buddhra
Member
For reference, here's the outer diameter of my nut driver, which is pretty much the same as the hole above the shock assembly. It's likely intended to be 17.5mm.
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The elusive thin-walled 13mm socket
- Thread starter tlr1000
- Start date
I measured my standard chrome Craftsman 13mm socket and it's about the same as yours. If that fits then I'm good to go.
I can confirm the 13mm from Amazon (as posted above by buddhra) does fit through the hole. It is very snug and almost zero wiggle room. The problem is that if the nut below is not perfectly lined up, there is not enough wiggle room for the socket to line up with the nut. On my car, only 1 of the 3 nuts could be removed. If you are lucky maybe all the nuts will be lined up.
My advice to all is not to buy this socket until you've removed the frunk liner and checked your car to ensure the alignment. Even 0.5mm will be a problem. For me I had to remove the 4 outer bolts and take out the entire a-arm mechanism. This is definitely a bit more work but you may have no choice.
My advice to all is not to buy this socket until you've removed the frunk liner and checked your car to ensure the alignment. Even 0.5mm will be a problem. For me I had to remove the 4 outer bolts and take out the entire a-arm mechanism. This is definitely a bit more work but you may have no choice.
I grabbed the thinnest socket I could and took it to a wheel grinder. Even .5mm will help with the removal of the three top nuts.
I think you can loosen those four 4 bolts, and wiggle the the control arm mount enough to line up those 3 bolts. Not ideal, but less hassle than taking the whole thing out.
buddhra
Member
For sure, I did this on one side of mine. It's much easier to loosen the 4 bolts and get everything lined up properly instead of dropping the whole thing out.
Thinning out a socket or loosening the 4 bolts without removal are both good ideas but not sure if it saves any significant amount of time. Once you remove the entire assembly, the 3 nuts are very easy to remove and reinstall. In the end, all these methods work and it would be most ideal if everything just lined up without having to touch the 4 bolts or invest time grinding/machining a socket thinner.
We've ran into this issue with so many installers and customers calling us for a recommendation for this socket that we decided to fix this problem once and for all. The 'Unicorn Socket' is in stock and available at Redwood Motorsports! This should save you guys, and or your installers some serious time.
redwoodmotorsports.com
13mm Unobtanium Unicorn Thin-Wall-Socket
A special tool designed by RedwoodMotorsports to help you remove your suspension's top hat bolt.
redwoodmotorsports.com
Guess you’ve not purchased much in professional tools $35 is somewhat of a bargain for a specific use like this.
drew.cleaver
SpecTesla Developer
Yep, And my Park toolbox. But quality tools are worth shedding a few tears. Buy once cry once.
This definitely looks like a useful socket for those working on Model 3 front suspensions but being that a 13mm socket (albeit not extra thin-walled) from SnapOn is $25, I felt $35 plus about $10 shipping was a bit pricey and I'm taking a wild guess the SnapOn is of higher quality. I'm not saying I wouldn't buy it or that it's not worth the money but all I was saying is that it is expensive. Personally, I have some very cheap tools and some others that are pricey as well.
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Unobtanium 13mm unicorn sockets are included for free with our suspension kits, or $35 + $4 shipping in the US for everyone else. Free pickup in Fremont CA (across the street from the Tesla factory). This will save you, or your install shop, way more than the cost of the socket to get the front suspension out without removing the upper carrier.
We didn't make the sockets to make money,
we made it to help our customers and the Tesla community get the front knocked out quickly and easily. Enjoy everyone! No one's getting rich off a thin wall 13mm socket.
redwoodmotorsports.com
We didn't make the sockets to make money,
we made it to help our customers and the Tesla community get the front knocked out quickly and easily. Enjoy everyone! No one's getting rich off a thin wall 13mm socket.
13mm Unobtanium Unicorn Thin-Wall-Socket
A special tool designed by RedwoodMotorsports to help you remove your suspension's top hat bolt.
redwoodmotorsports.com
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