Hoping to get advice from the experienced. My first Ducati and so my first experience with a 230Nm nut. Either my technique is lacking so I'm causing damage or I am expecting too much from the tool (the wheel nut socket). I purchased this wheel nut tool in March 2020 three weeks before taking delivery of a V4S. Had read all of the kerfuffle about stainless steel versus aluminium sockets - the Al ones were getting mangled so SS was the way to go (though I now realise there is more to be considered if buying anodised or shiny titanium wheel nuts) - and identified this one as claiming superiority. I remove the rear wheel regularly, so far six times over six months, to get better access for cleaning and also to ensure no binding of the monster nut due to corrosion or whatever. For that job I use a small Chicago Pneumatic rattle gun and the pictured socket. (So far have only used this socket on the rear wheel nut.) The rattle gun with my tiny compressor is not particularly powerful, just barely budges the nut, but enables me to finish getting it off with a breaker bar. The square drive on the gun is in perfect condition, no discernible wear. I clean and lubricate the threads and the thin washer each time with Ducati's recommended grease and re-tighten to 225-230Nm with a Norbar torque wrench. The issue I have is that the square drive recess on the socket has become deformed so now there is freeplay when mounted on the rattle gun. It is no longer a perfect square and I assume it will get worse. So far there is slight scuffing on the internal faces and consequently I see scuffing on the double-hex surfaces of the wheel nut and also on the face of the taper cone bush. (Disregard the two circular swirls on the back surfaces of the socket - these appear to be rough tooling marks from the mill and were on the brand new socket when it arrived.) At this point I have stuck with the OEM nut and taper cone bush but the scuffing makes me wonder what happens to anodised or very expensive titanium components. So my question to the experienced is, is the deformation in the socket's square drive recess and scuffing of the wheel nut what you would expect? This is stainless steel, not aluminium alloy, so is this normal?
I'm guessing the hammering action of the Air gun is deforming the socket interface. I personally only use a regular socket when using an Air gun, and these manufactured low height sockets I use with a torque wrench to prevent slippage of the socket on the nut. I'm not a great fan of using Air guns on the rear wheel, as I suffered a output shaft bearing failure shortly after solving a stuck rear wheel nut. if its too tight, I use my trailer or van tiedown points to fix the bike and prevent the bike moving backwards when I attach a breaker bar..
I haven't seen that type of damage to a socket before ( it's usually the business end that gets thrashed ) Most workshops only use the black sockets with rattle guns .... so maybe there's good reason .... I'm guessing
Adding to what @Nathanhu said - I agree that the hammering of the rattle gun is causing the deformation of the square recess in the socket. I only see those sockets as “get you home” tools that are designed to be smaller and flatter than a proper 55mm socket so they are easier to store on the bike. Stainless steel is nowhere near as robust as a regular chrome vanadium workshop tool socket and so are not designed to be used with rattle guns. My advice is for you to chuck your stainless socket and get a properly designed socket. Many people say that it is necessary to buy a socket designed to be used with an impact gun (normally dull black) but I have always used a regular Cr-V socket with no problems. As for scuffing of the nut faces - they all do that, sir.
Yes - those sockets are not designed for heavy use with a rattle gun - they are not heat treated - to take the impacts from the hardened drive on the Impact Gun. I use similar from USA company (Motomfg) - but probably used it 4 times in 3 years - not monthly. Nut marks are normal - just how it is... You can buy the same type socket - in Black Hardened versions - Laser and others (no personal experience) Or as been said - buy a normal BiHex Black impact socket - but that would have a large lead in chamfer and no central support. If you go that route - i would grind away the majority of the chamfer to maximise the nut contact area as they are shallow compared to a normal nut that size.
Impact sockets are made from chrome molybdenum so they don't deform under the impact. I guess your socket isnt which is why it is becoming damaged. As an aside, regular sockets on impact guns have the habit of shedding the chrome coating and sometimes exploding, which is why I would always wear safety glasses when using them. If the socket deforms further internally it will eventually damage the wheel nut.
Also Make sure that the rear brake is on firmly - locked with a clamp - or strap - or someone holding it - because slight movement - reduced the efficiency of the rattle guns.
There's no way any of the 300-series stainless steels (which I expect it is) is a suitable material for this! Treat it as if it were aluminium and only use - if at all - with your breaker bar.
You are doing nothing wrong, as said, this was meant to be thought of as a "space-saver" socket, not for regular use but (MOO) for the job it does, and used regularly, it should be 3/4" drive and it shouldn't have such large reliefs* in each corner which are removing vital, load-transferring surface area. Also, is the drive penetrating to full depth? it's hard to see from pic. * possibly come about to reduce tool breakage during machining.
This is a link to Carbon Trader who retail CTMoto tools, https://www.carbon-trader.com/tools.htm. Seems to me there is a disparity between their claims and use in the real world. @Pete T, I do note however, they offer a lifetime guarantee. Andy
My socket did the same on my impact wrench ....I am not too fussed mind, I would rather it fail at that side than on the nut if it is going to fail. It still removes the stupidly tight nut OK Wear some safety glasses and gloves when using it, just in case it shatters.
That CTMoto socket is not designed to be used with an impact gun of any sort no matter what anybody might try & tell you. The 1/2" square drive has been milled rather than forged, hence the radiused corners where the cutting tool has been & it will never give a good enough fit on the male square drive of the tool, espically an impact gun, air or battery operated. Although that socket looks very nice it is only suitable for use with hand tools, certainly up the the torque required for your rear wheel. True impact sockets are never chrome plated, they are always black in colour & this prevents the chrome plating chipping off & I think the chroming process can also make the metal brittle, (not an expert on this, but the reasons are along those lines). Yes you can use chrome plated sockets on impact guns, but they are not designed for such use. Ideally for the kind of torque that your rear wheel requires you should be using a 3/4" drive socket & tools. That way the torque wrench would be long enough to apply the required torque without you having to stand on it !! Most of us wouldn't be using it quite as often as you so we are happy enough to struggle on with our 1/2" set-up. Because of the amount of use you are clearly putting yours to it might be worth the expense to you to consider going down the 3/4" drive route. I notice CTMoto's advert says you can use a "power wrench", which to me is NOT an impact gun !
There'll be no problem with it shattering - it's deforming because it's soft & ductile. It it were made of the correct hardened material it wouldn't be deforming from the impact-driver torque...
I always have tried by hand and if it won't budge then break out the impact driver. If using all the time, get an impact socket or the strongest normal socket you can find.
This socket would be my choice rather than a "normal" socket or normal impact socket. The Laser socket has a guide on it, which locates in the axle & supports the socket/nut while you are applying your weight to undo or tighten said nut. A normal socket doesn't provide this same support & it is very easy to slip off the nut & damage something, nut/wheel rim/fingers/knuckles, etc
