Socket Frenches for auto repair guide
Socket Frenches for auto repair guide
Socket Frenches for auto repair guideA good set of socket wrenches, can really make the difference between enjoying your work and killing yourself over it. Socket wrenches come in sets for a wide variety of prices, depending on quality and how many there are in the set. Sets can include either a mix of SAE and metric sockets, all SAE, or all metric pieces. Unless you've decided to become a mechanic, you can buy an inexpensive set of basic socket wrenches suitable for your vehicle for less than $25.
Your set of socket wrenches should contain the following basic items:
A variety of K-inch or %-inch drive heads or sockets: The #-inch, %-inch, and %-inch sockets are the ones you'll use the most, unless you need a metric set. The metric sizes most often used are 10,11,12,13, and 14 mm.
The word drive refers to the size of the square hole in each socket where it attaches to the ratchet handle. It's easy to remember that the smaller the drive, the smaller the job you use it for. A X-inch drive is for tiny areas; %-inch drive is for the next range of sizes, typically up to SAE % or 18 mm metric; &-inch drive is for up to SAE IK, or up to 25 mm; and other drives up to 2 inches are for really big jobs (you won't need one of these monsters). You can use adapters to convert sockets of one drive to fit handles of another drive.
A spark plug socket: This is the large socket with a soft lining to hold the spark plug securely without damaging its soft jacket when you remove and insert it, or when you drop it on the floor by mistake. Spark plugs come in two sizes, so make sure to get the size that fits the spark plugs in your car. Your owner's manual may note the spark plug size.
At least one ratchet handle, to which you can fit any of the sockets: Most sets have two or three handles with at least one adapter. You may want to add additional adapters to extend the handle to different sizes and adapt it to different drives.
A flex-head handle: Although not strictly necessary, a flex-head handle is very useful. It enables you to hold the ratchet handle at any angle when working in tight places and engines are full of tight places!
Socket extenders: These indispensable items help you get your socket head way down into the bowels of your engine compartment to reach those almost-unreachable nuts and bolts.
The way to tell a good socket wrench set is to look at the number of teeth in the ratchet handle. Most have 20 to 30 teeth. The really good ones have up to 60 teeth. The more teeth the handle has, the better it can fit into tight places. This is because you have to move the handle only a few degrees to turn the nut as much as a cheaper handle would in many degrees. In other words, a ratchet handle with 24 teeth must be moved 15 degrees to reach its limit. A handle with 60 teeth has to be moved only 6 degrees to turn a nut as far.