My impact gun just ate a socket on a rusty Ford today

I was under a 2012 F-150 in Baltimore trying to get a stubborn lower control arm bolt off, and the impact twisted the 21mm socket clean in half. The whole thing shattered and sent shrapnel into my forearm, left a nice scratch but nothing too bad. Anyone else have a brand that holds up better on seized suspension bolts?

2 comments

2 Comments

michael8801h ago

Same thing happened to me last year on a rusty Tacoma. The bolt was so seized the socket just split like an eggshell. I switched over to impact grade sockets from Sunex and haven't had one crack yet, even on the nastiest suspension bolts. They're thicker and the steel is tougher, but you still gotta be smart about it. Hit it with PB Blaster first and let it soak for ten minutes, then use a breaker bar with a cheater pipe before you even touch the impact. Saves your tools and your skin.

parker_foster531h ago

One thing a lot of people miss is that the socket failure can also depend on the brand of the impact wrench itself. @michael880 mentioned Sunex sockets which are good, but I've seen guys run torque sticks off cheap impacts and still blow sockets because the hammer mechanism hits too hard too fast. I always check the anvil drive size too - a 1/2 inch impact on a 1/4 inch adapter is asking for trouble. The real trick is matching the socket wall thickness to the bolt size. On suspension bolts like control arms, I go up one socket size if I can, like using a 19mm on a 18mm bolt head if it fits snug. That extra metal keeps the socket from spreading. Also, heating the bolt with a torch for 30 seconds before the PB Blaster helps the penetrant wick in deeper. Most guys skip that step and wonder why the socket still cracks.