Flush fitting 6 point socket sets?

Muncher

Muncher

Muncher

Soldato
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
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Location
Ipswich
Does anyone know where I can buy a socket set (preferably impact) which immediately go into the hexagonal flats rather than being designed for bolts which have some kind of collar on them?

I ask because I borrowed one such socket from my neighbour yesterday for torquing very shallow headed flywheel bolts which sit flush onto the flywheel. They allow you to grip absolutely all of the edges of the bolt. His one had been made by taking an existing socket and cutting off the end few mm on a lathe to make it a flush fit. If I need to I'll do that but if I can buy them off the shelf it may be easier.
 
You can simply grind the end off a standard socket (e.g. with a bench or angle grinder) if you want to remove the short tapered section. It's only there to make it easier to locate the socket onto a fastener.

If you have fasteners that are a little fragile it's always best to go for a flank drive socket as well which helps avoid any rounded corners.
 
What's the difference with flank drive?

I think it needs to be done on a lathe really to get a totally flush finish.
 
Muncher said:
I guess they just have a tighter tollerance?
Click to expand...

They are of a different design.

Wall Drive:
10dzhwp.jpg


Normal Drive:
2luq6br.jpg
 
Walldrive (or what ever each manufacturer has named it) was the best investment I have made. Saved so so many stripped rusty nuts/heads.
 
Muncher said:
I can't really see the differences in that pic, the wavy sections I would be cutting off I imagine.
Click to expand...

No, the wavy sections are what contacts the flats on the hex, rather than the corners as with normal 6 or 12 point sockets.

You can easily grind down a normal socket by hand to remove the tapered section, I've done it lots of times before (most often on small 1/4" drive sockets since the lead in can be a significant fraction of the fastener depth). You'd need a very hard lathe tool to turn down a decent chrome vanadium socket.
 
My wall drive sockets (Draper ones) look more like conventional 6 sided sockets but the straight edges curve inwards slightly to ensure that the socket butts up against the flats rather than the corners.
 
You could get a set of impact sockets. I use them for very stubborn bolts even when I don't need to put them on my air impact wrench. The tolerance seems tighter than on my normal sockets and they are certainly flatter at the end. I've not rounded one yet and that includes using a 19mm one on the end of a 4 foot breaker bar to undo the hub mounting nuts on the fourty.
Halfords sell them.
 
not happened tbh, not that i can remember but ive had plenty of times where an old or rotten bolt has been chewed to bits by a 12 point socket
 
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