Budget e torx beware shallow chamfer

[gorgon225cid]

i have snap-on e torx 213afley+ love it.i wanted swivel type+bought vim ujet400 set.the vims dont seat all the way down on bolt head+ im sure they will strip out sooner than snappys.its hard to tell from pics who else has deep chamfer.im tempted to get sunex 9912 but fear the shallow chamfer syndrome.any ideas?thank you.

 

[gorgon225cid]

i just noticed loose u joints .i dont reccomend vimujet400.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I went through looking for e-torx universals, made a thread here. Settled on snap-on for various reasons.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442451

VIM makes awesome bit sockets, have never bought any normal sockets.

 

[SeisMec]

Today, I'll be that guy. Shallow chamfer? Don't you mean shallow broach?

 

[RKA]

Today, I'll be that guy. Shallow chamfer? Don't you mean shallow broach?

He, he means the chamfer. The broaching is fine and doesn’t interfere with the socket fully seating on the bolt.

The VIM deep sockets do have a deep chamfer on the sizes above E10. E10 and under do not have that deep chamfer and none of the shallow VIM sockets has that deep chamfer.

Below are two VIM E12 sockets. Deep socket on the left, shallow socket on the right.

 

[oldwino]

tried to cheap out on e-torx as well. Tecton has the same issue. I'm a tool user, not a polisher so a quick trip to the grinder taking down the face about an 1/8" cured the problem. Sockets look like s#*t now but works fine

 

[SeisMec]

Below are two VIM E12 sockets. Deep socket on the left, shallow socket on the right.

I'm retired an never had to deal with e-torx - and so misinterpreted "dont seat all the way down on bolt head".

The chamfer on the left hand one just looks stupid. Any reason you'd ever want that much chamfer for an e-torx?

 

[Samuel D]

The chamfer on the left hand one just looks stupid. Any reason you'd ever want that much chamfer for an e-torx?

Because the screw heads sometimes look like this.

 

[mrjaw14]

If only the splines are being driven, why does it matter if it goes all the way down over the meaty piece? Wouldn't the shallow chamfer still drive the splines? I've been thinking about buying E-torx so 'd legitimately like to know

 

[Samuel D]

If only the splines are being driven, why does it matter if it goes all the way down over the meaty piece? Wouldn't the shallow chamfer still drive the splines?

It might help to imagine a socket with a completely flat face (no chamfer at all). You can see how the flat face would bump into the chamfer or dome between the splines on the screw head. That means the tool would only engage with the splines for about half of their height. Not good.

For best results, you want the chamfer of the socket to match the shape of the screw head between the splines.

If the socket is chamfered too deeply, it would lose engagement with the splines near their base.

If the socket isn’t chamfered enough, it would lose engagement at the tips of the splines. And since torque is most effectively applied near the tips of the splines (because the radius is larger there so the lever is longer, and because the splines present a more perpendicular face to the force near their tips than near their bases), this is the worst scenario. It’s better to err on the side of an overly chamfered socket than an under-chamfered socket.

Unfortunately the cheap sockets appear to err in the wrong direction.

This is a good, safe shape.

However, there are so many Torx variants that sockets with a shallow chamfer may be needed in some special cases. I can’t keep up with all the special screw/bolt heads.

 

[gorgon225cid]

i ordered hazet 4 pc universal e torx((e8-e14) $150 from toolsid.

 

[wafrederick]

Mac has them with the chamfer in them.The newer Ford truck beds with the E torx plus fastners holding them down,an e torx socket with the chamfer is required.An e torx plus socket without the chamfer strips them out

 

[mrjaw14]

It might help to imagine a socket with a completely flat face (no chamfer at all). You can see how the flat face would bump into the chamfer or dome between the splines on the screw head. That means the tool would only engage with the splines for about half of their height. Not good.

For best results, you want the chamfer of the socket to match the shape of the screw head between the splines.

If the socket is chamfered too deeply, it would lose engagement with the splines near their base.

If the socket isn’t chamfered enough, it would lose engagement at the tips of the splines. And since torque is most effectively applied near the tips of the splines (because the radius is larger there so the lever is longer, and because the splines present a more perpendicular face to the force near their tips than near their bases), this is the worst scenario. It’s better to err on the side of an overly chamfered socket than an under-chamfered socket.

Unfortunately the cheap sockets appear to err in the wrong direction.

This is a good, safe shape.

However, there are so many Torx variants that sockets with a shallow chamfer may be needed in some special cases. I can’t keep up with all the special screw/bolt heads.

I understand now, thanks for the detailed explanation!

 

[SeisMec]

Yes. Thanks for the clarifying this.