Silly question--how to buy sockets for triple-square bolts?

[thefleshrocket]

New to me are the triple-square bolts on the S4. I hopped on Amazon and typed in "triple square socket", and instead of getting female sockets, they're all male, which isn't going to do me any good for removing triple-square bolts. What do I search for to find the sockets that I need?

[heartmys4]

Are you sure you're not confusing the triple-square/XZN with 12-point? Search for "12-point socket" and see if that's what you're looking for.

[MME1122]

What bolts are you trying to remove? You might need a 12-point socket. I'm not sure what the technical differences are, but I think triple square typically refers to a female head and so they need a male bit. 12-point is the opposite.

[SteveYem]

I have come across various screws with triple-square / XZN socket (female) heads on the B8 which require use of triple-square/XZN male bits. I ended up buying this set from Amazon which has more sizes than I needed, but the price was right and it has served me well for the limited usage they have seen:
https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-10056A-...e+square+neiko

[rj124104]

I bought a similar triple square set from amazon. Most of the bolts people try to use torx on are supposed to be tripple square.

[jbain2]

I bought this from amazon. Has 3/8 and 1/2 with triple square and torx

Neiko 10280B Combination Hex, Torx, and XZN Triple Square Driver Socket Bit Set | 40-Piece Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007SX10AG..._31DKBbBFGXDHB


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[thefleshrocket]

The main thing that caught my attention was the bolts that hold the swaybar mounts in place. (The previous owner upgraded to ECS swaybars and I'm getting a squeak that he thinks might be due to the bushings needing to be greased.) Are those just 12-point bolts? I.. don't think I've ever run across those before!

[hilmar2k]

So much confusion in this thread.....

OP is asking about sockets. He is looking for 12-point sockets, not triple-square bits. All triple square bits are male. No need to continue to provide links to triple-square bits on Amazon or wherever....

[thefleshrocket]

Sorry.. I just saw those 12-point bolts on the sway bar mounts and commented about them when I was talking to the PO. He said something about them being triple-square, and so I assumed that's what I needed. Thanks for clarifying!

[hilmar2k]

Sorry.. I just saw those 12-point bolts on the sway bar mounts and commented about them when I was talking to the PO. He said something about them being triple-square, and so I assumed that's what I needed. Thanks for clarifying!

I was more commenting on all of the posts linking to triple-square bits, when that's not what you need (at least for this job, owning an Audi does mean should own a set of them, though).

[Dr.Chill]

Please don't vote me off the island due to my ignorance and bumping this after so long. Pulling engine out of '17 A6 and trans to engine bolts look like the triple square heads on them (male). Are you telling us those are actually regular 12pt sockets and the only triple squares are female head bolts? I'm one of those that prefers to do things the right way with the right tools. Female triple squares seem to not exist in my searching so far, which is why the engine has been sitting ready to be pulled for the last two weeks.

[SwankPeRFection]

There are 12 point normal sockets to fit over the heat of a bolt. Triple square sockets are male and fit into a female bolt head.

[Smac770]

For me, I use socket if it goes over the fastener and bit if it goes into the fastener.
There are 6-pt hex and 12-pt double-hex sockets, as well as 6-pt E-Torx sockets.
There are 6-pt hex (aka Allen) bits and 12-pt double-hex bits (maybe?), as well as 6-pt Torx bits.
There is 12-pt triple-square (aka XZN) bits as well. The double hex vs triple square is exactly as the geometry draws them out. They are both twelve points, but the flats and angles are not the same.



Notice how if you extend the flat of one pt, it lines up with the flat either 2 pts or 3 pts away. If every other, it's a double hex; if every third, it's a triple square.

I've never seen triple-square sockets. I've also never actually noted a double-hex bit.

[Cooper993]

Are they triple square or torx?'

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[SwankPeRFection]

Those are reverse torx. Nothing on the S4 that takes those… for everything I’ve had to work on anyway.

[Cooper993]

DrChill is working on a '17 A6 not an S4. Not sure how different they are

[Smac770]

Are they triple square or torx?

? As the product description says, those are E-Torx sockets. So neither. You're unlikely to need E-Torx on an Audi, but you'll use them all the time on a Mercedes.

[Cooper993]

Yes, I know what they are, however DrChill said "Pulling engine out of '17 A6 and trans to engine bolts look like the triple square heads on them (male)".

Triple square and torx can look similar when under a car. So provided a link for reference.

[Smac770]

Audi uses 12-pt bolts for the trans to block such as on our vehicles. Let's assume MY17 A6 3.0T with ZF8: https://www.ilcats.ru/audi/?function...87&language=en

Right there we see they are 12-pt, not 6-pt. And they are bolt heads requiring a socket over them rather than a bit into them. So going to be normal 12-pt double hex sockets, as there are no 12-pt triple-square sockets (that I know of).
If we finally find a decent pic of the bolt head of one of the 12-pt bolts and pick a pt and start just drawing along the flats, we get a hex with one pt sticking up (from the other hex) rather than a square with two pts sticking up (from the other two squares).
12pt trans bolts.jpg

The M10x50 bolt (N 103 ...) is steel, while the rest (N 911 ...) are aluminum. The AL bolts can be reused only once.

[SwankPeRFection]

Note to readers. Whenever buying metric sockets, go for 12 point ones. They do double duty in such cases as these cars. My first set was 12 point and I’ve used them on all the cars I’ve ever owned and have served me well without having to go by the tool store in a pinch because I ran up on one of these bolts. Just a PSA.

[Dr.Chill]

I'm sorry to rehash the confusion. As Cooper993 said, hard to tell when you are looking through the maze of wires, hoses, etc. and not being very familiar with Audi's. I do appreciate the extra explanation as I'm sometimes at the 2nd grade level of comprehension haha.

[Smac770]

There's no problem there. That's what the forums are for. The original discussion did not exactly explain the basis of the differences; now it has more informative references present.