Topic

A good socket set will prove invaluable. They are available in different drive sizes 1/4";3/8";1/2";3/4";1 inch. Sockets are generally metric or AF. Metric are enough for working on the F and TF.

I have a 1/4" drive with a short socket set 5-13mm. Something like this:-



I also have a set of 1/4" long reach flat drive sockets
Specially designed 'Flat Drive' sockets allow up to 30% more torque to be applied, the socket grips the flats of the nut/bolt rather than the corners so will undo rounded nuts:-



I have a 1/2" drive with a short socket set like this:-



With a long reach flat drive set too.

These sets are all from Machine Mart but other suppliers are available. The 1/4" drive sets are very handy for small nuts and bolts such as the 11 bolts that hold the engine cover down.
The 1/2" set will cover most other areas of the car.

Some jobs, such as wheel bearing nuts can strain a 1/2" drive set. Breakages are possible.
A 3/4" set would be better, but expensive to buy for the limited use it would get.

It's worth getting decent quality sets, especially sets that have a breakage guarantee.

the one thing i've found they are good at, Halfords, Pro socket sets have lifetime guarantee, and every christmas they drop the big £200 set to £99.
no quibble at all about replacing ones i've broken, and they are certainly up there with Mac Tools, if not Snap-On.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_862421_langId_-1_categoryId_255215

150 piece set with metric & AF sockets
Includes 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive
Life Time Guarantee*
Chrome vanadium steel sockets and accessories for a durable life
Screwdriver bits and new type driver breaker bar
Ratchet spanners with robust mechanism requires just 6 degrees movement to turn fastener
Robust compact carry case, keeps all the pieces together

What's in the box

3PC Ratchet Handle: 1/4, 3/8, 1/2
10PC 1/4" Drive Regular Socket mm 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13mm
10PC 1/4" Drive Regular Socket SAE 5/32, 3/16, 7/32, 1/4, 9/32, 5/16, 11/32, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2
6PC 1/4" Drive Deep Socket mm 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9mm
1PC 1/4" Drive Wobble Extension Bar 100mm
11PC 3/8" Drive Regular Socket mm 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,19mm
9PC 3/8" Drive Regular Socket SAE 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, 13/16, 7/8
8PC 3/8" Drive Deep Socket mm 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19mm
2PC 3/8" Drive Wobble Extension Bar 75mm, 150mm
1PC 3/8" Drive Breaker Bar (new type) 200mm
4PC 1/2" Drive Regular Socket mm 20, 21, 22, 24mm
4PC 1/2" Drive Impact Socket 17, 19, 21, 23mm
1PC 1/2" Drive Wobble Extension Bar 125mm
1PC 1/4" Drive Spinner Handle
8PC E-Torx Socket 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20mm
2PC Spark Plug Socket 10, 14mm
3PC Accessories 3/8" UJ, 1/2" UJ, 1/4" Bits Adaptor
26PC Screwdriver Bit Slotted 4, 4.5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 8, Hex 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, Phillips 1, 2, 3, Pozi 1, 2, 3,Tamper Torx T10, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 40
19PC Bit Socket TX-10, TX-20, TX-30, TX-40, TX-45, TX-50, TX-55, TX-60, HW-4, HW-5, HW-6, HW-8, HW-10, Phillips 1, 2, 3, Slotted 4, 5.5, 6.5
10PCHex Key1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 5.5, 6, 8, 10mm
8PC Combination Wrench 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19mm
3PC Double Box Ratcheting Wrench 8x10, 12x13, 17x19mm

There are other sizes there is 1/8", 1&1/2", 2", 2&1/2" and 3" drive as well.
I only bother to list these out of academic interest as they aren't likely to be of use to anyone working on a car!
Also besides metric and AF types of spanners there is a third system of Whitworth/British Standard, this system is largely obsolete these days and only to be found on older cars from the early sixties and older.
For Metric and AF the socket sizes are measured at the head of the bolt across the flat.
So the size stamped on the socket. eg: 10mm measured across the head of the bolt, but (and here's the tricky bit) the actual bolt size should be measured at the shaft of the bolt, so our 10mm socket is the one you would use on a 6mm bolt!
But For Whitworth (WW) / British Standard (BS) the size on the socket relates to the size of the shaft of the bolt not the head. They'll often have two sizes on the socket one for WW and one for BS. This goes back to the second world war when they decided they could save steel by making the heads of the bolts smaller in relation to the size of the bolt shaft. So WW refers to the prewar standard and BS refers to the postwar standard.

Of most use for working on cars is 1/4" and 3/8" drive, with 1/2" drive for the heavier applications ans 3/4" drive on some of the more extreme jobs.

So here is a guide to what size drive you should use:

1/4" drive is great for the small stuff up to @ 10mm (Head size) and light use to @ 14mm
3/8" drive is the most used by the automotive mechanic, normal use from @ 10mm to @ 15mm and light use to @ 19mm.
1/2" drive is the heavy work horse. Heavy use up to @ 26mm and light use to @ 36mm.
3/4" drive is for the bigger jobs. Heavy use to @ 52mm, they go bigger but your not likely to ever need them working on a car, they're more for trucks, tractors industrial machinery etc.

There is also a relatively new kind of socket set the "Go through":

These have a hollow shafted spline drive, and are great for use on long treads:


Here's the hollow extension bar, note the male splines that go into the head of the ratchet handle and the larger diameter end that houses the female splines for the male splined socket to plug into:


And note the female splines of the ratchet handle:

This is like tool Porn, you know you shouldn't be looking at it but it just keeps dragging you back In the last 48hrs I have bought a new breaker bar and some wobble bars, if people keep posting this shiny stuff I'll have no money left for MGF Mods.

TB

ive a halfords set - its got 3 rachet drive thingies in with a bunch of different sized bits to get the metal things off that arent screws...
thats about my tool knowledge lol
But i can vouch for halfords pro

Don't put yourself down whiz - you know quite a few tools and how to handle them well

From the budget end of the market, I find this 1/4 inch socket & driver set very useful. It's 'Powerfix' and I think it was a Lidl special (but might have been from Aldi). It was about £12 and has sockets from 4 - 14 mm (including 4.5 & 5.5) and various driver bits for philips, pz, slot, allen & torx. The flexi extension is handy as is the mini UJ.



Richard