Avoid Stripping Seized Hex Bolts With the GripEdge RPT Hex Bit Sockets
Written by Luis Montes Updated On February 28, 2025
What a pain when something as simple as removing hex bolts halts what could’ve been a straightforward task. Not just because you can’t take out a stuck fastener, but because you know you are about to strip it.
Avoiding stripping a seized hex fastener isn’t just about the quality of your standard hex bit sockets, as you can see from the testimonial of JHZR2, a member of the Bob Is The Oil Guy forum. JHZR2 couldn’t remove a stuck hex bolt on his 350SD Mercedes using a high-quality 12 mm hex bit socket from a popular brand. He eventually stopped trying to remove the hex bolt to avoid rounding it.
Rather than focusing on quality, you’ll need a different approach. GripEdge came up with a different way to engage hex fasteners, preventing them from stripping in the first place.
In this article, we’ll review the RPT hex bit sockets, what the rounding prevention technology is about, and why these sockets could be your go-to choice to remove hex fasteners, whether they are stuck or not.
Rounding Prevention Technology (RPT)
The RPT hex bit sockets feature u-channels along their six faces, which give them a resemblance to Torx bit sockets. They are not, nor should you use them as such. GripEdge offers a line of Torx bit sockets.
Because of their shape, when the GripEdge RPT hex bit sockets engage seized hex bolts, they pull the pressure inward rather than pushing to the outside corners, unlike traditional hex bit sockets.
Hex bit sockets drive fasteners by a mix of push and friction forces (represented by the black arrows in the picture below). Both forces project outward from the fastener, and, depending on the material hardness, either the tool or the bolt will eventually get stripped when trying to loosen a seized fastener.
The RPT hex bit sockets create indentations on the inner side of a stuck fastener, where they grip and apply inward pressure to rotate the fastener. Thus, generating more torque on stuck fasteners, whether they are damaged or not.
Next, we want to share actual data on how the GripEdge RPT hex bit sockets compare to standard ones by testing them in a real-life scenario you have probably already encountered.
A Stuck Soft Fastener Situation
A recurrent complaint when stripping a stuck bolt is that the material is crappy or shitty soft, as Dave455, a well-known member of the Garage Journal forum, claims.
It’s a complex situation, since standard extractors, instead of solving the problem, might worsen it. Hookstra, a member of the TDIClub Forum, posted that he doesn’t like using extractors because they chew up more aluminum.
There’s an interesting test comparing a GripEdge RPT hex bit socket to a standard one for removing aluminum bolts with red threadlock from an aluminum electrical block. It may seem like a far-fetched situation, but an aluminum bolt can become stuck due to a chemical weld produced by a dissimilar metal, such as steel.
While the standard socket reached 17.3 ft-pound of torque before starting to spin and round the aluminum bolt, the GripEdge RPT hex bit socket applied 26.4 ft-pound to get the bolt out. It’s a 52% difference, just like GripEdge claims about their RPT technology: up to 50% more torque on good bolts and up to 400% more torque on damaged ones.
Below is the video version of the test, along with a screenshot that clearly shows the indentations we mentioned in the previous section, which allow the RPT hex bit to grip and apply torque inward.
Last Thoughts
Since the design of the RPT hex bit sockets prevents damage, they are ideal for those who regularly deal with rusted or stuck bolts or need to keep their tool selection to a minimum.
The rounding prevention technology doesn’t mean these hex bit sockets won’t deform the inner surface of a hex bolt. They will create indentations that allow first, to grip and rotate seized bolts with greater torque than traditional hex bit sockets, and second, to prevent stripping.
Keep in mind that although the RPT hex bits have outstanding extraction capabilities, they are not dedicated extractors. We have an article dedicated entirely to the GripEdge broken bolt extractors. Check it out.