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12 point socket for 1" square nut

NoahG

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So, right tool for the job and all aside, what 12 point socket size fits 1" square nuts best? I've got an 8 point socket on order but I need to pick something up local tomorrow and I don't have the nut with me to try sockets at the store.
 
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shockwave

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A lot of 1 inch sockets are used with 4 points for inner rear wheels on box trucks u should try a local industrial supply store or pawn shops
 

Provincial

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A 12-point socket can be used on a square nut if it happens to fit close enough. The teeth of the socket do not match the angle of the corners of the nut, but often will get the job done. I believe that one reason older socket sets have so many /32" sizes is to they would fit square nuts.

I broke several SK 5/8" 12-point sockets by using them on square head bolts when I was young and stupid, so I speak from experience.
 
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NoahG

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I just need to use the 12 point for a day. It's not my long term solution. It's not a high torque situation, there just isn't clearance for an open end wrench.


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MikeF2316

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I just need to use the 12 point for a day. It's not my long term solution. It's not a high torque situation, there just isn't clearance for an open end wrench.


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According to my calculations, a 1 1/4 will be just about perfect. The math suggests 1 & 3.6/16.
 

jeremy v

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It might be too late, but I did a couple quick tests with some 1" square tubing in the garage and these are my results.

1-1/4" fits the best ASSUMING that the square fitting has clean sharp corners. 30mm is the next smaller size down from 1-1/4" and it will not fit on square tubing with sharp corners. The problem you will run into is as follows. I tried the 1-1/4" 12pt socket on another piece of 1" square tubing with SLIGHTLY rounded corners and that was enough for the 1-1/4" socket to freely spin on the square even though it was still exactly 1" square tubing.

If the corners are slightly rounded a 30mm will fit just about perfectly, and visually it looks like it will grab enough meat to work for torques that don't require a "cheater". I don't have a 12pt 29mm socket to test, and a 1-1/8" (next size smaller) is too small to fit any 1" square fitting.

Good luck, and if it were me I would get a 30mm and hit the corners of the square with a metal file really quickly if necessary to make it fit, because if the corners are sharp and a 1-1/4" socket does grab it will only continue to grab until the very edges of the square round out from the torque and then the socket will spin freely on the square. Visually it doesn't look like it would take much torque to cause that to happen.
 
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NoahG

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The nut in question is recessed into the hub of an Amish made 36" wagon wheel. It doesn't need to be much more than finger tight, but the action of pushing the cart it's attached to sometimes makes the nut tight enough to need a wrench. It sounds like we are just going to fabricate a light duty spanner for the long term.
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thebeekeeper1

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I needed to remove four 1 5/8" square nuts from the shanks of an old farm disk and had nothing that would work, so I had to pay a dealer to do it. He came out with a huge I/R 1" drive impact--and a 12 point socket. I questioned it (bad move) and he laughed and said he had done it thousands of times (very rural area) and to "watch and learn." A little grease on the threads, a little blue wrench, and all four zipped off in seconds. I was impressed.

Something new, as pictured above, will work fine with a 12 point--he just needs the right size. :)
 

sberry

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Yup, chop a piece of sq tubing off with a hacksaw and turn with a pair of Channelocks.
Drill hole thru the end for a bolt handle.
 

4x4gearhead

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I needed to remove four 1 5/8" square nuts from the shanks of an old farm disk and had nothing that would work, so I had to pay a dealer to do it. He came out with a huge I/R 1" drive impact--and a 12 point socket. I questioned it (bad move) and he laughed and said he had done it thousands of times (very rural area) and to "watch and learn." A little grease on the threads, a little blue wrench, and all four zipped off in seconds. I was impressed.

Something new, as pictured above, will work fine with a 12 point--he just needs the right size. :)

I agree, I have used a 14mm 12 pt 3/8" drive socket on a #6 extractor to remove a broken spark plug out of a ford 5.4 triton. A 12 pt will work if you have one big enough.
 

Matt_C

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Yup, chop a piece of sq tubing off with a hacksaw and turn with a pair of Channelocks.
Drill hole thru the end for a bolt handle.

I was gonna say use a bit of square tubing and drill a hole for a t-handle, but then I thought "is 1inch ID tubing easy to come by?" Usually tubing (round or other) is measured OD, not ID...
 

RCStocker

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I am not even going to read the post
A 12 point socket is not the same thing as a 3 square socket which has 12 points. The angles are different. Most square sockets are 8 sided.
The Snap-on old web page explained it all. Their new site is the pits and things are very hard to find.
A 3 square socket gives you 3 positions that fit the square socket.
Now you know as much as the rest of the world on the subject.
Over size bot head are to giver more holding strength in tension. Thus you have the
32" sizes for over sized headed bolts. Any other questions while I am on it?
 

franzdom

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I am not even going to read the post
A 12 point socket is not the same thing as a 3 square socket which has 12 points. The angles are different. Most square sockets are 8 sided.
The Snap-on old web page explained it all. Their new site is the pits and things are very hard to find.
A 3 square socket gives you 3 positions that fit the square socket.
Now you know as much as the rest of the world on the subject.
Over size bot head are to giver more holding strength in tension. Thus you have the
32" sizes for over sized headed bolts. Any other questions while I am on it?

Perhaps you should read the post. :sad:
 

Jim C.

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I am not even going to read the post
A 12 point socket is not the same thing as a 3 square socket which has 12 points. The angles are different. Most square sockets are 8 sided.
The Snap-on old web page explained it all. Their new site is the pits and things are very hard to find.
A 3 square socket gives you 3 positions that fit the square socket.
Now you know as much as the rest of the world on the subject.
Over size bot head are to giver more holding strength in tension. Thus you have the
32" sizes for over sized headed bolts. Any other questions while I am on it?

Yes, just one more question.... "What planet are you from?"
 
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oldtools

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I am not even going to read the post
A 12 point socket is not the same thing as a 3 square socket which has 12 points. The angles are different. Most square sockets are 8 sided.
The Snap-on old web page explained it all. Their new site is the pits and things are very hard to find.
A 3 square socket gives you 3 positions that fit the square socket.
Now you know as much as the rest of the world on the subject.
Over size bot head are to giver more holding strength in tension. Thus you have the
32" sizes for over sized headed bolts. Any other questions while I am on it?

Snap On make some square socket the cheesy way in the past. They took a 12 points socket and machined away four of the teeth (TM410). Today their TM410 is machined properly by making it an eight point socket.
 

Bigblue&Goldie

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IDE just use a 1" Extension reversed for that quick job.

He didn't say it was Caterpillar Amish wagon! :lol:

Good idea, but not too many people have 1" drive tools, and they would likely be just as hard to find locally as the proper socket.
 

oldtools

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I would suggest a spline socket, but I don't know if you can find one big enough for 1 inch square.
 

Outlawmws

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The Badlands
Wow how many things wrong (or right) about this post?


I am not even going to read the post I'm not sure you EVER read the posts before responding! :lol:

A 12 point socket is not the same thing as a 3 square socket which has 12 points. The angles are different. :willy_nil

Most square sockets are 8 sided. Except the ones that are 4 sided or 12 pt 3 square... :wtf:


The Snap-on old web page explained it all. You should have saved it... :D Their new site is the pits and things are very hard to find. I think its a conspiracy RC, they are trying to keep things from you! :scared:


A 3 square socket gives you 3 positions that fit the square socket. Really? Are you sure? :eyecrazy:


Now you know as much as the rest of the world on the subject. But not as much as RCstocker! just ask him! :rocker:


Over size bot head are to giver more holding strength in tension. Thus you have the 32" sizes for over sized headed bolts. :spit: Whats a bot in your world?

Any other questions while I am on it? Please spare us! I'm not sure we could handle it! :3gears:

RC, has your doctor checked your meds recently? Maybe for two that, Um don't interact well? :evil:


:lol_hitti
 
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NoahG

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Last edited:

oldtools

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1-1/4 socket (12 point) work. Not to be used with high torque.
 

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MikeF2316

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1-1/4 socket (12 point) work. Not to be used with high torque.

Very nice, always great when the theory works out in practice. :thumbup:

A 1" drive extension would work, but not many folks (including me) have any 1" drive stuff. I'll bet more people have a 1 1/4" socket (I do). And if I had neither, and ambled down the street to my local Princess Auto, the socket is a lot cheaper than the extension. Although don't think there's any doubt that the extension would stand up to a lot more torque than the socket in this case.

Socket: $5.29

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/Sockets/1-1-4-x-1-2-in-dr-Shallow-Socket/8034266.p

Extension: $19.99

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/Socket-Accessories/8-x-1-in-dr-Extension-Bar/8514168.p
 
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NoahG

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So just as an update, the Masterforce 1 1/4" I picked up was just a bit too loose, but the Williams 1 1/4" I found in the shop worked great.
 

Gmonkee

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An old Budd wheel socket from a truck tire shop?

When they wear the shops retire them. You wouldn't even need a real drive tool as the torque required would be so low.

A junk shop near me has two old ones he's been sitting on for 5 years.
 
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