hex bit sockets?

[blackz26]

I tried another search, no answer...

I can think of one use I've had for them, GM caliber bolts. What else? Metric or standard? I did see a thread where a guy was looking for 1/4 drive because he was breaking too many heads with 3/8 drive. So i did try! Lol

 

[reptilezs]

i use them a lot as a bicycle mechanic. i got 2 complete sets and a few fillers. 1 set is for hand use with ratchets. the other set is for abuse with an impact. fillers are dedicated to a ratchet. mine are all metric

 

[firebox40dash5]

Random useless knowledge: lots of VAG calipers use 7mm hex bolts. Hell if I know why.

I only have a standard set because it was $10 at Lowe's, and a 1/4" long bit for the angle block on Meyer plow pumps. Otherwise, metric all the way. GW work for me and are reasonably cheap. I just ordered up a 1/4" set since the 3/8" only goes down to 4mm, and it is kinda overkill for bolts that small.

 

[blackz26]

Id also like to ask, are allen head sockets and hex bit sockets the same thing with different names?

 

[ihateminimumwage]

Id also like to ask, are allen head sockets and hex bit sockets the same thing with different names?

Yes.

I finally bought sockets after dealing with using the 'L-shaped' Allen keys for years. I can't go back now I've ended up using them daily in diesel work, they always turn up when you least expect it.

 

[Jbullfrog]

Id also like to ask, are allen head sockets and hex bit sockets the same thing with different names?

Yes, similiar to Crescent wrenches and all other adjustables.

Allen was the original brand name for hex wrenches.

 

[joejeep92]

Lots of uses on Ford trucks. I have metric and standard short, medium and long.

 

[abvw]

I frequently use 5mm (sway bar links, engine covers), 7mm (brakes), 8mm and 10mm (drain plugs). A set of metric will probably be suffice, SAE hex are quite rare on modern vehicles.

 

[ianguilly]

Sway bar links.

 

[blackz26]

Id also like to mention, I live this site. Within 5 minutes a question is answered. 30 minutes its fully covered. Amazing. Thanks guys.

 

[redline380]

Random useless knowledge: lots of VAG calipers use 7mm hex bolts. Hell if I know why.

i own an audi and i dropped the extra cash on an ebay set of snap on hex sockets. own any vag product and youll see the need for a full compliment of hex sockets. i currently own 4-12mm 3/8s snap on (missing the 11, but im always looking, as well as 14 and 17mm 1/2 mac sockets. i also bought 4,5, and 8mm 3/8 long snap on allen sockets.

allen's are all over these cars, as well as plenty of torx and some triple square.

i plan on buying 2-6mm 1/4 drive someday for interior and smaller work, but i havent snapped a head of with 3/8s yet, and my rear caliper bolts were pretty seized

 

[cide1]

Yamaha motorcycles have metric hex all over them. It's been a while since I've used the SAE ones on something automotive, but I just used one on a tv antenna handle in my travel trailer.

 

[blackz26]

I bought a standard set the other day, well redeemed money for them,Eric is definitely next. Then flarenut crowsfoot wrenches. They're 7 piece sets. I'll just fill them in as needed. I'm at the point where I have all the basics covered well. Starting to get the "special" tools now.

 

[redline380]

forgot to mention dont waste your money on ball type allen sockets. they will only cause more issues. just get regular.
IF you want ball sockets, do not use them the first try. it will strip the bolt instantly if any more than a bit of torque is applied. only use them after the bolt is loosened and it is easier to use the ball ones.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

forgot to mention dont waste your money on ball type allen sockets. they will only cause more issues. just get regular.

Good advice. The ball type are good for the L wrenches since you can't torque on them too hard (at least until you put an adjustable wrench on them )

 

[blackz26]

forgot to mention dont waste your money on ball type allen sockets. they will only cause more issues. just get regular.
IF you want ball sockets, do not use them the first try. it will strip the bolt instantly if any more than a bit of torque is applied. only use them after the bolt is loosened and it is easier to use the ball ones.

You mean the kind that are mushroomed on the end? Mine aren't like that. Mine are, of course, duralast. Theyll see low use, so should be fine.. Duralast has never let me down as a diyer. What are the ball type for anyway? Angled approach?

 

[ihateminimumwage]

What are the ball type for anyway? Angled approach?

Yup.

 

[billymade]

I appreciate what you are saying about the ball hex; I will say, however... they have their place. I just had to remove the intake on my vw beetle with a 1.8 Turbo; the hex bolts are waaaayyyy in there... the long ball hex sockets I got, made the job doable. These were small fasteners; weren't high torque but really helped with the not quite straight access that I had to get to them. These had never come off before; I was gentle with breaking the tightness of getting them off... went ok.

 

[redline380]

I just had to remove the intake on my vw beetle with a 1.8 Turbo; the hex bolts are waaaayyyy in there...

i own an audi .... i also bought 4,5, and 8mm 3/8 long snap on allen sockets.

my audi is a 1.8t so i know exactly what you are talking about. in fact, its the exact reason i bought the long 5mm allen socket. i can get a regular length one in there, but the long one makes it much easier. i dont see the need for the ball type in that specific application. not to toot my own horn, but i think i know a little bit about the 1.8t engine (06a block specific)

 

[abvw]

You mean the kind that are mushroomed on the end? Mine aren't like that. Mine are, of course, duralast. Theyll see low use, so should be fine.. Duralast has never let me down as a diyer. What are the ball type for anyway? Angled approach?

If you ever need to adjust wheel bearings on a Mercedes-Benz, a 5mm ball end hex sockets is the only thing that will you in there.

 

[blackz26]

If you ever need to adjust wheel bearings on a Mercedes-Benz, a 5mm ball end hex sockets is the only thing that will you in there.

Lol, something I'll NEVER have to worry about.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

some nissan engines have 6mm hex, mazda have 7mm, vag 8mm for rear calipers

 

[ATC]

I use them quite a bit. Motorcycles and ATV's use a lot of them, as well as a lot of newer vehicles.

I have Gearwrench sets up to 14mm. I don't have too many SAE's though...big gaps in my set up to 7/8" (dad is a forklift mechanic, which is where I got them from)

 

[blackz26]

some nissan engines have 6mm hex, mazda have 7mm, vag 8mm for rear calipers

Safe to assume Mitsubishi, like the eclipse gs,-t,x?

 

[tjmonsen5]

I use them all the time on BMW and audi. Brakes mainly.

 

[djb2]

I three or four metric sets which I use frequently on BMWs. They are common on suspension and driveline parts that have torque specs, so you pretty much need a socket.

I have only one SAE socket, which I bought for a plumbing fixture.

 

[Thunderbisciut]

Safe to assume Mitsubishi, like the eclipse gs,-t,x?

I've got a GSX and nothing pops into my head. In fact I can't think of anything on the car that needs something other than a 6 point socket. Don't forget though, the DSM is arguably more Chrysler than Mitsubishi.

 

[byoungblood]

Starting some time in the 80s, many Ford caliper bolts use inverted hex bolts. 8 or 10mm if I remember right.

 

[Hafen_Kafer]

What do you guys think of the, "Tekton" brand that amazon sells? They have a set of hex bits for 9.99

 

[e30bradley]

I use them almost daily.. Motorcycles, VAG, bicycles,

 

[blackz26]

I've got a GSX and nothing pops into my head. In fact I can't think of anything on the car that needs something other than a 6 point socket. Don't forget though, the DSM is arguably more Chrysler than Mitsubishi.

Ya wasn't the gsx manufactured in Illinois? Was The 4g63 also a Chrysler engine? I know the 420a was. Maybe the 00 up eclipse would have them, being the 99 was the last 99 dsm.

BTW, I love the gsx. That's one bad car. In my eyes anyway. And one day hope to own one.

 

[Jim C.]

I have a few common metric sizes that I rarely use, and several SAE sizes that I use frequently while tinkering with old 1940s and 50s woodworking machinery. I mostly find socket head set screws holding pulleys to electric motor shafts, saw blade and spindle arbors. I think hex bit sockets are handy when you need just a little more torque that a ratchet can provide, versus a standard "L" shaped hex key.

Jim C.

 

[Paladin]

i own an audi and i dropped the extra cash on an ebay set of snap on hex sockets. own any vag product and youll see the need for a full compliment of hex sockets. i currently own 4-12mm 3/8s snap on (missing the 11, but im always looking, as well as 14 and 17mm 1/2 mac sockets. i also bought 4,5, and 8mm 3/8 long snap on allen sockets.

allen's are all over these cars, as well as plenty of torx and some triple square.

i plan on buying 2-6mm 1/4 drive someday for interior and smaller work, but i havent snapped a head of with 3/8s yet, and my rear caliper bolts were pretty seized

Not Mac, but I just got a nice, brand-new Proto 17mm hex socket on Ebay a few weeks ago for $15 shipped. Why New Venture uses a 17mm hex fill-plug on the NV5600 is beyond me...

 

[Hammell]

5/8 hex bit for cat loader drain plug on axles. 10mm for planetary plug on john deer or Hitachi excavators. 14mm on Nissan xterra rear axle drain plug.

 

[Kracin]

use hex/allen sockets and wrenches all day long in plant maintenance. from regular fasteners to keep guards on, to set screws on couplings, and bearing blocks, etc.

more widely used than regular bolts in some cases.

i keep bondhus to eklin allen wrench sets, and a personal set of long and short ball hex. tough to find short ball hex, but all sizes come in handy at some point.

 

[RCStocker]

Id also like to ask, are allen head sockets and hex bit sockets the same thing with different names?

Allen is a brand name and was one of the first to make hex wrenches. The name stuck.

It is like Chanelock plires. They are a slip joint but they were made for the large nuts on hand water pumps and the large nuts on old equipment. Eveyone makes them but eveyone calls them a Channel lock because they were one of the first to make them and thus the name stuck. The proper name for them is a pump plires.

 

[Brownsfan]

Harley motorcycles have them everywhere. My buddy has one and I was helping him install some new handle bars and a few other things. Every bolt was hex. I got lucky when sears outlet was clearancing craftsman industrial they had metric and sae for 9.99 ea set. Couldn't pass that up and needed them anyway.

 

[Nocturnal-G]

Mercedes use a fair amount of hex... I haven't really bought any hex tools, still using my older Craftsman, gets the job done.

I eye'd the Wiha sets for awhile but was like meh, I'll buy other stuff instead. COO is Germany for the bits and Taiwan for the actual socket according to Wiha now.

 

[shockwave]

You really need a whole line of metric hex bit sockets and i use only 3/8 size in sae most of the time and get torx,triple square and e-torx as alot on manifolds use all on the above and use 1/4 drive up to 5mm anything larger u will need 3/8 as u can damaged the fastner trying to remove i had this happen trying to remove manifold on nissan xterra before since it used 6mm hex but i only had a 1/4 drive with adapter ended up forcing triple square on to remove and replaced bolt with new one afterwards

 

[Kevin54]

Hex bit sockets are the cats ***. It's hard to find a lot of things that doesn't have a socket head cap screw somewhere on it. As far as the ball drivers go, a long set in SAE and Metric is not a bad thing to have around. And if you don't get a set to fit on your ratchet, a set of "T" handles is at least a must to have. The ball drivers will give you enough to grab but at the angle you need to get into the socket head bolt.

I'd rather use hex bit sockets or "T" handles anytime over digging through the "L" shaped hex wrenches.