Swivel sockets. They don’t like me.

ajchien · Aug 11, 2019

So I’ve got a set of chrome 3/8drive 12pt swivel sockets.

Every time I use them, they cause me tremendous frustration.

They’re difficult to angle onto the fastener, when you start to torque them, they often fall off of the fastener. Worse yet, sometimes when torquing they partially come off the fastener and then wind up getting bound up crooked on the fastener head.

Granted, I’ve only really used these on already hard to reach, odd access fastener, at angles greater than what a wobble extension can handle ... but there must be something I can do to make them work better?!

Tips please!

Jason280 · Aug 11, 2019

Some sets are "stiffer" than others, and stay in position better....on the sets that are too loose, just wrap a layer or two of electrical tape around the joint portion to keep the socket from flopping around.

Professional Tool User · Aug 11, 2019

At least you haven't gotten yourself hurt while using swivel impacts.

Buickspec6231 · Aug 11, 2019

Jason280 said:
Some sets are "stiffer" than others, and stay in position better....on the sets that are too loose, just wrap a layer or two of electrical tape around the joint portion to keep the socket from flopping around.

This is what I did to all my craftsman swivels. made them much more usable.

cjarvis · Aug 11, 2019

There’s a limit to the amount of angle that wobble sockets will work effectively at. Sounds like you may be exceeding that limit.

I use an o-ring to tighten up loose wobble sockets:

Wamsutta · Aug 11, 2019

ajchien said:
Every time I use them, they cause me tremendous frustration.

Please Please Please tell me the brand of swivel sockets that cause you so much frustration; I beg you.

PR1Gneon · Aug 11, 2019

Wamsutta said:
Please Please Please tell me the brand of swivel sockets that cause you so much frustration; I beg you.

Snap-On

Sent from my SM-J337A using Tapatalk

MFolks · Aug 11, 2019

Maybe some thin,heatshrink tubing?

LXCam · Aug 11, 2019

I don’t think that it’s they don’t like you.

I think it’s more that you’re misunderstood

Wamsutta · Aug 11, 2019

PR1Gneon said:
Snap-On

Sent from my SM-J337A using Tapatalk

C'mon now.... No they're not....

2ndGearRubber · Aug 11, 2019

Brand being used? 12 point makes things harder obviously. Depending on brand, you need to understand what you can expect to achieve. Even snap on need this understanding. If stuff is super stuck, the socket can walk off.

ajchien · Aug 11, 2019

OP here. You guys made me go and look.

Looks like 3/4ths of the swivel sockets are Kobalt (made by Danaher era). Then there are scattered singles from Cornwell, SK, Proto, and Husky filling in gaps. And 2 of them are actually 6 point, the rest 12pt.

I fail to see how brand makes a difference, they all don’t seem to like me.

I do suspect that cjarvis may be correct and that I am trying to use them at too extreme of an angle (is 45-60 degree angle too much?).

2ndGearRubber · Aug 11, 2019

ajchien said:
OP here. You guys made me go and look.

Looks like 3/4ths of the swivel sockets are Kobalt (made by Danaher era). Then there are scattered singles from Cornwell, SK, Proto, and Husk filling in gaps. And 2 of them are actually 6 point, the rest 12pt.

I fail to see how brand makes a difference, they all don’t seem to like me.

I do suspect that cjarvis may be correct and that I am trying to use them at too extreme of an angle (is 45-60 degree angle too much?).

Said angles are high, but not outside the relm of possibility. For instance in 1/4 drive, I've used snap on, SK, gearwrench. The gap between GW and SK is huge, SK to SO not as huge, but there, and has saved me many times. 3/8 drive IMO is where universals can begin to be unusable at steep angles. For the level of force applied to a 17mm fastener, the socket can more easily reach the level of going crooked, than breaking free the fastener.

Solution? Koken single and double universals, plus a normal socket. That's the best solution I've found, although my 3/8 SKs do get used occasionally.

Toothaker · Aug 11, 2019

cjarvis said:
There’s a limit to the amount of angle that wobble sockets will work effectively at. Sounds like you may be exceeding that limit.

I use an o-ring to tighten up loose wobble sockets:

Oh, man, I am stealing that idea. :thumbup:

Indexmill · Aug 11, 2019

cjarvis said:
There’s a limit to the amount of angle that wobble sockets will work effectively at. Sounds like you may be exceeding that limit.

I use an o-ring to tighten up loose wobble sockets:

That is brilliant. Thank you.

BOOT · Aug 11, 2019

I prefer impact universals, they are ball and socket but the tape trick works if it's all you got.

OHMS LAW · Aug 11, 2019

Yup impact universals are best. The cheap Matco adv work best for me

Wamsutta · Aug 11, 2019

ajchien said:
I fail to see how brand makes a difference, they all don’t seem to like me.

The brands are not created equal. They all look similar, but there's one brand that will lean over to a full 90 and keep turning and that's Snap-on. They are engineered to keep turning even at extreme angles. That's the whole purpose of a swivel socket in the first place.

The reason why your Kobalt swivels keep wanting to pop off the fastener is because they want to straighten themselves out; they don't want to lean all the way over at extreme angles because they can't hack it.

Alpine4x4 · Aug 11, 2019

Professional Tool User said:
At least you haven't gotten yourself hurt while using swivel impacts.

When I was learning how to work on rigs growing up we called them knuckle busters. They feel just amazing when they rip loose on an impact gun.

cjarvis said:
There’s a limit to the amount of angle that wobble sockets will work effectively at. Sounds like you may be exceeding that limit.

I use an o-ring to tighten up loose wobble sockets:

Genius, thank you!

BOOT said:
I prefer impact universals, they are ball and socket but the tape trick works if it's all you got.

This. Impacts are the way to go unless its 1/4" drive then chrome fits in the tigthest of spots.

CR888 · Aug 12, 2019

There have been many threads about uni-v sockets over the years but only a few that discuss what makes them function best. The spaces, angles & thickness of the U-joint all play a roll. But key design feature to look out for would help many decide between brands on a tool that too the unknown eye essentially all look the same.

CafeTools · Aug 12, 2019

I feel like USA made painless impact swivels work better than Chrome type.

2oolhound · Aug 12, 2019

I'll often break the fastener loose with a wrench but for stubborn threads beyond finger tight there is no substitute for swivels. You have to rigidly hold the ratchet or extension in precise position for them to work but they're time savers.

Wamsutta · Aug 12, 2019

Right now all I hear is crickets. The OP wants a solution but don't want to spend the money; that's never happened on here before has it?

MikeF2316 · Aug 12, 2019

I find you need to put side force on your extensions so the socket part is being forced straight down onto the fastener. This makes them work better.

ajchien · Aug 13, 2019

Wamsutta said:
Right now all I hear is crickets. The OP wants a solution but don't want to spend the money; that's never happened on here before has it?

Crickets. Dude, not everyone logs into garage journal hourly. Why do you assume that?

You’ve said that snap on swivels work better because they can turn at steeper angles. I was unaware of the difference. I am now aware.

Super Mech · Aug 13, 2019

Toothaker said:
Oh, man, I am stealing that idea.

That has to be one of the better ideas I have seen lately. Stolen also.

Dakkyz · Aug 13, 2019

Might sound crazy but low strength thread lock works as well, works pretty good on ball type swivels as well e.g work light with swivel base.

Red Mist · Aug 13, 2019

I have used the locking type extension between the swivel and the ratchet. I previously used a 3/8 locker that started having issues. So i switched to the current snap on model
It has a locking collar. The joints are still problematic at times, but nothing like before I started started using the "quick locking" snap on.
This model number FXKL3A.
The older locker was made by sk and held in place by allen screw. I suggest using the snap on because it is part of the extension and not an "add on" that worked itself loose.
There is also an impact version which i have never used.

Mr_B · Aug 13, 2019

Good sockets make all difference here, tighter fit to fastener helps as does stiffer joint and smoothness of the rotation at the offset .
One of those areas that poor design, poor tolerances tend make them far less usable and far less of a solution to those awkward clearance scenarios.
I have snapon in 1/4 and mac and toptul in 3/8 .
have used gearwrench and some other off brands and they not been same in use by a long margin .
buy wisely on these or they simply not such a useful tool ...

pi_guy · Aug 13, 2019

I have to laugh.

Been using swivel sockets for 40 plus years, 90% of the time my go to socket.
I have never really had a problem with them, including locking them past the swivel point and using like a wrench with the extension. They wear out so many have been replaced. At race tracks I have probably helped to sell a hundred sets over the years. You save somebody a pile of time and they want the tool that does that.

If you do exhaust manifolds with studs the deep swivel sockets are the tool to have.
The world I work in is mostly 1/4 drive where you really need access, most of the 1/2 drive and bigger the need for swivel does down radically.

Secret I found is to use the longest extension, it helps in a couple of ways.

Old Radar · Aug 13, 2019

How about one of these?

View media item 95774

Swivel sockets. They don’t like me.

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