The answer as to why the CCBS sockets are less prone to breaking is easy: 1. As already mentioned they are slightly wider 2. They don’t have a hole in the socket that creates a thin bridge/arch that is very easily broken 3. Their construction is formed basically by two thin walls and some struts. The thin walls flex more easily. On a traditional-style socket, instead of the arms flexing out of the way, that stress can be transferred to the “cup” itself, causing a crack at the base of the socket. You can see this principle in action with the new vs old style of “1x1 plate with clip on top” pieces - the new ones LOOK flimsier, but they’re actually better because they’re more inclined to bend instead of break. The main reason they wouldn’t be able to use the “shell socket technology” for normal sockets are probably because (1) they are lower friction, since they’re generally not intended to be a load-bearing connection and (2) the requirement that normal sockets remain one brick wide and maintain the 3 axel connections.

I think it comes down to the thin walls being able to flex more than those reinforced sockets. Those sockets are brittle, and can't flex as much probably. They also have wayyy more friction

I've had a dark red shell break, but I'd blame that more on it being dark red then it being an issue with the design

I have a bunch of shell sockets that have gotten really weak or are straight up broken. As someone who uses shells in abundance, I’m disappointed by this. It’s not quite as bad as the savage planet claws or G2 spider legs though.

I feel like that connection is more consistent/reliable due to having a greater surface area than the standard socket pieces we've had over the years; it's wider than a single stud also DEAR MATA NUI NIDHIKI HAS BEEN BISECTED

agreed with the socket test, all types & all colors

Just the odd shell broken not nearly as much as Mata hands, but I put them in high stress builds to be fair, too. My favourite sockets are the standard ccbs bone sockets, because they're not as wide as shell-type covered sockets, and so can be used with hinge bones, and, I love hinge bones dearly. I know I've never particularly had issues with shin pieces from bionicle, I love the inika leg, I love the piraka arm, but even so do they still not capture the strength of a hero factory hinged bone, especially the shortest variation. Might be the oldness of my parts, or, specific angles or something, piraka arm I always liked the design but never exactly where the balls meet the rest of the piece, a little of the same of piraka, but gosh, those smallest hinge bones, whatever you're going to use them for, which will be a narrow range of motion, they will sturdily accomplish. I thought Stormer XL was cool. Furno XL, even cooler. Friction adders were new and fresh. But Evo XL machine showed me the love I'd forgotten, ah, the Fire Lord design. Two points of reinforcement...like the pistons of old! Like mighty Tuma... Witch Doctor, my beloved. As long, as long as you're keeping condensed, using small hinges, or reinforcing with other things, hi hinges shouldn't be skewiff, slippy, falter too easily. A sideways unhinged ball connection like Stormer XL, yes, that, works, but between the extra range of motion in one sense and the reduced in another...I dunno, probably personal bias but I feel like those hinged balls are the best litmus test of failure in structural stability, where blind faith in friction adders will eventually fail into timbering down. And if you're at the point of considering friction adders for a hinged joint then you're already at the point where a better solution should be presenting itself. They're the warm sunrise that guides you back into the land of the thinkers after a long, sweet, dream that agonisingly collapses under its own weight, that is friction extenders.

I’ve had one single ccbs shell in yellow break at the socket. One.

Oh... yeah... I feel like I never noticed that... That these shells ARE all consistent, (in my case) never broken and that they just work My brain just sorta took that for granted, while with other sockets I pray they work To be fair, I never had a CCBS socket break tho Unless we count the time we had a CCBS socket break on us after we spray painted it But even then, it was the axle hole that broke soooo now I'm curious how you mean the CCBS socket is fragile (So I know what to be aware of)