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Lowest profile tap sockets

Pinne

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I'm looking for shallow tap sockets for tight access - I've got something similar to the Lisle ones, but they're longer than I'd like. I haven't had any luck finding what I'm looking for - any suggestion?

Alternatively, short length taps for thread chasing would work...but I haven't found those either.

Thanks for any wisdom!
 
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cannuck

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I'm looking for shallow tap sockets for tight access - I've got something similar to the Lisle ones, but they're longer than I'd like. I haven't had any luck finding what I'm looking for - any suggestion?

Alternatively, short length taps for thread chasing would work...but I haven't found those either.

Thanks for any wisdom!
I use a selection of 1/4 drive and 3/8 drive 12 and 8 pt sockets to do this with a ratchet. Don't always have good fit but almost always gets the job done.
 

signcrafter

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Pretty sure the only thing smaller then the lisle tap sockets is going to be 12 pt shallow socket, or even a ratcheting wrench if it will fit in and work. If you are just chasing threads I believe my lang thread chasers are shorter then actual taps.
 

signcrafter

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Wera makes 1/4 hex metric tap bits.

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Those are pretty neat. 7 piece set isn't too expensive either but it doesn't say what threat pitch they are. I only found one set for metric. But you can never have too many tools in your oh **** drawer for when things go south. Can be the difference between a small hiccup and a horrible day when you break a bolt or threads get messed up. Thanks for sharing another tool I didn't know existed. My luck is they won't be the right pitch but worth having if they work once to save the day.
 

Buckgnarly

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Those are pretty neat. 7 piece set isn't too expensive either but it doesn't say what threat pitch they are. I only found one set for metric. But you can never have too many tools in your oh **** drawer for when things go south. Can be the difference between a small hiccup and a horrible day when you break a bolt or threads get messed up. Thanks for sharing another tool I didn't know existed. My luck is they won't be the right pitch but worth having if they work once to save the day.
Where did you find them?....agreed, they look interesting and useful for stressful situatuons!
 
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Pinne

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Thanks for all the suggestions - the Wera bits that KnurledNut suggested seem like they'd work quite well. Going to order those.
 

ecotec

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I would look through your spare sockets for 4pt and 8pt sockets. I, sometimes, used those before I had tap sockets.
 
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Pinne

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I would look through your spare sockets for 4pt and 8pt sockets. I, sometimes, used those before I had tap sockets.
Ain't got a single one, for better or worse. I did consider buying some 4pts but taps don't seem to have a great fit in standard sockets given the rounded corners.
 

Steve_P

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Ain't got a single one, for better or worse. I did consider buying some 4pts but taps don't seem to have a great fit in standard sockets given the rounded corners.

I went thru this years ago before the Lisle tap sockets were available and measured a bunch of taps. Inch size taps typically don't use a common fractional size for the flats. Metric taps can have a whole number flat dimension in MM, but 4/8 point metric sockets aren't too popular. Which is part of the point of the Lisle tap sockets.
 

whateg01

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I'm looking for shallow tap sockets for tight access - I've got something similar to the Lisle ones, but they're longer than I'd like. I haven't had any luck finding what I'm looking for - any suggestion?

Alternatively, short length taps for thread chasing would work...but I haven't found those either.

Thanks for any wisdom!
For thread chasing I cut a dull tap off short and taper the end.
 
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KnurledNut

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You can just press a nut that is just slightly smaller than the square of the tap. It will hold fine for just cleaning up a threaded hole in a tight spot
Absolutely. Have some like that too. Use a lower grade nut so it will displace the threads.
 

Dave455

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Those are pretty neat. 7 piece set isn't too expensive either but it doesn't say what threat pitch they are. I only found one set for metric. But you can never have too many tools in your oh **** drawer for when things go south. Can be the difference between a small hiccup and a horrible day when you break a bolt or threads get messed up. Thanks for sharing another tool I didn't know existed. My luck is they won't be the right pitch but worth having if they work once to save the day.
Those will be metric coarse pitch (which is roughly equivalent to most other fine pitches). These are the threads you find mostly on vehicles, general hardware, etc

M3 x .5, M4 x .7, M5 x .8, M6 x 1, M8 x1.25, M10 x 1.5

Metric fine is very fine and only used for relatively specialised applications. The only common one on vehicles are the wheel bolts.

But yes, they should have specified!
 
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nicks78camaro

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Those will be metric coarse pitch (which is roughly equivalent to most other fine pitches). These are the threads you find mostly on vehicles, general hardware, etc

M3 x .5, M4 x .7, M5 x .8, M6 x 1, M8 x1.25, M10 x 1.5

Metric fine is very fine and only used for relatively specialised applications. The only common one on vehicles are the wheel bolts.

But yes, they should have specified!

M10x1.25 is extremely common these days on many makes.
 

Steve_P

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Those will be metric coarse pitch (which is roughly equivalent to most other fine pitches). These are the threads you find mostly on vehicles, general hardware, etc

M3 x .5, M4 x .7, M5 x .8, M6 x 1, M8 x1.25, M10 x 1.5

Metric fine is very fine and only used for relatively specialised applications. The only common one on vehicles are the wheel bolts.

But yes, they should have specified!

Metric fine is very fine and only used for relatively specialised applications. The only common one on vehicles are the wheel bolts.

Umm, no. At least not on what I own. I have a 2006 Mitsubishi Evo; it uses fine thread bolts all over the place on the engine. My 2009 Tacoma also uses lots of fine threads.

To add, there are typically two "fine" metric pitches, which I'm sure you know since you're in the UK.
 

T444e

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I went thru this years ago before the Lisle tap sockets were available and measured a bunch of taps. Inch size taps typically don't use a common fractional size for the flats. Metric taps can have a whole number flat dimension in MM, but 4/8 point metric sockets aren't too popular. Which is part of the point of the Lisle tap sockets.
I've never had any issues using 4pt/8pt sockets for taps, these were all fractional. I have no experience with metric 4pt/8pt sockets, don't have any, never seen any. Granted, I never looked for them either.
 

WWheeler

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[...] Alternatively, short length taps for thread chasing would work...but I haven't found those either.

If you're just thread chasing, thread restorer taps tend to be a lot shorter than regular taps, and they work with a regular short socket. This 48 pc set I believe is made by Kastar and sold under a lot of other brands other than this Craftsman, like Lang, Snap-on, Mac, Matco, etc.

They aren't going to work for cutting new threads though.

Thread Restorer Taps.jpg
 
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Dave455

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M10x1.25 is extremely common these days on many makes.
Yes, the common ones you tend to find, or at least I tend to find, are M10 x 1.25, M12 x 1.5 and M14 x 1.5.
Metric fine is very fine and only used for relatively specialised applications. The only common one on vehicles are the wheel bolts.

Umm, no. At least not on what I own. I have a 2006 Mitsubishi Evo; it uses fine thread bolts all over the place on the engine. My 2009 Tacoma also uses lots of fine threads.

To add, there are typically two "fine" metric pitches, which I'm sure you know since you're in the UK.
When I contribute to a thread like this, I’m attempting to be helpful to the O.P, who obviously has a particular problem to solve, and in this case answer a particular question about the tap bits that KnurledNut helpfully posted.

I could, just give a simple answer and say “they will be metric coarse”, however, I try and think through things a stage further. I assume the O.P. is in the U.S. so he’s probably used to looking at things like Unified threads and thread chasers, and is perhaps less used to looking at metric ones.

He may be thinking “I don’t want coarse thread, I need standard” or “they look like fine pitch”, so I felt a bit more explanation was fair, hence I stated that “metric coarse pitch is roughly equivalent to most other fine pitches” - which it is, and that they are MOSTLY (not exclusively) used on vehicles, which they are.

To continue, I stated “metric fine is very fine“ which it is, compared to say Unified fine, and only used for “relatively specialised“ applications, which I would argue it is. Wheel bolts are one such application. O.K. you’ve got some on your engine, but… the coarse pitch‘s are still, generally, the more common.

To be pedantic, the number of fine pitches available as standard varies with the thread size. In M4 for example, the standard / coarse pitch is .7, the fine .5. In M14, the standard / coarse pitch is 2, but fine pitches generally available are 1.5, 1.25 and 1.0.

In the case of these tap bits, they go down to 3mm and I would suggest that there is only one fine pitch regularly found in those small sizes.

For what it’s worth, I keep some basic metric taps and die nuts in my general box for dealing with threads on vehicles. The only metric fine I have are 10, 12 and 14 and those are all I’ve needed for vehicles, but everybody has different needs.

To get back on topic, yes, those tap bits look useful. Used in a bit ratchet they will be as low profile as anything, and a set would be a great thing to add to a road box.

My only concern with those particular ones is that I believe they are made in China, and I’ve never found a Chinese tap that was up to much.
 
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Mohawk Dave

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cannuck

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@Dave455
Check out Voelkel's offerings before pulling the trigger on the Wera.l
These were really interesting and informative. At first I thought of them as replacing my round shank sets of taper/plug/bottoming taps, but then it occurred to me that I usually start a tap in the press or mill by chucking it up to start the thread and then slip before breaking (yeah, I keep meaning to buy a tapping attachment...but somehow never get a round tuit).
 
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Pinne

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Dave455

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@Dave455
Check out Voelkel's offerings before pulling the trigger on the Wera.
They have quite an extensive range.
https://voelkel.com/en/
Catalog starting page 60: https://voelkel.com/media/4e/69/b8/1709295983/VD 23 DE-EN.pdf

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The DS series is very unique.
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I was aware of the Volkel, but only the regular length - not the short ones, hence I didn’t mention them.

Yes, I think they would be far better quality. I’ve got a few Volkel taps (I think Volkel and Lyndon are all manufactured in the same place) and they’re fine. Not top end perhaps, but decent hand taps.

Even if they are not quite as low profile as the Wera I’d take them in preference!
 

Milton Shaw

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40 or so years ago I brazed nuts on several tap sizes to get the effect of the Lisle sockets to be able to use taps in restricted applications. Still have several, I clamped in heavy vise and cooled them off in water to keep from losing the temper of the taps when I did them at least 40 years ago.
 
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