eschoendorff
Well-known member
Had a bad experience with BFGs. Although they apparently make a nice autox tire...kartracer55 said:BFG G-Force R1's
Chrome Sockets
- Thread starter kartracer55
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OP
kartracer55
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eschoendorff said:
BFG=Michelin Same Company. AS to whether the tires are the same? Cant say for sure, but BFG's are excellent tires IMHO. EAgle F1's are price as hell but people seem to like them... especially on thiere vettes
Jeeper
Well-known member
has anyone had a chrome shatter on them when used on an impact? Is it ugly?
Deafautotech
Well-known member
Jeeper said:
oh yeah. i was use chrome socket on impact wrench in first year in automotive industry and i destroyed the chrome plate on chrome sockets. so i had to upgraded to impact sockets and still use it since 2004.
Deafautotech
Well-known member
also i saw one tech have same chrome socket since he work on automotive for long time and that chrome socket are almost round itself... it is awful! he suppose to have it replace before it get worse....
Canadian Charlie
Banned
Deafautotech said:
I'm sure he will start borrowing yours now
Deafautotech
Well-known member
Canadian Charlie said:I'm sure he will start borrowing yours now
no i work in chrysler shop and the tech who have really worn out tools are work next door as mercury and lincoln. he dont borrow my tools nothing. he dont work much as like me but he do more diagonis like engine run rough or stall or something. so well....
Deafautotech
Well-known member
but he work same shop for long time like 20 years and other tech who is his friend which work there for 24 years as same place in shop but as more electric system, brakes, suspenions, tune up, regular service on maintenance....
Jeeper
Well-known member
Let me re-ask my question. When chrome sockets break no an impact, do shards of metal go flying everywhere causing injury or does the socket just break an you have to go get a new one?
First off, I don't understand why someone that uses their tools for work would use chrome sockets on an impact.
Most of the auto techs work with metric almost all the time and for a set of 3/8's and 1/2" impact sockets you are only talking a couple hundred dollars. But yet they will spend a that on an impact and then wonder why they keep breaking chrome sockets. The only impact sockets I have broke are the swivels.
As far as chrome sockets I have used Craftsman and Snap on. I prefer Snap on because they have a shoulder built into them that will allow you to start a short bolt in a tight spot by using a socket and an extension. Craftsman sockets will allow the bolt to go all the way to the bottom to the socket.
Most of the auto techs work with metric almost all the time and for a set of 3/8's and 1/2" impact sockets you are only talking a couple hundred dollars. But yet they will spend a that on an impact and then wonder why they keep breaking chrome sockets. The only impact sockets I have broke are the swivels.As far as chrome sockets I have used Craftsman and Snap on. I prefer Snap on because they have a shoulder built into them that will allow you to start a short bolt in a tight spot by using a socket and an extension. Craftsman sockets will allow the bolt to go all the way to the bottom to the socket.
Deafautotech
Well-known member
Jeeper said:
most time it will cracked two or three on socket wall when you impact it so hard. but you never know if it will crack or broke metal and fly to you face and hurt....
if use air tools then buy impact socket instead chrome because impact socket will go longer than chrome ON IMPACT WRENCH....
Jeeper
Well-known member
I don't do this for a living...just a hobby. I just got a 1/2" nitrocat and a 3/8" nitrocat. I have some 1/2" impacts but no 3/8" so i'm going to use chrome for a little while...hence all the questions. Just trying to get a feel for what to expect.
Deafautotech
Well-known member
i heard that nitrocat will beat the chrome really bad if you use it most of time during a day... i just use my craftsman socket chrome and cracked it in 5 mins at my work in four years ago while i work on engine which use a lot of 13mm bolts.....
If the nitrocat has the power of the IR TI then you will go through alot of chrome sockets. I have had a Snap on IM31 for quite a few years and never broke a socket, within the first 5 minutes with the new impact I broke my 9/16's impact swivel.
Jeeper said:
Hmmm. I wanted to buy a set of 1/2" metric impact sockets from my Mac dealer 100 years ago. He did not have the impact set in stock (?), but told me he could sell me a chrome set and it would have the same warranty, as "they are the same sockets, but chromed".
I did not believe the metallurgy was the same, but bought them because;
I needed them ASAP.
He said he would honor the warranty regardless of drive implement used.
He was obviously a freaking idiot, and I felt sorry for him.
Over the course of the next year, I broke nearly every one of those sockets. Most breakages were uneventful (hit the trigger, socket breaks in half, oh well). One in particular sticks in my mind, because it required an ER visit.
I was holding the impact in my left hand (as I am left-handed). My right hand was around the socket/extension combo. The socket split in half, and the chrome plating delaminated. A large piece of chrome bisected my right thumb, requiring twelve stitches.
I was back at work the next day, and the Mac dealer replaced the socket (with an impact). These days, this incident would result in a million-dollar lawsuit, but it happened nearly 20 years ago.
Deafautotech
Well-known member
wilbilt said:
wow it is bad thing that use chrome socket on impact wrench.
i am so happy that i bought a lot of impact sockets and it still work since four years. i still had chrome sockets as it if for tight area where i have to ratchet it by hands....
OP
kartracer55
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Jeeper said:
No, I have never had one "shatter" on an impact, so i cant really say it is ugly. I have had two types of breakage... one at the drive square, where it cracks in one corner and the socket starts to spread as you impact it or apply pressure with a ratchet, and another where it cracks in one of the corners of the hex and usually bends open. THIS kind of breakage can give you some problems. because it will definetly cut you up.
I usually hold onto the sockets as I impact for better control, but on the same not, if it doesnt come out after a quick hit, I no longer hold onto the socket because there is the possibility of it splitting open while pounding at it. What is nice about 3/8 guns is that they really dont spin too long after you let go of the trigger, whereas a typical IR gun will spin for a while longer.
NEVER impact chromes on a 1/2 drive gun!!! They have A LOT more power behind them, and aside for beating up your sockets pretty quickly, they WILL break, and I could definetly see these shattering. As I mentioned earlier, these spin for quite a while longer and can pose a thread to your hands if the socket breaks, which is why I dont hold onto impacts, just loosely keep my hand around them. I have had 2 impact sockets break (at the socket part, not a swivel joint), a snap on and an SK. The snap on Cracked, and was usable but the crack would spread as you impacted and it rounded off a bolt (thats how I noticed). The SK held fine until a little chunk flew off.
Jim
intense3123
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what's your guy's opinion on using chromes on low torque applications. I just bought a Li-ion makita that put out 100 lb/ft of torque.
Canadian Charlie
Banned
If you are going to use a 1/4" drive socket on a 1/4" air ratchet a couple of times I don't think it will do damage
Deafautotech
Well-known member
Canadian Charlie said:
i did use it on mac tool air ratchet (AR251) and it is make chrome socket sloppy adfter use it a lot in one week.... that reason i bought snap on deep impact 1/4in socket which i use so much at my work like 10mm, 13mm, 15mm, and same with 8mm. i use 8mm since one year and it is look like abuse...
then i bought 1/4dr blue point impact wrench from snap on dealer which he display it for one year.... i paid 80 dollars to shipped my house. i did use it a lot for transmission, differential, and engine where it dont need lot of torque as it only give 30 ft lbs....
i use it for transmission works to pull all bolts out but i use torque wrench to put it together.... Fast Orange
Well-known member
As KR said-NEVER use a chrome socket on a 1/2" drive impact-something will break.
Having said that,I'll confess to always using chrome sockets on my 3/8" gun and air ratchet.I've got a set of MAC 3/8" impacts,shallow and deep,but the wall thickness makes them impossible to get into too many places.My Snap-On guy never gripes too loud about replacing broken sockets,so ,other than the inconvience factor,I probably will continue to use the chrome for everything.
George
Having said that,I'll confess to always using chrome sockets on my 3/8" gun and air ratchet.I've got a set of MAC 3/8" impacts,shallow and deep,but the wall thickness makes them impossible to get into too many places.My Snap-On guy never gripes too loud about replacing broken sockets,so ,other than the inconvience factor,I probably will continue to use the chrome for everything.
George
Charles (in GA)
Well-known member
Jeeper said:
I think you will find that they just split down the side, spread, and spin around the nut or bolt.
Charles
ok heres somethin i have always had a problem with and cant figure out why, if chrome sockets are weaker then impacts and u need impacts then why buy chrome, couldnt u use impact sockets for everything, u know with hand tools too?
eschoendorff
Well-known member
Some chromes will fit where fat impacts won't.
That and for us traveling back to where someone put an impact set wastes alot of time.
When they break expect anything. I have had them shatter, thank God those happened in a place where all of the shards were contained by the farm machine we were working on, have a big chunk come out of them, and at times just split. It seems the better brands split while as you go down the ladder they are more likely to shatter from our experiences.
ericthewrench
Active member
Something I have not seen mentioned in this thread: Chrome sockets will wear out the anvil on your impact gun much quicker than impact sockets. Impact sockets are softer and will deform a little around your anvil, this is why they get loose on your anvil after some time. Chrome sockets do not deform as much and transfer more of the abuse to your anvil. I only use chrome sockets on my impacts when when I need a thin wall, however MAC now has a set of thin wall impact sockets that I am seriously looking at. Years ago when I started out I used chromes on my impacts and went through alot of anvils and alot of broken sockets, now days with impact sockets they all last much longer .
OP
kartracer55
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Never really noticed, It seems like the Chrome sockets will deform as well though. I have noticed that, for whatever reason, the craftsmans overly complex style square drive seems to hold up to impacting REALLY well. No deformation so far on the few I impact at the track.
Snap On impacts seem to be the thinnest of them all. I warrantied a 3/4 in 1/2 drive and it was thinner than my Matco 3/4 in 3/8 drive. Only rarely do impacts not fit though.
Jim
chevy302dz
Well-known member
It's never a good idea to use chrome sockets on impacts if it can be avoided. There is a reason for the different types of construction.