What's different about special impact sockets vs regular sockets

[ez at nova]

I'll probably pick up an impact gun for my compressor soon. I noticed Sears has special sockets and whatnot that are black and touted as specifically for impact guns. they are very expensive. Why can't I use the million sockets I already have that are "normal"?

 

[zam70]

Impact sockets are thicker walled and made out of a different metal. Much better socket.

regular sockets will work for awhile but if you've really got to hammer down on something they will crack or even shatter.

I've seen someone try to get a bolt loose with an impact + regular socket and it wouldn't budge. JUST BY CHANGING the socket to an impact style broke it right loose.

 

[1badTTA]

Originally posted by zam70
Impact sockets are thicker walled and made out of a different metal. Much better socket.

regular sockets will work for awhile but if you've really got to hammer down on something they will crack or even shatter.

I've seen someone try to get a bolt loose with an impact + regular socket and it wouldn't budge. JUST BY CHANGING the socket to an impact style broke it right loose.

Has alot to due with the weight of the socket too. Ever tried using too small of a hammer?

 

[KEVINS]

If a regular socket is used watch out for flying shrapnel!!

 

[ez at nova]

well, I guess I'll suck it up and buy the size I need for my lugs and go from there. I'm not buying all new sets!

 

[2quiktocare]

Impact sockets are far stronger than regular hand ratchet sockets. If you ever have seen someone rip their hand up using the wrong socket, you will understand. Kind of like you wouldn't use a pipe wrench on your fuel lines. Use the proper tool for safety sake. Mark

 

[Ken Cunningham]

I'm fortunate to live near a Harbor Freight Tools. They have complete impact socket sets pretty inexpensively. WAY better than buying sockets individually You might try this set for $30: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=36648

 

[EightSecV6]

Impact sockets hurt alot more when you throw them at your co-workers and they dont break as easy if you miss......

 

[ez at nova]

Harbor Freight

I think I might start a new topic inquiring about Harbor Freight. I get their catalogs online, and some of teh stuff is rediculously cheap...so cheap I'm worried it's junk. But, even their Ingersol Rand stuff and othe brand names are $10 or so less than, say, Sears.

 

[Ken Cunningham]

Harbor Freight

Some is junk, some is not. Since this is the Turbo Lounge, let me digress a little here...

I've installed 3 posi rears in my TR's. For some lucky reason all three TR's I've bought came with open rears. Since I have to pull the axles anyway, I go ahead and replace the wheel bearings too. The Chilton's manual tells you to use the axle to pry out the bearing seal. I kid you not. I did this on my first replacement, but I don't like the idea of using my axel as a pry tool. For my 2nd posi install I got a "seal puller" tool at Harbor Freight specially made for prying out these seals. Broke the first time I used it without even pulling the seal out.

For my 3rd time I used a slide hammer set from Harbor Freight. This pulled the bearing and the seal, but broke the bearing in the process. Little ball bearings loose from their cage rolling around on the ground and in the axle tube. I retrieved all that I could find, and the axle tube still had a coating of oil so the balls couldn't really roll back down. But I still had an awful feeling that 1 or more of the little buggers could be loose in my rear end, ready to grenade my gears.

So far so good, though.

 

[2quiktocare]

Ken, if you use the c-clip land on the axle to catch the seal lip, you can pop the seals out quick and easily. You would have to be Magilla Gorilla to damage an axle doing that. Although I am sure someone has done that very thing before. You can go into shops all over the country and see it being done as normal practice. Seal pullers aren't cheap for the good ones, and don't work near as quick or well as the axel. Mark