interesting, you never run into any 12-point fasteners in the smaller sizes?

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

Yes I was quite bummed up, especially cause he did it without my knowledge, and I had another spare 36mm 3/4" old socket that would be more fitting for any kind of modification.

But I mainly work on motorcycles and drive a land cruiser, so I really rarely use them. He has 3 Alfa Romeos - guess that makes it a lot more understandable
They say 95% of all Alfas ever made are still on the road. The rest made it home.
That said, when his V6 Turbo GTV starts spinning up, it certainly is a thing of beauty and gives me goosebumps



I really don't need them enough to warrant also buying an impact gun... I mainly use them on my own equipment and I prefer to not use impacts just to not damage the finish on fasteners.


The Toptul set is just really nice. But I just want to switch it up a bit and I think I'll get myself a Tekton set if I can find one in Europe. I'm a sucker for nice shiny chrome, especially if I'm not paying for it

Used to German tools the most, so the satin and matte finish feels boring to me, even if the Toptul tools were really nice.

If you want 6 pt sockets get impact sockets. If you only work on motorcycles what the hell do you need 3/4” drive tools for anyway?

 

[cannuck]

Maybe 12pt 12mm driveline socket.

IIRC 1 7/16" to do 36mm 12 spline on something

 

[mikey03]

I was given a big 3/4 breaker bar recently as a gift so I been looking at picking up a few 3/4 drive sockets in some common sizes. I hit up Tekton because I like ‘em and they sell individuals.

6 point shallow
12 point shallow
6 point deep

they don’t sell 12 point deep which honestly was the main thing I was thinking of buying

because I know axle nuts are 12 point in big sizes like 30 and 32 and I think you need deeps to hit those.

so now I’m wondering if your only getting shallow or deep which one do you get

 

[ecotec]

Interesting, you never run into any 12-point fasteners in the smaller sizes?

I was curious about this as well. What about 12mm 12pt?

 

[00 Scrub]

Deleted

 

[ecotec]

Even my 3/4” drive sockets are mostly 6pt… but, if I find a 12pt Snap-on cheap at a garage/estate sale… I am buying it.

I have a 3/4”x45mm 12pt Britool socket. It is stopping my garage from floating into space…

 

[Monte]

Available for under 300.-

 

[Steve_P]

I was given a big 3/4 breaker bar recently as a gift so I been looking at picking up a few 3/4 drive sockets in some common sizes. I hit up Tekton because I like ‘em and they sell individuals.

6 point shallow
12 point shallow
6 point deep

they don’t sell 12 point deep which honestly was the main thing I was thinking of buying

That is their way of telling you that you probably don't need them. There just aren't a lot of applications for 3/4 drive in automotive today, which is probably 98% of the socket market. Yes, I use a 3/4" drive socket to set the crush sleeve on pinion gears with a massive breaker bar, but this is something that 99.999% of the socket market doesn't do. And the reality is that this is only common at 4WD specialty shops where gear swaps are a daily occurrence.

There are plenty of 1/2 drive deep metric 12-point sockets, and sets, for front axles. With today's impact guns there's not a lot of need for 3/4 outside of heavy equipment.

I have several sets of 3/4 drive metric sockets and don't think I've used any of them for any purpose other than press duties. I use a few of the 3/4 drive inch size on old car axles and pinion gears.

My 1/2 drive metric impacts go thru 38mm?, and I have a half inch drive 12 pt metric set for front axles that I've used one socket, one time, as a DIYer.

 

[mikey03]

That is their way of telling you that you probably don't need them. There just aren't a lot of applications for 3/4 drive in automotive today, which is probably 98% of the socket market. Yes, I use a 3/4" drive socket to set the crush sleeve on pinion gears with a massive breaker bar, but this is something that 99.999% of the socket market doesn't do. And the reality is that this is only common at 4WD specialty shops where gear swaps are a daily occurrence.

There are plenty of 1/2 drive deep metric 12-point sockets, and sets, for front axles. With today's impact guns there's not a lot of need for 3/4 outside of heavy equipment.

honestly and I don’t got experience here is maybe you need 3/4 plus a breaker bar to hit a big bolt that you can’t fit an impact gun on? Maybe just enough room for a breaker bar and that’s it? Idk how often that happens if ever though since honestly I don’t have much suspension experience