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Had to choose between a 4 inch and a 6 inch extension on a starter bolt in El Paso, picked wrong
Tbh I spent 45 minutes last Tuesday trying to get a starter bolt off a 2008 F-150 in my buddy's shop in El Paso. I had two options, a 4 inch wobble extension or a 6 inch straight one, and I grabbed the 4 inch cause it looked shorter and easier to fit up in there. Ngl that was a mistake. The wobble flexed so much I rounded the bolt head a little and had to stop before I made it worse. My buddy walked over, handed me the 6 inch straight bar, and it came out in about 30 seconds. I felt like a rookie all over again even though I've been turning wrenches for 11 years. So what do you all reach for first when you're in a tight spot, straight or wobble?
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the_faith1mo ago
That part about the wobble flexing so much you rounded the head is the real killer right there. See, a wobble doesnt just flex side to side, it eats up all your torque before it even gets to the bolt, so youre pushing hard and the socket is just kind of leaning over instead of breaking it loose. On a starter bolt thats already half seized and covered in road grime, thats how you strip it and then youre really stuck. I keep a 6 inch straight and a 3 inch wobble in the box, and if the straight one even sort of fits I grab it first every time. Learned that one the same way you did, except mine was on a Jeep and I had to pull the whole intake to fix my mess.
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