16mm sockets and wrenches.

[jrw87]

I was looking around for a set of impact sockets, just a small box to place inside a larger toolbox I use everyday and noticed that none of the sets had 16mm sockets then noticed the wrench sets had no 16mm wrench which struck me as odd because an M10 bolt or M10 all thread is the most common thing I come across working in the Electrical industry. Is there a reason these are left out of the more common sets available?

 

[Fedwrench]

It depends on where you're shopping for sets but, there are few if any asian made cars that use 16mm.

 

[mech-tech]

For me, everything is either 15mm or 17mm. 16mm is one of those sizes that I just never use, though I could be wrong...my girlfriend always claims I am.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

I have used 16mm sockets and wrenches, ford uses them alot

 

[flashboiler]

16mm=.629" or .004" over 5/8

Wrenches are a little oversized over nominal anyway...

 

[zakmartin]

My 3/8" SK standard sized impact sockets go from 8 - 19mm. They were included free with a set of 3/8" SK swivels I got on ToolTopia, I think. I can't remember the last time I needed a 16mm socket though.

 

[jrw87]

Odd, maybe its just a thing in these parts that our 10mm fixings has 16mm nuts and heads

 

[bwringer]

You do see them in some cars. I had the misfortune of doing some suspension work on a couple of later-model Ford Focuses (Foci?), and there were several occasions where I needed 16mm.

As noted above, 5/8" works fine if you have inch stuff around. I had to go get a 16mm impact socket.

Overall, they are used very little, and never on Asian machinery, so most sets leave 16mm out.

 

[fxgmech]

I bought a set of Snap-on 3/8" dr metric impact about 12 years ago. They were on sale and backordered or the dealer traded for them, don't recall which. I didn't read the fine print. Imagine my surprise when they showed up and the set was 10mm through 18mm but 11mm and 16mm were not included.

The reason I got told then was most US customers already have the inch sizes so that set was the most popular configuration. 11mm, 16mm, and 19mm match up to 7/16", 5/8", and 3"4".

I usually grab a set of inch or metric and wheel my service cart to the truck but I bought the 16mm eventually because I found myself walking back to my roll cab to get a 5/8" too often. The other two I don't miss.

 

[Subyroo651]

Pretty sure Subaru uses 16mm on some fasteners. They love 10,12,14 etc

EDIT: Looks like its only used on Cam bolts for the BR-Z


.

 

[epmills]

I noticed the same thing, I had to buy 16's separatly when I bought the set years ago. Not the most common size used, but I do use it. Mercedes uses it for a few things, front differentials on the ML/GL/R class and upper engine mount bolts come to mind.

 

[sselander]

An old but still useful thread:

Common Wrench/Spanner Sizes [Metric]
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85072

 

[jfcasey]

Funny thread, I use 16mm on 5/8 spark plugs all the time and always laugh since I don't have a 5/8 deep socket at work anyway I guess it depends which side of the table you sit on.

 

[richfinn]

We use 7/9/11/15/16/18 quite often in Europe

12/14 only on Japanese cars

8/10/13/17/19 all the time

 

[jrw87]

I bought a set of Snap-on 3/8" dr metric impact about 12 years ago. They were on sale and backordered or the dealer traded for them, don't recall which. I didn't read the fine print. Imagine my surprise when they showed up and the set was 10mm through 18mm but 11mm and 16mm were not included.

The reason I got told then was most US customers already have the inch sizes so that set was the most popular configuration. 11mm, 16mm, and 19mm match up to 7/16", 5/8", and 3"4".

I usually grab a set of inch or metric and wheel my service cart to the truck but I bought the 16mm eventually because I found myself walking back to my roll cab to get a 5/8" too often. The other two I don't miss.

Yes Im shopping for a set of metric wrenches now, I have the Bahco 200 piece set but so does every other tradesman in NZ so our stuff gets mixed up at work. Im looking at wrench sets and keep checking for the 16mm, Im liking the black oxide blackhawk 14 piece set.

Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk now Free

 

[firebox40dash5]

Pretty sure Subaru uses 16mm on some fasteners. They love 10,12,14 etc

More of a Chrysler/Ford thing. Subaru is 10/12/14/17/19/21. Made packing the demo derby bag VERY easy this year.

I'm in the rusty **** belt. That 1/2 a millimeter between metric and SAE is sometimes the difference between job well done and having to extract a fastener.

 

[FiendFX]

Funny thread, I use 16mm on 5/8 spark plugs all the time and always laugh since I don't have a 5/8 deep socket at work anyway I guess it depends which side of the table you sit on.

That's true. 5/8 would fit a little tighter, that's all.

 

[86k10]

I notice that Japanese cars/trucks are 10/12/14/17 and on where U.S. metric like GM is 10/13/15/18/19 in my experience. The main difference is the 12/14 vs. 13/15. I come across 16mm still but not whole lot.

 

[oldtractors]

Japanese uses the JIS standard while most of the world uses ISO standard metric fasteners. Almost makes you want to go back to inch sizes. At least a 3/8 bolt uses a 9/16" wrench all the time - well unless it is a heavy hex head

 

[chrisa7164]

Like they mentioned above..Ford uses 16 quite a bit. Oil drain plugs on mid 90's cars were 16mm.

 

[SCscoutguy]

I picked up a bag of 7,12 and 16mm Matco wrenches at the gun show of all places last year thinking when am I ever going to need a 16mm but I have actually used the one 16mm I keep in my tool box a few times since then.

 

[wxm]

16mm=.629" or .004" over 5/8

Wrenches are a little oversized over nominal anyway...

Here you go...

 

[SlappyWhite]

5/8 will do the trick.

Sometimes I wonder if they skip sizes because they know they are needed just so you will buy the single at full price... I have only seen this on metric sets and only with the retail store brands.

 

[Polski-Chevy]

5/8 will do the trick.

Sometimes I wonder if they skip sizes because they know they are needed just so you will buy the single at full price... I have only seen this on metric sets and only with the retail store brands.

Yeah, store brands do this often so you have to buy the SAE set to get the crossover metric sizes of 8, 11, 13, 16, and 19.

Double the profit

 

[ImportTuner]

I've been working on cars for 45+ years (not professionally) and have never used a 16 mm socket/wrench (but I do have them) ...

 

[white91formula]

My cx500 has a few 16mm fasteners on it

 

[MattPersman]

See it more in the last several years on Chrysler stuff guessing they bought a bunch of 16mm headed bolts for a good deal.

 

[mopar01]

Cat and cummins use 16mm a lot.

 

[jmm]

I use a 16 mm line wrench quite often. Tons of air and oil fittings on the German machinery I work on. I can count the times I've used a 16 mm socket on one hand, though.

 

[Murphy4570]

Like they mentioned above..Ford uses 16 quite a bit. Oil drain plugs on mid 90's cars were 16mm.

I'm not entirely convinced that Ford used metric 16mm stuff back in the 90's. Could just be leftover standard stuff. In any case, I use 5/8" on Fords, mostly just oil drain plugs. Fords use 5.5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18mm a lot. 19 and 21mm is common for lugnuts. 22mm and above are mostly big bolts, like subframe bolts or control arm bolts.

Only cars I grab 16mm for are Volkswagens. They love using oddball ****.

 

[Applesauce]

Lots of 16 mm subframe bolts on first-gen Mini Coopers. First place I ever used one...but then I used one a lot.

 

[Desertskyy]

My 2003 Ford Ranger 4.0 oil drain plug is 16mm

Just my .02

 

[shockwave]

I have run into 16mm on some bmw brake caliper brackets but mostly on Ford's with drain plugs and oil cooling fittings

 

[shoggoth80]

I see 16mm on Euro machines a lot. Aside from that, I don't run across much. Doesn't mean I didn't go find myself 16mm sockets and wrenches.

 

[AV tinker er]

12/14 only on Japanese cars

I think you can build a Honda with a 10, 12, and a 14.

 

[jrw87]

So after a bit of research, for a 10mm diameter bolt the Japanese industrial standard is 14mm, the German standard is 17mm and the ANSI is 16mm.

That explains a lot when we were changing out switchgear last saturday and couldn't figure out why we kept needing to change sockets on 10mm fixings, evidentially the gear assembled off site used components from different countries.

 

[rumb]

My Volvo v40'97 uses 16mm on bolts holding rear end front engine mounts.

 

[Dave455]

The ISO Metric size (probably the most common worldwide) for a 10 mm thread is a 17mm nut! JIS use a different range, but again including 17mm not 16mm.

I know US makers who use metric (why?) use different sizes yet again (including 15mm, which is never found in Europe) but 16mm is still pretty rare!

Ultimately, it's down to each manufacturer to decide the best combination in each set. The trouble with metric, is that if you include every size, that's a lot of wrenches, including some like 9mm that I don't think are ever used!