Swapped out my impact sockets for a cheap set and instantly regretted it on a Buick brake job Tuesday

I've been using my old Craftsman impact sockets for like 8 years and they finally started rusting out. Picked up a no-name 25 piece set from the parts store for 40 bucks to save some cash. First time I tried to zip off a caliper bracket bolt on a 2015 Buick LaCrosse the socket literally cracked. Had to borrow a coworker's Sunex set to finish the job. Anyone else swear by a specific brand of impact sockets that won't break the bank?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot451mo ago

See it different actually... cheap sockets crack all the time on caliper brackets if the metal's soft or the heat treat's off. That's not that surprising to me, happened to a buddy with a no-name set last year on an F-150.

the_margaret1mo agoTop Commenter

Saw a brand new socket crack on a caliper bolt? That's wild, I've never seen one break like that before.

elizabethtaylor27d ago

I mean you said "caliper bolt" but I think you meant a caliper bracket bolt, right? Those are a bit different, the bracket bolts take way more torque and usually have thread locker on em too. A regular caliper bolt that holds the caliper itself is smaller and usually not the one people snap sockets on. It's the bracket bolts that'll eat a cheap socket for lunch if the metal's not great.