A little info about wrench sizes

[Ricko1966]

Not trying to insult anyone,I myself didn't know/think about this until I was working at the best shop I ever worked at,at 21. Since I was a kid working on my bikes,etc. If the wrench fit the bolt and would turn it that was good enough. Even after starting to wrench as a profession, still whatever fit was good enough,until a tech who had 10 or 15 years on me said you know Rick, insert whatever wrench size here isn't the same as x. Close but not the same. So I'm putting some pics up that show how close or different the wrenches are,hoping to save a few rounded fasteners or a few busted knuckles,or give someone the knowledge that there's another wrench just slightly smaller in case you are already dealing with a rounded fastener.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

I've noticed this "close but not exactly correct size" on sockets on my OBS trucks (our squares didn't have that many metric fasteners IIRC). The blower motor bolts are 5.5mm, but a 7/32" socket was "close". The 5.5 fit properly and didn't have that "wiggle" felling that using the"close" one did. Also had a starter swapout on the Burb, that I used 14mm and 9/16" sockets on the mounting bolts. Probably other cases too but those are the ones I remember....

 

[Bennyt]

Thanks for posting...

If you see any of these for others besides SAE and Metric, I'd be interested, particularly for Whitworth and JIS.

 

[Lowered87]

Every socket works with rounded off bolt heads just add mig welder. This is what all those junk sockets are for. Do not weld your Proto, Snap-on, etc sockets unless you have a lot of cash laying around.

 

[Ricko1966]

Every socket works with rounded off bolt heads just add mig welder. This is what all those junk sockets are for. Do not weld your Proto, Snap-on, etc sockets unless you have a lot of cash laying around.

I welded a socket to a nut on a customer car at work one time. Blasted the nut loose with my impact,smacked the impact so the nut and socket fell to the ground,the customer picked it up,bobbled it back and forth hand to hand a couple of times,dropped it and said you didn't tell me it was hot" He just watched me stick 2 pieces of metal together with blinding electrical arc,but didn't know it was hot. Unbelievable.

 

[Copymutt]

Those minor discrepancies came to light for truck owners w/ the F150s. Fueled a storm of aftermarket lug nut sales.

 

[HotRodPC]

I once caught some Craftsman sockets on sale and had some bonus points I had to use or they'd expire. I bought these funky looking sockets. They claimed to have worked for damaged fastners. They weren't lying. I have a drawer for taps and dies, bolt extractors and such. I keep these sockets in that drawer now too. I don't use those sockets so I don't damage or lose them. But in the event I have a stubborn or fuct up fastner, I know right where to go. Here's the only pic I can seem to find. I have them in 3/8 and 1/2 drive, Standard and Metric.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[HotRodPC]

While trying to search those sockets, this showed up on Google too. I also have this exact set in Craftsman that I bought with my Sears ponts on sale too. For those who think you have ever socket possible... I don't use these very often either but when I need them man oh man do they come in handy. I also keep them in a specialty tool drawer since the ratchet is proprietary to the sockets. But for those times where a seep socket isn't deep enough, or you don't have the space to get a deep socket over it, these come in handy. I'd venture to say, the same exact company made this set. The ratchet even looks identical and so does the packaging. These too seem to work on partially rounded bolts and nuts. https://www.autozone.com/ratchets-s...zZFYO0NBLlQhI8QG09BoCOogQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds You can't see it but I incuded the link. At AutoZone in Duralast brand for $34.99. You won't use them very often, but when you need them you need them and you'll be glad you have them.

 

[Lowered87]

I once caught some Craftsman sockets on sale and had some bonus points I had to use or they'd expire. I bought these funky looking sockets. They claimed to have worked for damaged fastners. They weren't lying. I have a drawer for taps and dies, bolt extractors and such. I keep these sockets in that drawer now too. I don't use those sockets so I don't damage or lose them. But in the event I have a stubborn or fuct up fastner, I know right where to go. Here's the only pic I can seem to find. I have them in 3/8 and 1/2 drive, Standard and Metric.

You must be registered for see images attach

That is a spline socket which is different than 12 point, 8 point, 6 point, hex, torx, external torx, security torx, torx paralobe, torx-plus, torx ttap, blah, blah, blah. It never fails, the one tool I need is in the set that I do not have and I have a lot of different sets.

I was working on a hydraulic motor and it had a recessed 6 sided hex plug so no big deal, go to the first socket set and find the Outside Diameter is too big. I went through 8 more sets and every one of those sockets was just slightly too wide to fit in the recess. Next stop, junk socket container then directly to the bench grinder to decrease the outside diameter. Whoever designed that recess needs to have his ass kicked. **** like that wastes so much time and makes me use the F-word a lot.

 

[HotRodPC]

That is a spline socket which is different than 12 point, 8 point, 6 point, hex, torx, external torx, security torx, torx paralobe, torx-plus, torx ttap, blah, blah, blah. It never fails, the one tool I need is in the set that I do not have and I have a lot of different sets.

I was working on a hydraulic motor and it had a recessed 6 sided hex plug so no big deal, go to the first socket set and find the Outside Diameter is too big. I went through 8 more sets and every one of those sockets was just slightly too wide to fit in the recess. Next stop, junk socket container then directly to the bench grinder to decrease the outside diameter. Whoever designed that recess needs to have his ass kicked. **** like that wastes so much time and makes me use the F-word a lot.

OK, so what's wrong with using the F word??? I'd much rather say **** a lot than say Ford sooo...

Yes, those sockets are different than all that, but they tend to work on most of that blah blah blah, as said I only use them in a pinch when required and they've bailed me out a few times, like looking for an 8/4 point socket for a pipe plug inside a wall with no room to get anything but a socket and extension on it.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I've noticed this "close but not exactly correct size" on sockets on my OBS trucks (our squares didn't have that many metric fasteners IIRC). The blower motor bolts are 5.5mm, but a 7/32" socket was "close". The 5.5 fit properly and didn't have that "wiggle" felling that using the"close" one did. Also had a starter swapout on the Burb, that I used 14mm and 9/16" sockets on the mounting bolts. Probably other cases too but those are the ones I remember....

when I did my fuel tank I didnt bother looking for my SAE Impact sockets and that annooyed me because I had to pound on about half of the (14? 15mm?) bolts because rust, and then i had to thread a nut on the end of the bolt and put it in a vice to get it off them lol.. shoulda just looked for the SAE socket. they didnt round or anything I just made it harder than it had to be

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Something else I've seen in this area: the lug nuts on the 8 lug trucks, and the later OBS 5 lugs like my Burb, are 7/8" hex. But some of these are 22mm, and while the two sizes are close, they're not the same. Saw this, doing brake work (or attempting to) on my crew cab. And a couple of the lug nuts are starting to get a little rounding on the corners; I'm figuring someone leaned on the trigger of an impact gun with a 22mm socket. The 22 fits on the nut, but the 7/8 fits it better. So I swapped out the sockets on my cordless impact gun, that I keep in the truck.

 

[Drauka99]

Info I learned on LS header bolts, if you round off a 10mm a little a 3/8 socket is the answer to tap onto what's left and hope it turns.

 

[vr1967]

Another thing to remember, if you know bolt size, you can figure wrench size, and vice versa, on non metric hardware.

On standard hardware, it’s bolt size times 1.5 for wrench size ie: 1/2” bolt, times 1.5 (2/4 + 1/4 = 3/4” bolt head)
Usually stud and hd nuts, it’s 1.5 x stud size plus 1/16 so a 1/2 stud with proper hardware takes 13/16” wrench.

Again, that is for standard hardware.

 

[Dryriver1]

Not trying to insult anyone,I myself didn't know/think about this until I was working at the best shop I ever worked at,at 21. Since I was a kid working on my bikes,etc. If the wrench fit the bolt and would turn it that was good enough. Even after starting to wrench as a profession, still whatever fit was good enough,until a tech who had 10 or 15 years on me said you know Rick, insert whatever wrench size here isn't the same as x. Close but not the same. So I'm putting some pics up that show how close or different the wrenches are,hoping to save a few rounded fasteners or a few busted knuckles,or give someone the knowledge that there's another wrench just slightly smaller in case you are already dealing with a rounded fastener.

Thank you for the information @Ricko1966 !!

I found the link and will be printing it when we get back home to keep handy in my garage.