Topic

A set of reasonable quality spanners is vital to home car maintenance.

There is a multitude of types of spanner available.
We've already seen some of the specialist types, but for general work there are a few choices:-
Open ended spanners:-


Ring Spanners:-



Offset Ring spanners:-



Combination ring/open ended spanners:-



Ratchet spanners:-



Combination Ratchet/open ended:-



Combination flexible ratchet/ open ended:-

Each set is useful for certain situations but I mostly use the flexible ratchet /open ended set on the jobs I do on the car. In combination with a socket set.
The ratchet ends are brilliant for quickly spinning a nut on or off. The open end is better for the final tightening.
Again spanners come in various imperial and metric sizes. For our cars, metric is all you need.
A set which covers 8mm - 19mm would cover most eventualities on our cars.

Us Canadians call them wrenches too.

There is no substitue for good, quality spanners. Cheap ones only lead to frustration.

This is the only tool you need when touring....

Thanks David,

If you are just starting out and want to know which type of spanners you should get first, I suggest a good set of combination spanners is the way to go. They usually have a shallow offset of @ 15˚ to the ring end.


Deeper offsets are also available (really a double offset as the handle has a second opposite offset to the ring.)


Though I recommend the shallow offset for combination spanners for your first set as later on for your next set you can get a deep offset set of ring spanners thereby having in effect the benefits of 3 sets of spanners in just 2 sets, openenders and both shallow and deep offset ring spanners.

The offsets can be useful in gaining clearance around nearby obstacles but can also put you on a collision course with other obstructions when you don't need the offset

A shallow offset combination spanner will do anything an openender can do and can do most jobs a deep offset ring spanner (box wrench to the yanks) can.

You can get them in short, standard and long series (series is the length of the handle)
Here's a set of short series or stubby (as they're sometimes known) combination spanners


They are handy when you don't have the room to swing a longer spanner, but don't give you as much leverage as a standard series spanner.

I wouldn't recommend ratchet or swivel headed ratchet spanners for your first set as the bulk of the extra metal needed for the swivel and ratchet mechanisms cut get in the way when clearance around the bolt head is limited.
They are also not going to be as tough as a standard combination spanner, which in extreme circumstances you may have to hit with a hammer.
Ratchets and swivels don't like hammers!
But you should look to getting a set further down the track as they can be an absolute life saver at times.

Now you really shouldn't go hitting spanners with hammers unless there is no other way to get the job done if you must do so, use a soft face hammer.
Unless of course you using a proper flogging spanner which is designed to have the living daylights belted out of it by a FBH (Fornicating Big Hammer)
Note the anvil end for hitting.

steve51800 wrote: wrote:

This is the only tool you need when touring....

And that 'll get you towed to bloody Halfords or even worse! Just ask Ben how much fun that is.

Very useful thread, thanks.

mowog73 wrote: wrote:

Us Canadians call them wrenches too.

There is no substitue for good, quality spanners. Cheap ones only lead to frustration.

I agree Mark, "North American, would be the correct phrase, but remember I'm closer to Britain than the lot of you so I prefer Far East North American!!

John...Technically you aren't even part of North America...More of a Western Irelander, or Icelander!

As for the spanners, I think the greatest tool invention in the last 20 years is the ratcheting combination spanner with swivel head. I really don't know how I managed to work without them years ago! That and a decent socket set and you have 90% of your tool needs met.

BTW: Most of us Canuckleheads are bi-lingual, spanner-wrench, wing-fender, boot-trunk, bird-chick, pint-pint, etc.
(Even us South Western Canadians! we speak Californian as well Dude! )

Rich, In geography us east coaster were taught that if you are on the continental shelf of North America you are part of it!
Do they only teach west coast geography over there!!!
Got to say I disagree that most of us are bilingual, unless you mean Vancouver Chinese for you westerners!!!!
Have you been hanging out with Rob Ford lately!