Hot take: I swapped to a 3/8 drive impact for hoistway door rollers and it was a mistake.

The smaller head fit better, but the torque was way too low and I ended up rounding a stubborn bolt in a downtown Chicago building. What's your go-to for seized roller carriage bolts?

2 comments

2 Comments

hart.parker2d ago

Yeah that smaller drive just doesn't have the beans for the really stuck ones. I've learned the hard way too, now I go straight for the half-inch with a good six point socket. If it's really frozen, I'll hit it with penetrating oil overnight and maybe some heat before I even try the impact. A breaker bar first can save you a lot of grief, that initial crack is everything.

roberts.aaron2d ago

Ever think about the bolt head itself before you even pick a tool? I've seen guys, like hart.parker said, go straight for the half-inch on a rounded six-point, but sometimes the problem is the socket is just hammered on. For a really seized carriage bolt, I'll tap a twelve-point socket onto the head first with a dead blow. It bites into fresh metal and gives the impact something solid to work against. Lets you use more torque without the slip.

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