Found yourself with a rounded bolt?

[Wingz123]

Just a big recommendation from me does it go in this section?....here goes anyway....

Well, many a time we go to do a job on the car in fact it could even be the house and you find yourself faced with a rounded bolt. I found myself in this situation  when swapping the passenger side wing on my dads Honda Jazz. There is a bolt right at the bottom of the wing which bolts it to the sill and naturally being located right behind the front wheel it is open to all the crap off the road, puddles, mud etc etc so was rusted to heck! 

I placed a 10mm socket on and yep, rounding. Anyway, I picked up this set for a tenner give or take on Ebay and must say, it arrived in 2 days and has done the job a treat. Generally surprised considering it has come from Hong Kong. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323700809786

Why am I saying this? You'll find yourself in a similar situation no doubt and wish you'd bought them!

Definiately definitely worth it!!! 

Here are a few pictures of the offending bolt... 

 

[sutty2006]

I’ve got the Irwin version of those, had them for 10 years or so, slightly more expensive but a tool that is regularly used and still earning its keep. 

[drum]

Just hammer a smaller socket on it

[Agila]

12 minutes ago, sutty2006 said:

I’ve got the Irwin version of those, had them for 10 years or so, slightly more expensive but a tool that is regularly used and still earning its keep. 

Exactly this. Plus I have an erbauer cheap set. Both are brilliant and grip like a good un.

[AndyIggs]

Fantastic sockets to keep in toolbox. Wish I had a set when doing the discs on mine a few months ago. 

[LightBulbFun]

reminds me of the metrinch set that @somewhatfoolish mentioned in my thread   https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/312863777623

On 2/12/2020 at 1:29 PM, somewhatfoolish said:

A possibility would be a socket set from one of the patent flank drive systems like Metrinch, they fit metric, unified and whitworth fasteners with equal aplomb; they are relatively pricey though. I bought a set 20-odd years ago as I had a kitcar with a perverse mixture of fasteners which drove me crazy; it's still going bar the blowmould plastic case suffering hinge death. This isn't a bad set, although the set I splurged on also has 1/2" sockets that go up to 30+mm which is handy when owning clunky lumps of scrap from Solihull. This is it actually, I thought they'd stopped selling it.

 

[Bren]

I got the irwin items for christmas. Not had to use them yet.

[Wingz123]

55 minutes ago, drum said:

Just hammer a smaller socket on it

Know what you mean but I've found that doesnt always work. Access was a bit crappy in this instance too as I had already mounted the replacement wing over the top ahhaha

[Six-cylinder]

Mrs6C has just pointed these out so I have ordered a set.

[Skut]

I sometimes use a piece of 0.8mm sheet steel cut to the size of one of the socket flats to get a snug fit. Got off this rounded off wheel nut. 

[drewd]

+1 for the Irwin set and expansion set. They've saved me on a few occasions.

Does anyone know of you can buy individual replacements for the Irwin set? I managed to muller one of mine when using it in anger with an impact gun ☹️ I'd still recommend them, this was very much an error on my part.

[drum]

48 minutes ago, Wingz123 said:

Know what you mean but I've found that doesnt always work. Access was a bit crappy in this instance too as I had already mounted the replacement wing over the top ahhaha

Just joshing, although it does work 9 times out if 10. Double hex socket, often an imperial on a metric nut, or vice versa, belted on with a hammer. For that time it doesn't work, I've got a set similar to yours but in a red box. The Irwin set I've borrowed in the past didn't have such a good range of sizes. If even that doesn't work, I split the nut.

[loserone]

1 hour ago, drum said:

Just hammer a smaller socket on it

I think that was 2011, but I can't find the thread.  Wonder what happened to @Luxobarges_Are_Us

[Rovorsche]

I tried an Irwin socket on a MG Catalytic flange nut.

Bashed one on and gave it a good twist, result..... it made the nut smaller.
Bashed the next size down onto it and made it smaller still.

?

Nut splitter is next.
MG/Rover nuts are made of fucking cheese

[barmatt]

I bought a set of these last year because they were on sale at BandQ £5 iirc and they've done a bloody good job so far.

[Out Run]

17 hours ago, sutty2006 said:

I’ve got the Irwin version of those, had them for 10 years or so, slightly more expensive but a tool that is regularly used and still earning its keep. 

Same. I’ve converted countless people, when they have seen mine in use, or lent them.

Fantastic things.

[tooSavvy]

I couldn't get the 10mm bolt out of my brake caliper.

I bought a cheepie set of 'star' sockets and one is exactly 10mm size... The rounded flanks bit and out it came.

The set cost less than one Metrinch <I dont think they will do other than a 10mm ? > ...... but good 4me!

[N19]

For the sake of a tenner that's a no brainer in my eyes. Just ordered one up. Will undoubtedly come in handy and a good thing to have around. Cheers!

Pet hate on anything is when a part has been replaced but mangled fixings get re-used - they cost almost nothing to replace! 

[wuvvum]

I have a set, they've proved their worth a few times getting locking wheel nuts off, and once getting a rounded bolt out of a corroded rear ARB mount on a Rover 45.

[djoptix]

Bought. Looking forward to the infinite satisfaction of the time when I need them

[Kringle]

Thanks for the tip, I'll get myself a set.

I've always found that that tightening the nut beforehand works, shortly before the angle grinder comes out.

[Rovorsche]

Todays update on Irwin nut grabbers

If you use a breaker bar they may come off like this

 

If you use an impact driver they may come off like this

 

Not sure if the Irwins are rated for impact drive, pretty sure my 30 year old Halfords flexi-joint isn't but after doing all the cobblers of heating and bashing the first one for it to snap I was in the state where I had "Got The Arse with it".

Application of MANY tourqes for the win, 1897 Nm and the weakest link was the nut rather than the stud.

 

I had a full face mask on

[wesacosa]

do you reckon those will work on an internal hex bolt. The bolt on my abs sensor is totally rounded inside, and of course because its an internal hex the outside of the bolt head is already round!  wondering if they will get enough grip on a head that is totally round by design

[Angrydicky]

Thanks for the recommendation! Just ordered myself a set.

Trying to change the oil on the Robin, went to remove the sump plug and found it rounded off!

[Angrydicky]

19 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

do you reckon those will work on an internal hex bolt. The bolt on my abs sensor is totally rounded inside, and of course because its an internal hex the outside of the bolt head is already round!  wondering if they will get enough grip on a head that is totally round by design

I’m in a very similar situation with a coolant blanking plug in my Royale engine block. Sadly mine is a flush fit so I cant use this. The only thing I can think of doing is to weld a bolt onto it, but the thing is so flaming inaccessible it’ll be a right old mission to get in there. I’ll have to strip off the inlet and exhaust manifolds and the injector rail to get anywhere near it!

If anyone’s got any ideas I’m open to suggestions...

[Heidel_Kakao]

On 2/26/2020 at 9:32 PM, loserone said:

I think that was 2011, but I can't find the thread.  Wonder what happened to @Luxobarges_Are_Us

 

There you go

[Richard]

48 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

do you reckon those will work on an internal hex bolt. The bolt on my abs sensor is totally rounded inside, and of course because its an internal hex the outside of the bolt head is already round!  wondering if they will get enough grip on a head that is totally round by design

The Irwin ones certainly don't grip something that's completely round. These things do though https://www.halfords.com/tools/hand-tools/all-hand-tools/laser-impact-stud-extractor-1%2F2in-drive-121932.html

Other makes and sources are available of course.

[Shep Shepherd]

I ought to get a set of these, as the 10mm bolt attaching The Aero's fuel filter bracket to the car's body is rounded AF and is preventing me from replacing the filter.

[strangeangel]

Nice one, just ordered a set. Hope they've got you on commission ?

 

[Rovorsche]

Commission ?
I was on a take it off or break it off mission after the initial over cautious snappage of the stud using a breaker bar despite wirebrushing, thread release oil and  heat approach.
My limited sample of science suggested that a BFO impact driver does a 200% better job with a Irwin Nut Grabber compared to a hand tool.

 I might buy the expansion set to fill in the gaps between sizes on the base Irwin set.
Still going to blat it with an impact tool though.