Standard vs Impact Sockets

When you're working on cars, you're gonna have to wrench on stuff and you need to make some choices. One of those choices is whether you're gonna be using a standard socket or an impact socket. They, for the most part, you don't wanna intermix them. You don't wanna grab your, your standard sockets, use them on your impact wrench. And there's a, there's a reason why the standard sockets are made from chrome Vadum steel and the chrome in the steel helps keep them from rusting and the Vadum is just an alloy they use with it, but it tends to be a hard steel, a real hard steel. And you know, you want that because you don't want the sockets deforming as you use them. But on the same hand, that hardness can lead to if you start using these on an impact wrench, that the forces of the impact wrench will actually cause the sockets to fracture at the points that uh that each of the six year, six points or 12 points are located that becomes the weak spot. So they'll want fracture along those lines. That's why you wanna use an impact socket, an impact socket, you know, essentially is the same thing as a uh is a standard socket, but they're made from chrome Mola Mola Beum. Sorry about that. It's uh commonly referred to as chromoly. Chromoly steel is a lot more ductile. That means it'll be it, it can take some stresses without cracking. Um And typically your impact sockets then have a much thicker wall on them. If you compare the wall thickness on an impact socket to a standard socket, they're much thicker. So there's more material there to absorb that shock and that makes them a lot less prone to cracking. You almost never see an impact socket crack. Uh And typically, you'll only use your impact targets with the impact. There might be a case where you really got a wrench on a bolt and you know, you gotta get your, get your uh extension out there. You might add like, you know, 6 ft of pipe to it and just start cranking, you're putting a lot of force on that. So it's another case where an impact socket makes sense, not only to protect your socket, but also safety because sometimes when the sockets crack under a lot of force, things start flying in all kinds of directions. So for your own safety, use the impact sockets under those high stress situations. Now, is there ever an opportunity where you wanna use a uh standard socket on an impact wrench. Impact wrench has a basically, it has a big counterweight in it when it's spinning. And what that does is as it hits resistance, that counterweight hits it and it's constantly striking it, it's called an anvil inside the hammer. While the impact sockets are prone to cracking. The, uh, there are a case when you wanna, you know, you do wanna take the risk of cracking and typically that's like taking off mag wheels or aluminum wheels on cars where the lug nuts are actually set inside the wheels. And then a lot of times you'll find that there's not a lot of space around those nuts. You can't really get a thick wall socket inside of those spaces. So you wanna use, uh, you know, the thinner wall on a standard socket with that way you don't risk damaging your wheels. But that's just about the only case I'm aware of. There's, you know, I'm sure there's other cases where in tight situations you wanna go with your standard and take the risk. Make sure if you are going to do that though. Always wear eye protection when you're using the impact wrench stuff can fly, keep, stay safe and use the right tools.