Is spline drive a gimmick or does it work?

[FuzzyTiger]

I was looking at purchasing a set of gearwrench spline drive wrenches but I was wondering if they're actually any good. They claim to work on pretty much any kind of fasteners which sets off alarm bells in my head. Plus they remind me of 12 point sockets which love to round over bolts.

So does spline drive actually live up to its claims?

 

[landrover bodger]

i have a set of spline drive sockets and have had good results on damaged or rounded bolts .

 

[Fedwrench]

It can but, it can also damage fasteners if you use the wrong size wrench.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Works fine, but is a pain on rusted fasteners. Hard to get on, then the fastener is stuck in the tool. Cheap spline drive, like the **** that gives you a 13mm and 1/2 socket combo, is garbage IME.

 

[JradM]

Spline drive is great! ... except when it is sold as "universal" drive. That just means they made the spline drive sloppy so it can fit more fasteners (like the above mentioned 13mm & 1/2"). Spline drive in dedicated sizes isn't sloppy and can grip worn fasteners better than 12pt.

I have no complaints about my Proto reversible ratcheting spline-drive combination wrenches, for example.

 

[81turbota]

I use a lot of spline tools at work...for spline drive fasteners that are common. Each tool box has 1-2 drawers dedicated to spline tools. I haven’t used spine drive on conventional fasteners though.

Infuriating fun fact - most spline fasteners I encounter are M6, with a socket size of 8mm spline. The majority of our 8mm spline sockets are Snap On dated 1997... 8 on one side of the socket 7 on the other for the date code. That has frustrated many techs as we occasionally work with M5 spline.

 

[toddmorr]

i have some extra long Carlyle flex ratcheting wrenches, spline drive. I like them and use a lot, but have to say the spline drive is minorly annoying. When you really get on it on a hex fastener, it tends to grab the fastener and tough to get it off the tool later. Not a deal killer but still annoying.

 

[Luke5305]

I've used the universal fastener type heads on a set of blue point ratchet sticks for years, probably the same mechanism as the gearwrench ones tba, I've used them on metric , imperial and external torx fittings, even used them to drive the square end of taps/reamers in tight spaces,

Only seen spline drive fixings on VW/Audi vehicles in the UK, they use spline bolts to secure the hubs, calipers etc.

 

[plinker]

I'd take 12pt over spline, I really dont know why most ratcheting wrenches seem to have it. Kabo seems to be better at spline quality then Gearwrench though. That said, as long as the wrench is not sitting crooked on the bolt/nut they seem to work fine. I've had some smaller fasteners get a little chewed and that makes a new problem if they do in fact round off. Never had spline work on rounded stuff like they claim, square is hit or miss. E-torx is ok.

 

[u3b3rg33k]

Spine drive seems to work for split driveshafts and PTO...

 

[MarvinBerry]

Have a set of spline drive metric combo wrenches that fit & work pretty well... Husky bought em for my old Jeep box.

Bought a set of spline 'universal' nut drivers from Kobalt and gotdamn they ****.

Not **** enough to be completely useless but they sure as **** don't fit both SAE & metric as advertised. Tested each one on known fastener sizes & marked the fits. Even then good for lo torque only.

 

[rustynutz]

I have the old SK spline socket set that came with the palm control ratchet from quite a few years back. I was hesitant to use them initially, but found that they work quite well. They've worked well on some rusty/damaged fasteners and have worked fine on everything else. I even used the 3/8" drive sockets with a 1/2" breaker bar when in a jam and it didn't strip at all, just bit down and removed the bolts. I'm just as confident using them on 6pt/12pt fasteners as I am traditional 6 or 12 point sockets. The splines can leave little marks on nuts & bolts if that is a concern though.

I also used them on e-torx, before I had e-torx tools, but I wouldn't recommend it. I did damage an e-torx bolt and wasn't able to remove one of several fasteners. If the e-torx is rusted, damaged, or small, just get the right tool or exercise caution. The idea of them being "universal" and being able to use them on everything is iffy at best. There just isn't much contact on square or e-torx fasteners to be able to apply much torque safely.

 

[Al Borland]

They work great on rusty, rounded bolts and nuts. Just hammer them on and they dig into the ruined fastener, completing the destructive process.

 

[Josh the IH guy]

I have a set of craftsman 1/2 drive spline drive. I use them fairly often, since its what's at the work bench. They are ok. I wouldn't want to use them on an old rusted bolt anymore than I'd use a 12 point. But for most day to day tinkering they work just fine.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

I like flex wrenches in spline drive because they fit torx applications, it's hard to find a good selection for torx. Like others have mentioned - tolerances are important so don't cheap out. I have carlyle, SK, cornwell and bahco in spline and have no complaints. I'm not sure if I would spend the money on gearwrench.

 

[bwringer]

They can cause cosmetic damage to otherwise healthy fasteners, then the damaged areas rust.

So no go on stuff like motorcycles, but usually not an issue deep in the bowels of a Ford.

 

[Ton ton]

.

 

[General Geoff]

I have the old SK spline socket set that came with the palm control ratchet from quite a few years back. I was hesitant to use them initially, but found that they work quite well. They've worked well on some rusty/damaged fasteners and have worked fine on everything else. I even used the 3/8" drive sockets with a 1/2" breaker bar when in a jam and it didn't strip at all, just bit down and removed the bolts. I'm just as confident using them on 6pt/12pt fasteners as I am traditional 6 or 12 point sockets. The splines can leave little marks on nuts & bolts if that is a concern though.

Ditto. Have the same SK spline set, use the hell out of em. Wish they were still made.

 

[DAustin]

I bought some Craftsman (made in China) spline wrenches there was a metric set and a SAE set. I've never used them, in fact I'm not sure I've taken them off the plastic racks they came on.

 

[demarpaint]

I bought some Craftsman (made in China) spline wrenches there was a metric set and a SAE set. I've never used them, in fact I'm not sure I've taken them off the plastic racks they came on.

Now that I think of it, I don't think I've used mine either.

 

[snickers muncher]

I bought some Craftsman (made in China) spline wrenches there was a metric set and a SAE set. I've never used them, in fact I'm not sure I've taken them off the plastic racks they came on.

Now that I think of it, I don't think I've used mine either.

Ha, I've got a GearWrench set in Metric and Standard and they've never been off the plastic rack!

 

[Luciferi]

I used my proto 1/2” ratcheting spline wrench with a 2 ft pipe to get very tight e torx starter bolt out of an e46. No damage to fastener or wrench.

 

[corn chip]

I like flex wrenches in spline drive because they fit torx applications,

what vehicle ( or motorcycle for that matter) uses exterior torx bolts beside oddball *** backward engineered fords ?

 

[seber]

Mercedes is all etorx.

 

[corn chip]

yes i should of known. i guess etorx does have a fancier look than just a plain old crummy six side bolt