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does anyone else hate 12 point wrenches and sockets?

OffRoad

OffRoad

1/2 ton status
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i wanted to take the driveshaft out (cause it and the u-joint are porked), and i need to take out the bolts that hold it onto the outputs for the t-case and tranny (t case is divorced). but i can't becasue i only have 12 point wrenches and sockets, so i can feel the bolt stripping and stop before it's totally stripped. of course the truck is from 1988 and driven year round and i don't know whay they would be hard to get out? :rolleyes: time to go to the hardware store and buy some 6 point stuff. i mean good tools, not that cheap jap crap i have now. *mumble mumble* stupid 12 point sockets and their existing... *mumble mumble*
 
Craftsman just released a set this summer that is entirely 6 point. Even the box end wrenches. I bought it right away. Make sure you keep your twelve point stuff handy though because their are a few cases where you need that extra angle option or you have a square nut to remove.
 
There are a few times when i have liked 12pt sockets.

1. Required to work on the Navy's CIWS gun
2. Required to remove a 8.8 rear out of a Furd Exploder
3. When i get them for free

Other than that, they suck
 
i know you need them for some stuff, just having them as your primary wrenches (like me right now) isn't good. the stubborn stuff just strips.

now if only a 12 point wrench would work the same way on a stubborn woman... :laugh: :eek1: :wink1: uh oh!!
 
i keep a set of the cheap sockets in 6 point and 12 point to pound a small size on to get it off. it works great. recently i pounded a 13mm socket on a 9/16 head bolt, it was stripped BAD. even the 6 point sockets were stripping it. i ended getting it off that way.
other words i always use my 6 point craftsman set.
 
Just like any tools, they have their place. They make it easy to get on the bolt or nut and that makes them faster to use. They can get on a bolt with a shorter degree arc than a six point. For high torque, a six point is the way to go. Just another one of those "right tool for the job" things. Plus, a lot of the cheap wrenches aren't real close on the fit.
 
stripped bolt remover..

I got a set of those Craftsman "Bolt Out" dewhickies for Christmas last year--just used one to get rotted exhaust manifold bolts and a plow pump pulley off a harmonic balancer..they worked slick..just bang the closest one to fitting on with a hammer,and zing it right off with the impact!..(or regular hand wrenches)..I hate 12 point sockets and wrenches--useless here in salt land 90% of the time..a 9/16 bolt head is more like a 1/2" rivet head after a few years worth of winters here... :mad:

Unfortunately thats about all I have right now--only one of my Craftsman "suitcase" set of tools has SOME 6 pt. sockets..but all my Craftsman ratchets are JUNK--2 of them right out of the box NEW were skipping!..I'm going to see if Home Depot will trade me for "Husky" ones..cant be any worse than Sears ratchets have been lately.. :mad: :crazy:
 
Can't stand the Craftsman ratchets myself. The best I've found are made by Mac. They have some super fine tooth ratchets that never seem to slip. The only big problem is their prices...
 
I was just thinking about how much I hate 12 point sockets. The only thing I hate more than 12 point sockets are 12 point bolts. Wtf can a 12 point bolt do that a 6 point cant beside bring your project to a screaching halt in the middle of the night...

I have a really good Master Mechanic ratchet. The sell this brand at my local hardware store, their stuff seems to be of decent quality. The ratchet has very little slop and is older than dirt.
 
This is a personal peeve of mine 'cause the Army has thing for buy crap/wrong tools. TWELVE POINT SOCKETS ARE FOR TWELVE POINT BOLTS!

The idiots who procure this crap have never lifted a wrench in there life. It almost as bad as the INCOMPLETE socket set (another Army :doah: ) You know, the set that goes 9mm 10mm 11mm 13mm 15mm....

Or how 'bout only 1/2" drive sockets and 1/4" drive sockets; no 3/8 drive (like EVERY other real mechanic in the free world. :screwy:

Time to take me medication....
 
About the only thing worse than 12 point bolts is those tamper resistant torx!
On my CTD most everything is 6pt metric except the starter bolts, metric 12pt.

Dan, like the pic in your sig.
I almost(should have) bought a M820A to convert into a motorhome.
 
Yep. 12pt can make for a long day, espically with a nice gun backing it up. It is nice ot have a set of 12 and 6 point sockets though. It seems like 12 pt sockets are more of a problem then 12 pt combo wrenches, prolly because there is more power/leverage behind the socket.

Oh another thing 12pt is good for the tailshaft bolts on a NV4500! :D
 
DDan,

That avatar is my old (1970) DS-3 M35A2 W/W. It was a running rig! 'Had taller XZL (11x20) radials, fresh turbo, tweeked injection pump, under-rider push bar (keeps the Nissans from collecting underneath :D ), ESP high back drivers seat, ringmount (for .50 cal before it got deligated :mad: ) and removable HardOx for the doors (save the door latches when not needed).

It wasn't the oldest or newest truck we had, but it was the most loved (well, at least by some of us gearheads). It was a sad day when we left it in Iraq. :(
 
IMO 12pt are only good for tight locations where there is not room for anything but a box and less than a 1/6th turn at a time. That doesn't occur too often.

Other than that 6pt.
 
With the exception of 12 pt fasteners I prefer 12 pt sockets. But for wrenches I'll take a set of QUALITY 12 pt over 6 pt any day. They are so much easier to line up when working in a blind spot & have twice the # of positions(duh) to fit the head. Spline wrenches are even better.
 
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