That $12 harbor freight swivel socket saved my lower ball joint job

I was fighting a lower ball joint on a 2012 F-150 last Friday and the top nut was sitting in a spot where no regular socket and extension could get a straight line on it. I tried a wobble extension, then a universal joint, and every time it kept slipping off or rounding the edges. After about 40 minutes of cursing I grabbed one of those swivel sockets from the cheap tool bin at Harbor Freight and it clicked right on with zero drama. Torqued it to spec in under five minutes after that. I know people say those swivel sockets break easy, but this one handled 150 ft-lbs without any flex. Anyone else keep a set of those in their box for the tight spots or do you swear by something else?

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sandralee24d ago

Wait, 150 ft-lbs without flex? Those things usually snap if you look at them wrong!