which axle nut socket?

[long tall eta]

so, i'm replacing my shafts and i was wondering which 30mm socket is best. deep, thin wall, 12 point. or as long as it's deep it dosen't matter? also, how long of a cheater bar will i need? should i invest in a puller/pusher or just bang it out?

[MR 325]

In my opinion a 6 point deep socket is most ideal. With a deep socket you will need no extensions or anything. To get the axle out you don't really need a puller, just bang it out with a hammer and big screwdriver or something similar.

[b*saint]

I had a cheap ass one because how often will you replace a nut that big right? Well the damn thing wouldn't fit in the hub, because the wall thickness was too big. The matco guy let me try his socket fitment and it was perfect. So its best to go for a good quality 30mm 6 point. If you were closer, id let you borrow it.

[MR 325]

FYI an "impact socket" may not fit.

[b*saint]

Its true. The matco one I KNOW will fit as an impact and yea, a HF or Autozone Impact I KNOW won't fit.

[Kershaw]

craftsman 30mm will fit.

[homegrone30]

They sell sets of impact sockets at harbor freight for like $20 pull out the 30mm grind down the sidewalls till it fits and have a full socket set for less than a snap on socket. Unless your really going to be using your tools snap on would kind of he a waste of money.

[Wanganstyle]

Amazon prime is the answer for this one; 30mm thinwall 6 point. If you get the deep you can use it to remove the G260 Transmission output flange also.

Thinwall 30mm is also needed for the differential front flange fastener.

[AndrewBird]

Related question, how do you guys get the lock ring/plate thing out?

[homegrone30]

Flathead screwdriver, or beat the socket on and take it all off as one unit.

[long tall eta]

great stuff guys. so it looks like deep and a thin six all though the wife's kind of leaning towards the thick twelve. i'm not even going to ask her black or chrome.

[b*saint]

Dude, dont go buying cheap ass sockets and grinding them down. Seriously. Pony up the money and buy a good quality socket.

[long tall eta]

not going to grind down the socket. i'll spend the dough and get the right one.

[jlevie]

My preference is a 3/4" drive six-point socket. Since those are generally a bit too thick of a wall to fit I turned the wall down just enough in a lathe. In the shop a 3/4" drive impact will spin the nuts right off. At the track a 3/4" drive breaker bar and cheater will get it done. I've seen people break 1/2" breaker bars trying to get the nuts off, hence the use of something much stronger.

[devon.818]

12pnt sockets strip bolts....

i had a cheap harbor freight tool set, shattered some socked with the impact, twisted all the extension, none of the ratchets work now. now i use a pieced together mix of used snapon/matco/mac/chraftsman, spent under 150 for 3 socket sets, 5 ratchets, 3 wrench sets, and countless other hand tools.
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