Firstly, are Torx and Star the same thing and if not, what's the difference.
Secondly, I have a set of Torx (or are they Star?) bits that see occasional use but when I come accross a fixing that requires a socket, not a bit, I use an ordinary 3/8ths drive socket. This has worked fine so far, but am I going to come unstuck at some point, perhaps when the fixing is really tight?
|
Depends what you may be intending to use sockets for.
I had a very stubborn bolt holding the diff to a torque frame and used a 1/2" socket with a three foot breaker bar and a five foot length of scaffold pole. I was expecting the socket to split and I doubt a 3/8" would have put up with the treatment.
|
Maybe I haven't been clear.
If a bit is male and a socket is female, I have Torx male but use an ordinary (3/8ths drive) socket if a female is required. Should I invest in a set of female Torx sockets? Yes I could use a 1/2 inch drive ordinary socket if it were tight, but would an ordinary socket fit a Torx fitting securely enough?
|
Short answer is you have been lucky so far.
Sooner or later you will need the right torx sockets to fit the tight bolts. If not you will ruin the ordianary socket and round the bolt off making it really difficult to get off !
|
Thanks for that - I can feel a small investment coming on.
So what is the difference between Torx and Star?
|
You need to invest in the proper sockets. Here is a link to the relevant ones at Machine Mart:
www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/pro44-1...t
|
they get called star because of the shape but are generally referred to as torx or tx .
hth
|
|
|
