[Top Down]

I'm fed up with hex keys and grub screws that round off. 

Is it me? (I think it must be. At least, I have a certain sense of Deja Vu! This this was a big bugbear first time around, as a 1/32 racer in the '60's!)

I 'invested', I thought, in a Pendle's set (Gaugemaster supplied?) that came with three keys and a pinion puller/pusher. The latter is fine. The former? Humph! 

Fail there then, so ...

I bought a different set - six different sizes, black, yellow and orange handles. Probably twice the price, from a different supplier - and they are no better.

Anyone point me at some that will WORK please? 

To be used on Ninco Lightning, NSR, Racer Sideways and ScaleAuto predominantly - and yes, I know I'll need several keys.  

If I ever manage to remove these different sized grub screws are there any decent replacements that won't round off either please?

[slotloco]

I hear this complaint quite often, and the same hapless guys have usually tried several rbands, all the way up to WIHA
To be blunt, I think just one of two possible things is happening

Either all the makers are conspiring to send their "Friday afternoon" production to a few unlucky slotters, or those
slotters have been blessed by their parents with such good physiology that they do not know their own strength.

The long version is - some makers have a certain size of tip for M2 grub screws that they call 0.9 and some call it 0.95.
In practice, sometimes the 0.9 is fractionally bigger than the 0.95...... but I have not come across any actual bad
ones among known brands. I import small batches of a cheapo Chinese one for guys who won't buy a torque wrench,
and most guys get a year or so good use out of it for 3 quid, then toss it. As below.



Likewise in the larger M2.5 size, we are offered 1.27mm and 1.3mm. I haven't really seen any difference, and due to the
larger dimensions, I suspect that for all practical purposes, they are interchangeable.
Any of the cheap RC tools seem to be fine.

But I always say to guys, do yourself a favour, buy a couple of torque wrenches, so you can accurately tighten grubs,
so wheels won't fall off, - so grubs and wheel threads don't get stripped, and grubs won't get over-tightened and
hard to remove.

I personally use the ScaleAuto metal one at home for 0.9 (M2) as it has a nice large handle, but they aren't available now.
The NSR ones seem nice. Haven't tried Sloting Plus. The Slot.it ones are cheaper but smaller, and some may find them fiddly
I use the Slot.it M2 one for mobile work and the Slot.it M2.5 one for all work on all M2.5 and 440 (NSR) Grub screws
M2                                                                                                         M2.5
     

They make tightening a breeze, you just twist as much as you like and the ratchet clicks, deal done.

What some folk don't know, is that these Slot.it ones have a removable back panel. Inside there is a screw, and by
holding the front bit and turning that screw, I have been able to adjust the ratchet tightness a little as an experiment.
But the factory setting seems fine.

I have been using a pair of these for about 6 years and have broken one M2 one in that time, I haven't rounded off any
tips. The very occasional cheap grub screw rounds off due to manufacturing quality, but not often.

I work on a lot of cars, and guys use my tools at my work bench and mobile at club, so they get a fair bit of work.

[BAracer]

The 0.9mm driver from my Pendle set twisted to destruction the first time I tried to remove a wheel from an axle.

Have just invested in three drivers from Wera, and the 0.9mm one from that was successful on the same wheel.

That's all I can offer, but I chose Wera on the recommendation of cleverer mechanics than me!

[Scuderia_Turini]

Hello  T-D,
I have WERA drivers and they seem to be good. Have had them for a few years now and have used them a fair bit. 
Do not get stainless steel grub screws - too soft, so the hex-hole rounds easily. Get hardened steel versions.

Leo

[CMOTD]

Slotloco has nailed it really. The usual reason for failure is that people use a fixed device and overtighten the grub screws. So long as you use a reputable torque version and good quality screws you shouldn't really have a problem. For what it's worth I have used a Sloting Plus one LINK for many years with zero breakages.

[Gordon Steadman]

I got the Pendle set and had the same problems. I do tend to tighten grub screws quite hard but that is as a result of having so many gears slip. The wrench that fits the SlotiT wheels rounded off the first time I tried to undo the wheels on a SlotiT kit chassis as supplied.

I will now avoid any RTRs except perhaps Thunderslot, who use sensible sized grub screws the same size as my retro cars. Just using one size is handy.

[BAracer]

Torque wrenches are obviously the way to go, but is it really the case that, say, all m2 grub screw need to be tightened to the same torque whatever they are doing on the car, eg tightening an Ali wheel onto an axle or tightening a plastic one?

But in the absence of a torque wrench, in a way it might be preferable for the driver to fail first rather than ending up using the worlds strongest driver and rounding off all your grub screws.

[Gordon Steadman]

Do the torque wrenches work in reverse too? It's usually undoing stuff that causes the problem for me. Once the grub screw is rounded, how the hell are you supposed to get them out apart from drilling them out. Quite difficult if they are hardened.

Bring back threaded axles and wheels

[Top Down]

Glad I'm not the only one then!

That's more of the problem I'm getting too. UNDOING the blessed things!

Still, some good recommendations there.

Next question would be : What sizes do I need? Seems like there are three? but do I refer to the Mx size when buying, or the 0.9mm?

[BAracer]

The Wera ones I bought from RS components were referred to as 0.9mm, 1.3mm and 1.5mm hex.