OT Weighted Impact Sockets

52 Ford · Aug 24, 2021

Just saw a video where a guy compared weighted impact sockets to regular impact sockets. Honestly, I hadn't heard of weighted sockets before that. The one they tried out in the video was an Ingersoll Rand Power Socket. Looked like a regular socket with a flywheel on it. The guy in the video was using some sort of torque measuring device. Looked like 2 small hydraulic cylinders sandwiched between some steel plates with a bolt drawing them together. The "Power Socket" produced around 25% more peak torque with an air impact wrench. Honestly, I thought it was a gimmick, till I saw the results. Frankly, I'm still sort of skeptical. I might have to sacrifice a couple impact sockets to see for myself. For the one "Power Socket" they used in the video, dude said he paid about $100. I just can't see spending that much on a 1/2" drive socket.

Ingersoll Rand S64M19L-PS1 19mm Power Socket - - Amazon.com

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Bill D · Aug 24, 2021

Looks like no moving parts. A simple flywheel. Easy to make on a short extension and try that. I thought the theory of an impact wrench was the socket and extensions should be as short and light weight as possible. Otherwise the impact is soaked up by moving the tool not the bolt.
Bill D

kustomizingkid · Aug 24, 2021

Its the reverse effect of the reduced shank screw driver bits... they do work.

L Vanice · Aug 24, 2021

Bill D said:
Looks like no moving parts. A simple flywheel. Easy to make on a short extension and try that. I thought the theory of an impact wrench was the socket and extensions should be as short and light weight as possible. Otherwise the impact is soaked up by moving the tool not the bolt.
Bill D

That socket sounds like the opposite of a torque stick. It would be fun to tighten a nut with a "power socket" on the end of a torque stick and see what torque you get compared to the same nut with the other possible combinations.

Torque Sticks – What Are They and Do I Need One?

How about a flywheel on an extension to use with standard impact sockets? That would save some money if it works.

I watched my company's fastener specialist running torque-tension tests a few times. He had some very expensive equipment that measured torque, bolt tension and rotation and recorded the results. That sort of test is not like what a guy with a torque wrench can do at home.

Larry

52 Ford · Aug 24, 2021

L Vanice said:
That socket sounds like the opposite of a torque stick. It would be fun to tighten a nut with a "power socket" on the end of a torque stick and see what torque you get compared to the same nut with the other possible combinations.

Torque Sticks – What Are They and Do I Need One?

How about a flywheel on an extension to use with standard impact sockets? That would save some money if it works.

I watched my company's fastener specialist running torque-tension tests a few times. He had some very expensive equipment that measured torque, bolt tension and rotation and recorded the results. That sort of test is not like what a guy with a torque wrench can do at home.

Larry

The best "DIY" setup I've seen is what I described in the first post. Use a big bolt and nut to compress a hydraulic ram (or pair of) and read the pressure on a gauge. Do the math and you can figure the torque out. Get a fancy pressure gauge that logs to a computer and you can plot it out.

I have some rounds of 1/2" and 3/8" steel plate that are about the right diameter and already have holes in the center, I'd just need to drill them out to size and weld them on. I think this warrants a trip to Harbor Freight for a bunch of extensions and sockets.

Thinking about this a little more, I wonder if putting the flywheel on the extended shank of an impact wrench would yield the same effect...

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Gordon Heaton · Aug 24, 2021

Looks to me like the only positive effect this 'flywheel' would have is when running a fastener in with a fair amount of free spin time before seating. If you hand-tighten the fastener and then hit it with the impact wrench, it seems the added mass would be detrimental, not beneficial. Also, good impact wrenched are pretty predictable on a given power setting, and using the fancy flywheel would make that a wild guess since the faster it turns before seating, the bigger the effect. I also see no possible benefit to removing fasteners. Still a gimmick to me.

52 Ford · Aug 24, 2021

Gordon Heaton said:
Looks to me like the only positive effect this 'flywheel' would have is when running a fastener in with a fair amount of free spin time before seating. If you hand-tighten the fastener and then hit it with the impact wrench, it seems the added mass would be detrimental, not beneficial. Also, good impact wrenched are pretty predictable on a given power setting, and using the fancy flywheel would make that a wild guess since the faster it turns before seating, the bigger the effect. I also see no possible benefit to removing fasteners. Still a gimmick to me.

That was basically what I thought. I'll try to find the YouTube video I saw the other day and post the link. If these sockets weren't Ingersoll Rand or a company like that, I would've completely dismissed them. Supposedly it has something to do with capturing some of the impact force that'd normally be lost to rebound between the socket and fastener - I think. Like the added inertia keeps the socket from springing back, keeping it in contact with the flats of the bolt head between blows.

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52 Ford · Aug 24, 2021

Heres the link to the video

https://youtu.be/qVd8Bx6AAQc

I only watched the part where he used the pneumatic impact...

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EmGo · Aug 24, 2021

52 Ford said:
The "Power Socket" produced around 25% more peak torque with an air impact wrench.

Oh great, so now tire shops can put your wheels on permanently !

52 Ford · Aug 24, 2021

EmanuelGoldstein said:
Oh great, so now tire shops can put your wheels on permanently !

They've been doing that for years! The trick is to make sure your lug nuts are cross threaded before you run them home with the impact.

Friend of mine had new wheels and tires put on his truck. They were wider and a common modification on that model truck is to cut a notch out of the front cab mounts where they protrude into the wheel well and weld a flat plate it. Simple. He came over around 7pm on Sunday. Figured I'd have them done and painted by 9. Nope! 9pm comes around and we just got done pressing in new studs. They were so tight, I spun a stud in the hub and stripped 2 other lug nuts. PITA. I use a torque wrench when I change tires.

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moonlight machine · Aug 24, 2021

kustomizingkid said:
Its the reverse effect of the reduced shank screw driver bits... they do work.

So what is the deal with reduced shank screw driver bits? How are they supposed to work? I just got a pack of 15 and I did not notice that they were reduced shank till I opened the pack.

52 Ford · Aug 24, 2021

moonlight machine said:
So what is the deal with reduced shank screw driver bits? How are they supposed to work? I just got a pack of 15 and I did not notice that they were reduced shank till I opened the pack.

Supposed to reduce the sharp impacts on the fastener heads to prevent stripping. Provides a more uniform torque.

I should also add that most of the "good" driver bits now are reduced shank. I've drove every 1-5/8" x #8 screw in the subfloor of a house with one Bosch reduced shank #2 philips bit. Around 3,000 screws. It didn't wear the bit out. Another job I drove around 2,500 #9 x 2-1/2" deck screws with regular T25 (T20, maybe) driver bits in an impact and went through about 5 before I finished the deck. Those are just two jobs that come to mind. Most of the time I used a framing gun and ring shanks on wood decking.
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kustomizingkid · Aug 24, 2021

moonlight machine said:
So what is the deal with reduced shank screw driver bits? How are they supposed to work? I just got a pack of 15 and I did not notice that they were reduced shank till I opened the pack.

They don't strip and don't break off screws as quick. Puts the twist in the bit and give you more time to react as you tighten from just a feel perspective after driving a few hundred.

EPAIII · Aug 24, 2021

OK, a bit more if you please. What type of driver is assumed here. I doubt there would be much difference with a manual driver. But is there any reason to use these with a regular drill or do they only work with an impact driver?

But then, most modern drills have a clutch so they are at least somewhat like an impact driver. So...?

52 Ford said:
Supposed to reduce the sharp impacts on the fastener heads to prevent stripping. Provides a more uniform torque.

I should also add that most of the "good" driver bits now are reduced shank. I've drove every 1-5/8" x #8 screw in the subfloor of a house with one Bosch reduced shank #2 philips bit. Around 3,000 screws. It didn't wear the bit out. Another job I drove around 2,500 #9 x 2-1/2" deck screws with regular T25 (T20, maybe) driver bits in an impact and went through about 5 before I finished the deck. Those are just two jobs that come to mind. Most of the time I used a framing gun and ring shanks on wood decking.
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52 Ford · Aug 25, 2021

EPAIII said:
OK, a bit more if you please. What type of driver is assumed here. I doubt there would be much difference with a manual driver. But is there any reason to use these with a regular drill or do they only work with an impact driver?

But then, most modern drills have a clutch so they are at least somewhat like an impact driver. So...?

1/4" hex impact wrench.

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Gordon Heaton · Aug 25, 2021

Did you mean 'impact wench?

Booze Daily · Aug 25, 2021

Sorry, don’t see an impact in that picture.

52 Ford · Aug 25, 2021

Booze Daily said:
Sorry, don’t see an impact in that picture.

Tits a pretty clear picture...

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GregSY · Aug 26, 2021

I don't see how 'flywheel' effect would apply when the socket isn't spinning. If a nut/bolt is stuck, the impact is trying to break it free by 'hammering' against it. But there isn't any rotation yet.

At $61 per socket, I think I'd just buy a bigger impact.

Scottl · Aug 26, 2021

Bill D said:
Looks like no moving parts. A simple flywheel. Easy to make on a short extension and try that. I thought the theory of an impact wrench was the socket and extensions should be as short and light weight as possible. Otherwise the impact is soaked up by moving the tool not the bolt.
Bill D

I suspect that would probably be the case with a hammer driven impact tool but with a pneumatic impact wrench although the first blow might be weaker, following blows would accelerate the mass, increasing its inertia and therefore its torque.

It seem to work because most of the reviews were positive on Amazon.

OT Weighted Impact Sockets

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Titanium

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Stainless

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Titanium

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