Soft Socket
 

Purchase a soft socket to protect my lug nuts during torquing a vendor in the typical Porsche magizines.

After two episodes of torquing the plastic insert slips and the socket is unusable.

A $30 socket down the drain.

Anyone had better luck and which supplier????

Forget about it....never seen one that lasted. Just don't use an impact wrench on the lug nuts and you'll be fine with a 6 point 19mm socket.

Stoddards sells an all aluminum socket...tapered end to prevent scratching wheel paint. I tried the plastic insert one...was disappointed like you. No problems with the one from Stoddards, it handles the 96 ft. pounds with ease.

Use a standard socket and put a sandwich bag on the nut. The single layer of plastic fits in the socket and protects the nut. Edit - use a six point socket only, not a twelve point

I've used my plastic lined one for at least 9 years and I got it used when I bought my first 911. maybe the engineers figure out a way to cheap them out.

I keep my Al socket with the car's tool kit for "emergency" use.

I am using one from Snap-On and have had it for two years with no troubles so far. Being Snap-On it wasn't inexpensive - about $40.

The Pelican soft socket has lasted. I did destroy the last one (Cheapo). I have had to put new adhesive between the hard and the soft alum insert. I am guessing plastic will not last. Impact drivers will kill them in short order.

I have an Aluminium one from Pelican. No issues with it.
The plastic one seemed dicey to me - it can certainly be done, but I figured there is much opportunity for error.

I have the aluminum Sir Tools socket from Pelican. The pin holding the insert came loose, rendering the socket useless. Pelican replaced it under warranty, thankfully.
Edit: and now the replacement has broken as well.

I just use my fingers so that I don't have to worry about marking up the lugs. Who wants scratches??

I bought mine in 1996 and I use a LOT. I never ever thought about an impact wrench on Porsche aluminum lug nuts. I would bet I have used my soft socket 100 times or more to R&R the wheels since I bought it. I never knew there was a problem with soft sockets. I loosen up the lugs with a standard breaker bar. After the car is in the air I use my non impact drill driver to spin off the lug nuts. I always torque them down to 95 lbs/ft. In 13 years I never even thought about replacing my soft socket.

At every autocross the tech group wants to check the torque of every car. I always have my soft socket ready for them. That is just a torque down check but it is another use. I guess I will not let others borrow it anymore.

I have a plastic insert socket, the other day the insert slipped out for the first time after a lot of use. I wonder why you couldn't epoxy the insert back into the housing?

I have a couple of the plastic-insert ones and an aluminum one. I've had one of the plastic ones (soft-tite brand, made in MD, USA) over 25 years and had no problems with it. The aluminum one is a little harder on the nuts.

Not sure how you guys are wearing them out so fast.

JR

I have the aluminum one as well. For some extra exterior protection I wrapped it in some electrical tape. Been working for a year with no damage to the new lugs.

Bringing this thread back from the depths.....................

I am in need of a soft socket for my lugs that are getting powdercoated.

I would imagine the Aluminum inserted one will scratch up the lugs, no?

I was looking at the nylon insert one, but it says to break the lug free with a standard socket. Well that makes no sense as a standard socket will surely scratch or chip the coating (or even painted ones).

The lugs will always be hand torqued, so an impact gun is not an issue.

I have the one with the aluminum insert held in with an aluminum pin. The pin got loose and pushed inside the socket and I ended up scratching a bunch of new lug nuts. Once I spotted the problem the pin just fell out of the socket, piece of junk. Using the 6 sided steel carefully and damage is very minimal. Don't bother wasting your money on one.

I have used the soft socket I bought from Pelican several times over 1-2 years with no damage. I even use it to break the nuts free, but since I am the only one that touches the car, they are never over torqued.

We sell the "good" one. I've used mine many times, and it's still perfect. You have to not abuse it though - don't use it for getting off lug nuts that have been on the car for 13 years.

-Wayne

Glad to here!, (I wouldn't have thought any different). Haven't used mine but just purchased it and new lug nuts for wheels coming shortly.

I have of the Pelican nylon lined soft sockets that I have used for 2 years to both break and torque my aluminum lug nuts without any problems. I use 90 ft. lbs. on my BBS wheels. Never use an impact wrench with the soft socket to remove or tighten the nuts.

As an aside I use an adapter extension with my soft socket in my 19.2 V drill motor to run the nuts up snug and take them off after using a breaker bar to loosen them.