The small nuts in my 2020 extrusion kept moving while I tried to start the bolts. I used the thin bars of an Allen key to fish them into position, with a folding metric key set listed among my tools.
Small bolts and slot hardware in my roof-rack connector assembly.
Why I bought it
The roof equipment brought together brackets, slotted extrusion and hex-socket hardware. The folding DEWALT metric set was included in the tools for those assembly sessions.
Starting a bolt was not always just a matter of turning the key. In the smaller extrusion, I first had to get the loose T-nut into the right place.
How I used it in my camper van
While joining the added extrusion to the rack, I found that the small T-nuts moved and spun in the channel. I used an Allen key to fish them around until I could line them up with the bolts.
The assembly used M5 hardware at the 2020 profile and quarter-twenty hardware at the existing rack. My notes also describe planning shorter bolts during the camera-mount work to reduce the amount of bolt shortening.
Another angle connection fitted during the roof-equipment work.
My review
The memorable part of the hex-key work was manipulating a loose nut, rather than the final tightening step. The thin key gave me a way to move the nut within the channel.
The key set belongs with the small assembly tools in my kit. The larger cutting and drilling tools made the pieces, but the final fitting depended on reaching and positioning the small hardware.
A small hand tool had a positioning job before it had a turning job.
Alternative products
Two alternatives to compare
The Bondhus set uses separate L-shaped ball-end keys, while the Klein set keeps metric keys in a folding handle. Those formats give the tool different reach and handle shapes around a joint. The separate-key and folding-key arrangements are the main comparison for this kind of confined assembly work.
Bondhus 10999 Metric L-Key Set
This metric hex-key set contains separate L-shaped wrenches in a holder. Its ball ends provide another tool shape for reaching hex-socket fasteners.
