what should i look for when buying drill bits for car use

epninety

Wig wrote: »

Left hand bits are expensive and I've never used them. But if and when you do snap a bolt the single process might be an attractive option to you and you can buy a set on that day, i.e. not in advance.

Mine were £20 plus vat for a set (up to 0.5") and paid for themselves the first time I needed them (broken stud in an engine block bodged by previous owner). Compares pretty well with a good quality set of ez-outs, and without the worry of breaking one in the hole.
If I had to start again in my tool collection, it would be one of the first things I'd buy - then again all my cars are old, rusty and muddy so I probably get more use out of them than most people.

Can do wonders for your social life too - all your mates will come round to borrow them :mad:

steveo3002

hehe yeah my cars are all old and rusty too, i figure they something worth having for that sunday afternoon when you bust something

ive some okay deals on ebay usa ...work out ok with postage

vaio

steveo3002 wrote: »

……..viao what are those spine type ones you talk about? id be interested in getting some just incase

Available from your local friendly snap-on van, a bargain at only £65 a set. Try your local motor factor for a cheaper set or go to ebay.com and get a set from the states

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=&item_ID=158&group_ID=1254&store=uk&dir=catalog

steveo3002

thanks for the link....i'll put them on my want list lol , maybe keep an eye out next time im in usa, not sure id trust any old motor factor set as i wouldnt want one to snap off lol

LandyAndy

vaio wrote: »

The dormer drills are indeed top quality. Not so sure about the “easy outs”, they work by being hard enough to cut into the bolt, hard steel is also brittle. The end result of this is that you end up with a stuck bolt, with a hole drilled down the middle but filled with a snapped “easy out” which is way too hard to drill again.

I’ve never had any luck with “easy outs” (unless you count the bad sort) but I have had success with left hand drill bits and the higher end stud extractors that are a sort of spline you hammer into a drilled hole before undoing it via a nut that slides over the spline. The other solution that has worked for me is to drill bigger and bigger holes until there is almost nothing left of the bolt and then collapse and pick out the remains with a pointy thing.

:rotfl: This is the only thing that has worked for me. You can use magneticy things to extract the debris as well as pointy things;) .