Wheel Nut Socket - Am I Doing This Wrong?

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. Pretty consistent and sound advice under this "Technical Help" forum - I've certainly learned a lot from your comments - and very different to the conversations I've followed elsewhere (which lead me to the CTMOTO socket and there are a lot of forum members who go straight to an impact wrench).

Damn I nearly bought that Laser socket. And yes I did get the impression from the CTMOTO blurb - 400% stronger - that it was safe to use an impact wrench. After all, what on earth is a "power wrench" and why would you even make such a claim? (I've never come across this term before.)

FYI I also raised this issue in the Ducati Modified forum where I asked how people avoid scuffing their soft anodised aluminium and polished titanium bling nuts. I have OEM nuts on my bike but wanted to cover this perspective for anybody interested in adding bling bits. I was thinking of trying an anodised nut but of course the experience with the tough OEM hardware made me wonder how people get on without ruining them. Turns out it's a different approach - a soft alloy socket is used with a long breaker bar - and you tape the nut. Definitely no impact wrench. But I think ultimately they will get marked, if not scratched, just from the compression so you either polish or replace or put up with it. Here's a link if interested...
https://ducatimodified.com/threads/rear-wheel-nut-socket-how-do-you-avoid-damage.48/

I'll follow up with CTMOTO and see what they have to say. Frankly I'm expecting them to duck and weave. It definitely has not performed to expectations based on the manufacturer's claims but, worst case, the socket is still serviceable for use with a breaker bar.

I am going to take the generally agreed advice and avoid using the impact driver. Currently shopping for a 1000mm/40" breaker bar. My 600mm bar doesn't quite work under my 75kg body.

Once again thanks everyone. I have only one more problem to solve...

WTF does WWIFBTD mean? ​

 

Thanks Nathanhu, I guess I just had to learn the hard way but coming to the same conclusion.

 

It's actually reassuring to get confirmation of that.

 

I now understand that stainless steel is not the hardest material. Certainly the blackened sockets combined with a long breaker bar were what I should have bought for that combination of super strength and gentle application. Good to have the impact wrench in the arsenal but only as a last resort.

 

Yes I do apply the brake as you say. But will switch to a breaker bar. I wonder about leaving the bike in gear - this does help too but is there any risk of bending something inside the engine?

 

This in a nutshell is what I take away. Thanks Keith.

 

Yes fully and firmly seated to a depth of 10mm of the square male surface. Also the ball bearings are correctly seating in the grooves within the socket walls. I take your point about the large reliefs compromising at the most critical point. Interestingly the only socket (talking about these special shallow sockets with internal supporting rings) that I have found with 3/4" drive is the Motocorse aluminium alloy item. It is intended for use on titanium or anodised aluminium rear (only) nuts and the 3/4" faces would help to distribute the stresses across the softer metal. But ultimately these would be consumable items, replace when needed. All of the steel jobbies seem to be 1/2" drive.

 

I see what you mean.

 

Thanks Andy. Yes that's the site where I bought mine. Guaranteed for what though? I'll ask.

 

I now understand what makes an impact socket. This has been a great thread for me.

 

Thanks for this great explanation. I did think that "power wrench" meant impact wrench. No doubt they'll straighten me out when I contact them!

 

I have a decent breaker bar but couldn't budge it even when I tightened to 220Nm (which is the lower extreme of the + or - 5%). But I'm definitely going to get a bigger bar. A bloody big bar.

 

Boy have I been there. The acronym reminds me of something I learned from Facebook. I was reading something and people were posting "f", "f" over and over again. I'm thinking "fuck?", why "fuck", it's not that bad, is it? Eventually I asked why everybody was so upset. They were saying "following". I've got no hope with WWIFBTD.