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Speciality Bits

cherrybomb

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
893
Location
Near Madison Wi.
I'm expanding my selection of bits.School me please on triple square,XZN bits which I believe are on my VW.Tiguan.Also I understand there are now Hex Plus also.Are these in Metric or SAE or both?Any thing else out there I'm missing?Appreciate the help,I feel the need to buy!Good quality sources.Is KC Tool,O.K.?
 
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Handyandy23

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Joined
Nov 8, 2017
Messages
1,523
Location
Ontario, Canada
Hex Plus is just a Wera patent for their Allen keys. Just kind Snap On Flank drive for sockets or wrenches. I wouldn't necessarily call them a specialty bit because they fit the same hex head bolts that any Allen wrench does, they just engage off-corner to prevent rounding or stripping.

Maybe not really "specialty" but JIS bits look very much like Phillips bits, but the taper is more shallow than a standard Phillips. Using Phillips on a JIS fastener almost always strips it, but a JIS bit will work fine on a Phillips fastener. You find them mostly on Japanese vehicles, and Japanese tool companies like Vessel sell the screwdrivers and bits. One of the best additions I've made, if you don't already have them.
 

Downwindtracker 2

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 13, 2019
Messages
1,715
Location
BC
Back when I had a VW Rabbit, I found Hazet sockets were both better quality and a good deal cheaper than Snap-On. I made the mistake of going to Snap-On regional office for the first one, I'm DIY, then on I got the Hazet from a machine tool dealer. For those, buy German.
 

matlok

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2017
Messages
63
You’ll definitely run into some triple squares on a VW... VIM Tools makes quality stuff and has several XZN sets of different lengths.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
 
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Danglerb

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
9,736
Location
SoCal
Everybody should have a couple of the 100 security bit sets that sell for about $10. I like various brands, but just bought a set of the Matco XZN bits from Vim shown in a thread in our hot deals section. JIS bits I got from Vessel of Japan, Amazon has them.
 

RKA

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2010
Messages
1,744
Location
NJ
KC Tool is good, but expensive. I’ve ordered direct from Amazon Germany or UK or from German tool shops when it was a big ticket purchase. But there is sometimes a long wait, where KC Tool will tell you if it’s in stock or not. In stock you’ll have within days, so sometimes it’s worth the premium.

XZN is metric. My suggestion is to do a little research to find out what you’ll need for common repairs and get those especially if you’re buying those German made bits you don’t want to buy full sets when you won’t use 75% of them. Pay attention to whether you need the short bit, mid length (4”) or long (6”). Tight clearances often mean one of those will work (in my case, an extension on a short bit or an open end wrench on a long bit would not work). At $20-25 ea. you don’t want to be buying full sets. Look at VIM, they make good economical options.

On my Audi, so far I’ve found a standard and mid length M8 and an ultra short and long M12 has covered my bases. But I’ve bought full sets of ultra short, short, mid and long bits from brands like OTC, Koken, Duralast (Taiwan) and gearwrench. Most of those sets were under $30 each, except the Koken.

Make sure you clean the head of the bolt and tap the bit socket in until it bottoms out. Keep it aligned with the bolt head and you’ll have no problems. If you don’t seat it properly or lean the bit over to one side, the probability of stripping the head goes way up. Once you strip it, it’s game over. So think about how the heck you’re going to get a drill in there as you’re leaning into the wrench. Like I said, do it right and you’ll have no problems.
 
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