Stop using that worn out 12-point socket on landing gear bolts

I see guys in the hangar all the time grabbing a 12-point socket off the rack for torquing down landing gear hardware. That should be a 6-point socket every single time. The 12-point has less contact area against the flat of the bolt head and it'll round off corners way faster, especially on those old fatigued bolts from a 737 that's been flying since the 90s. I learned this the hard way 4 years ago when I slipped on a main gear trunnion bolt and spent 3 hours extracting a seized stud. Grabbed a proper 6-point set from Snap-on after that and haven't had a single slip since. Anybody else's lead mechanic yell at them for grabbing the wrong socket on critical hardware like this?

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martinez.val7d ago

Ngl, that exact situation is what pushed me to label my 6-point sockets with colored tape so I'd grab the right one without even thinking. Saved me a ton of headaches on torque-critical stuff.