Can't find 46mm socket for front hub/bearing -- ARGH and ARGH!

[LivesNearCostco]

Suspect front left wheel bearing is failing. Bought new hub (with bearing) from Pelican, it arrived today. Didn't buy the $55 Pelican special 46mm socket, figured I could just rent it at FLAPS or Harbor Freight. But closest O'Reilly's axle nut socket set only goes to 38mm. HF seems to only have it as part of a 1" drive impact socket set for $70. Called local rent-a-lift shop and the owner, while very nice, said his largest axle socket also was 38mm. (He was nice enough to verify for me that 46mm is the proper size.)

Now I find I could have ordered one from Amazon for $13 to $23 if I'd known. O'reilly web site says they sell as 12-pt version for $20 but it's special order to the store. I'll visit the store tomorrow, see if they can get it delivered Monday from their local warehouse. Otherwise it will be off to my Indie shop on Thursday.

Anyone have tips on how to buy a 46mm socket locally? Or did you get it mail order from Amazon or Advance Auto?

[JupiterBMW]

We have a shit ton of them on the ship. I'll snag one and donate to the mafia loaner toolbox... You want 1/2" or 3/4" drive? 6 or 12 point? Impact or regular??

Lemme know... I won't be able to mail it off for a few days, we just got back to sea this evening. Leaving Alaska, will be in Washington in 4 days.

[JupiterBMW]

I have most stuff on the ship up to 75mm btw... Just in case...

[danewilson77]

I have it. You want me to ship?

EDIT: OK...looks like you're looking to buy.

[Crickett]

I went through the same headache when I did my front hubs; the only thing I could find locally was a thick-walled impact socket that I had to grind down to fit inside the hub's lip. I'll gladly ship it your way (it's heavy), but I'd recommend DW's proper socket over mine.

[LivesNearCostco]

Jupe, Dane, Travis, thanks for the tips and offers! I'm perfectly willing to borrow or buy, but don't want Jupe to make one go missing from the ship toolbox. I am trying to get it done this week to drive Laguna Seca next week, August 23-24. In theory the ideal seems to be 6-pt regular (not impact).

So a 6-pt impact socket might not fit inside the hub lip? That might scratch the idea of buying the HF impact set for $70, minus 20% coupon discount (they are 1" drive anyway). Would a 12-pt work? Local O'Reilly said they can get me the 12-pt 3/4" drive one by Tuesday morning for $20. I might just pay my local indie to do it on Thursday, and buy/borrow when the other front bearing fails.

Strangely enough I do have a 36mm 1/2" drive 12-pt socket already in case I ever need to do the rear bearings. Bought it for the oil filter cap (which is 6-pt) but happened to get a 12-pt socket from a clearance bin somewhere. Now all I need is a torque wrench capable of 200 foot-pounds. My wrench only goes up to 150. Maybe if I apply my body weight (almost 200 lbs with clothes and shoes) to a breaker bar at slightly over 1-foot distance from the socket, that will equal 200 ft-lbs?

[LivesNearCostco]

Update took the new FAG hub/bearing with me to Harbor Freight but stupidly left the new axle nut at home. One of their 1" drive metric impact socket sets was unsealed. Opened it, sure 'nuf the 46mm impact socket would NOT fit inside the hub lip. But lo and behold they also sell 3/4" drive 12-point (non-impact) socket sets in SAE and metric. The metric set had 45mm and 48mm sockets but not 46mm. The SAE had several including 1 3/4", 1 13/16", and 1 7/8" sizes. 46mm is 1.81" or 1 and 12.97/16". Would a 1 3/4" or 1 13/16" socket fit? Sure I would probably never use all those other SAE sizes, but for $50 (coupon) the kit included a 3/4" ratchet and 3/4" breaker bar, which alone were about $20 each plus $13-$20 for the 46mm socket.

They let me open it and verify those 3 sockets would all fit inside the hub lip. Bought it, came home and yes, the 1 13/16" 12-pt fits the nut. 1 3/4" is a hair too small. But haven't had time yet to attack the hub. In fact I need to raise it up and verify the problem really is the hub and not the recently replaced tie rod.

[terraphantm]

I used a 1 13/16 without issue. This one fit perfectly: http://www.amazon.com/Sunex-2-Inch-1...rds=sunex+258d

I imagine you can use the non-deep version (Sunex 258) as well. It wasn't on Amazon when I was buying

[LivesNearCostco]

Thanks for the tip terraphantm! I'm sitting here typing away in the smell of my defeat.... the HF 12-pt 1 13/16" fit, but I just couldn't loosen the axle nut. Everything was going so swimmingly well until then... got the wheel studs out of the hub without using a torch, got the dust cap out without making too much noise, unstaked the nut... then the nut wouldn't budge. I put nearly all my weight on the breaker bar, but it's only a 20" breaker bar and I forgot to buy a pipe to extend it.

It does appear the socket you listed on Amazon would be less likely to round off the nut or slip off.

On the upside, I determined the bad bearing is actually the right front, not left front, which makes sense because it made less noise in right turns. And I removed my brake rotors and caliper brackets for the first time. My choices are buy a pipe and try all over again tomorrow night, or pay the indie on Thursday.

[terraphantm]

Thanks for the tip terraphantm! I'm sitting here typing away in the smell of my defeat.... the HF 12-pt 1 13/16" fit, but I just couldn't loosen the axle nut. Everything was going so swimmingly well until then... got the wheel studs out of the hub without using a torch, got the dust cap out without making too much noise, unstaked the nut... then the nut wouldn't budge. I put nearly all my weight on the breaker bar, but it's only a 20" breaker bar and I forgot to buy a pipe to extend it.

It does appear the socket you listed on Amazon would be less likely to round off the nut or slip off.

On the upside, I determined the bad bearing is actually the right front, not left front, which makes sense because it made less noise in right turns. And I removed my brake rotors and caliper brackets for the first time. My choices are buy a pipe and try all over again tomorrow night, or pay the indie on Thursday.

An impact gun makes taking that nut off a hell of a lot easier