9mm socket application

[bmwrd0]

Older French bicycles use 9mm on the derailleur.

But if you are solely going by DIN or JIS standards for your tooling needs, you are going to get caught shorthanded. Engineers use whatever sizes they think will work and do not really care about standards that hold them back.

 

[bsaint]

Older French bicycles use 9mm on the derailleur.

But if you are solely going by DIN or JIS standards for your tooling needs, you are going to get caught shorthanded. Engineers use whatever sizes they think will work and do not really care about standards that hold them back.

I think it comes down to cost. A one off fastener vs a standardize fastener.

 

[Ricky Joe]

Go to the pawn shop, spend 50cents, you are good.

 

[VolvoRyan]

9mm wrenches are made for people who can’t stand having incomplete sets. 8,10,11,13,15,16,17,18mm would likely get 99.9% of the work done.

Ironically, when you dabble with Euro cars, you *make* incomplete sets. The 9mm's in my not-Snap-On sets get replaced with Snap-On 9mm's.

As mentioned, 9mm and 11mm get used on European brake fittings.... so you don't just "need" 9mm.... you need *good* 9mm, so some of my most expensive tools are 9mm.

Around here, 7mm-19mm are needed without skips. The upside is that above 19mm isn't seen as often.

-Ryan

 

[Showkey]

I have brand new 9-11-15-16 sockets that are 50 years old.

 

[king nero]

You don’t work on Hondas. If you did, you would need 8 10 12 14 17 19

Add suzuki to that list.
I once went to a friend's place with just a few tools in a box, for a quick repair. I had eyeballed what I needed the weekend before.
a 13 mm hex is easy to spot, as it's a very common fastener size in Europe. Lots bigger than a 10 mm, and the next common size up is 17 mm. Godd** bike needed a 12 mm socket, which caused the entire project to move another week down the road...

7 and 9 mm also come up regularly in electric work.

 

[nmantas]

I think it is funny that people that only work on a small demographic of auto/equipment are so quick to say that you don't need such and such size, they shouldn't be included in sets, and the only people that have them are tool polishers that need full socket trays. I'm pretty sure I have used every socket on the low end of mm (5-19) multiple times and I don't turn wrenches for a living. Some are more popular than others but the last thing I want to do is use a pair of vice grips, adjustable wrench, or run to the store in the middle of fixing something for that socket or wrench that I use once every few years.....might as well just have it on hand for a few bucks.

 

[FuzzyTiger]

Nah never. That's why I keep this

I'm on my phone and while reading your post I scrolled down and saw the blurry picture of the oxy torch but the rest was cut off and I thought to myself "that's a bit extreme but it works I guess" and then I was disappointed when I scrolled further and saw your wrench.

 

[bsaint]

I'm on my phone and while reading your post I scrolled down and saw the blurry picture of the oxy torch but the rest was cut off and I thought to myself "that's a bit extreme but it works I guess" and then I was disappointed when I scrolled further and saw your wrench.

Lol why were you disappointed?

 

[FuzzyTiger]

Lol why were you disappointed?

A wrench VS a oxy torch? The later is always cooler.

 

[bsaint]

A wrench VS a oxy torch? The later is always cooler.

Technically it's way hotter

 

[bubinga]

This Tekton 3/8 drive metric Impact deep well set includes the 9mm they don't skip any sizes, 7 to 19. I get mad when sets skip sizes. I know a lot of them like to skip 16 and 18 which I find to be very common.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F9Y1NHQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Bighead38]

When you work in the rust belt you use every size American and metric.

 

[bubinga]

When you work in the rust belt you use every size American and metric.

Yes using the next size down and Hammer it on sometimes.
This should probably go in the pet peeve thread but yes that's a pet peeve of mine when sockets and wrench that skip sizes with the exception of maybe what is it 22 mm I think or one of them around there you don't use?
Like I said before it makes me mad when metric sets skip 16 and 18 oh yeah they're never used right?
Especially 18 mm.

 

[Ricky Joe]

18mm is used on Ford F100 shock mounts in the 1980s

 

[merkyworks]

Upgraded the entire rear suspension on my S197 GT500 and 18mm is used throughout.

 

[bubinga]

18mm is used on Ford F100 shock mounts in the 1980s

Yeah, my 01 grand prix uses 18 on the head side of one of the lower control arm bolts.
I think ford and IIRC Chrysler products, used 18 a lot.

 

[f121]

After 20 years wrenching on European cars (in Europe) I used my 9mm for the first time last month, on the aforementioned mk1 golf platform clutch cover. Never seen a 9mm bleed ******, they’re normally 10, 11 or 13.

 

[Bighead38]

Yes using the next size down and Hammer it on sometimes.
This should probably go in the pet peeve thread but yes that's a pet peeve of mine when sockets and wrench that skip sizes with the exception of maybe what is it 22 mm I think or one of them around there you don't use?
Like I said before it makes me mad when metric sets skip 16 and 18 oh yeah they're never used right?
Especially 18 mm.

Sometimes stuff is so rusty I have to hammer the next size down and spin the rust off. Then hammer the second size and so on until it grabs. There’s been times I ended up 4-5 sizes below what I started with.

 

[PFSard]

Yeah, my 01 grand prix uses 18 on the head side of one of the lower control arm bolts.
I think ford and IIRC Chrysler products, used 18 a lot.

My neighbor borrowed my 18 mm ratcheting box wrench for his Chrysler Van front end. I had never used it.

 

[bubinga]

My neighbor borrowed my 18 mm ratcheting box wrench for his Chrysler Van front end. I had never used it.

Yeah I got a nice set of a long double box it's actually the Craftsman clone of the gear wrench the long ones but all my stuff's in storage I don't even want to think about it right now my car is broke down and I am buying tools in order to fix it and everything well I sort of wrecked it a little bit.
Bent up some front end parts.
They really don't make them like they used to if that was a 72 around that year to 77 I doubt it would have sustained any damage.

 

[American Locomotive]

9mm wrenches are made for people who can’t stand having incomplete sets. 8,10,11,13,15,16,17,18mm would likely get 99.9% of the work done.

As long as you planned to never work on Japanese cars! Every Japanese engine I've ever worked on is held together almost exclusively with 12 and 14mm bolts.

As mentioned, just about every Japanese vehicle can be nearly fully disassembled with 5 sockets - 8,10,12,14, and 17. Crank bolts and some suspension bolts may be larger, however.

 

[Walkers]

As long as you planned to never work on Japanese cars! Every Japanese engine I've ever worked on is held together almost exclusively with 12 and 14mm bolts.

As mentioned, just about every Japanese vehicle can be nearly fully disassembled with 5 sockets - 8,10,12,14, and 17. Crank bolts and some suspension bolts may be larger, however.

You guys are right, I don’t do a lot of work on Japanese cars. I still hold firm that 9mm is a size built for people like me that can’t stand incomplete sets.
I am missing an Armstrong 1 7/16” (it might be 1 9/16”) wrench from my heavy set. It appears it is not even made. I haven’t ever needed it, but would buy it ifI found it just to complete the set.

 

[bubinga]

You guys are right, I don’t do a lot of work on Japanese cars. I still hold firm that 9mm is a size built for people like me that can’t stand incomplete sets.
I am missing an Armstrong 1 7/16” (it might be 1 9/16”) wrench from my heavy set. It appears it is not even made. I haven’t ever needed it, but would buy it ifI found it just to complete the set.

Yeah I bought a 9 mm and an 8 mm to complete my snap-on set snap on open stock and I didn't really need the nine I got it just in case I think I used it a few times I know we used to use it on Volkswagens like I mentioned before somewhere on the back of the motor or something there was one bolt it was a 9 mm head.

 

[PFSard]

I still hold firm that 9mm is a size built for people like me that can’t stand incomplete sets.

- I use 9 mm sockets and wrenches on my bicycles. Cannot recall any other specific uses.
- I'd rather have complete sets of sockets and wrenches. They take up relatively little space.

 

[VolvoRyan]

Even better is the 9mm hex/allen bit. Missing from a lot of sets.... and then you need one.

 

[Uncle murph]

I'm looking at the Din and Jis charts and 9mm hex just doesn't show up. What's 9mm? Rusted out 3/8?

In short,if you have one,hang on to it,you just might need it one day!

 

[mikey03]

I definitely got some basic 9mm sockets but I have ocd with my autism and I have the urge to complete sets but the koken sockets I got skip 9 and now it’s making me wonder if I need a 9mm in every type of socket and wrench to have no skips from 8 to 19

but honestly I’ve never seen 9 I read here it’s used on brake bleeders for euro cars. Makes me wonder if I can get away with a 9 brake bleeder wrench, basic shallow and deep sockets for 1/4 and 3/8 and then a 9mm combination wrench and call it good

getting universal chrome and universal impact and mid length chrome and mid length impact and ratcheting wrenches in 9 seems like a waste if it’s really just used in some brake bleeders but idk you guys will say if I don’t got it then I’ll definitely wind up needing a mid length 12 point universal 9mm socket someday but idk lol

honestly I’m wondering if I can get no skips from 10 to 19 in everything and then for other stuff I limit what I go for to more basic things like getting universal sockets and ratcheting wrenches in 20mm seems like a big waste.

i think for stuff I’ve seen 10 to 19 no skips. Add in 8mm and maybe 7mm I see as a standard size. Then 21 22 24 27 30 32 36 and I never worked on anything bigger than that but you don’t really need no skips at that point the tools are so expensive and heavy and I don’t do anything with SAE so no need for that at all tbh

 

[mudflap]

The 9 is always included for pounding on rounded 10s.. I thought everybody knew that...

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

I have brand new 9-11-15-16 sockets that are 50 years old.

Half of the bellhousing to engine bolts on my wife’s Chevy Cruze are 15mm, the other half are 18mm.

 

[Tynee]

9mm wrenches are made for people who can’t stand having incomplete sets. 8,10,11,13,15,16,17,18mm would likely get 99.9% of the work done.

For me, that number is somewhere less than 50% without a 12 and a 14 on the three vehicles I own currently and the last 2 or 3 we had in the family as well as the half-dozen I've worked on for some other folks

 

[Jon h]

18mm is used on Ford F100 shock mounts in the 1980s

Also 2001 ford ranger rear shocks…..

 

[ecotec]

I have wear on a 9mm Vim brake bleeder wrench that I bought new. I also have wear on a 6pt combo wrench that I bought new about 30 years ago.

As far as sockets go… I have 10 9mm sockets in my cart, I have 12 9mm sockets on my workbench, I have 19 9mm sockets in my metric drawer, I have 5 9mm sockets in a drawer of another toolbox stack and I found 6 9mm sockets in my spares.

I bet that I could find one or two more if I looked.

I cannot really tell how much that I have actually used the 9mm sockets, as 3/4 of them were bought used.

 

[Beerhippie]

Metric screw-drive hose clamps--not only do they exist, but seem to be taking over--use 6, 7, 8 and 9mm drivers. It drives me nuts. For the old Imperial clamps, by six-in-one screwdriver with 1/4 and 5/16" drive did all of them.

Oh, yeah--connection boxes on European electric motors use the same suite of tiny hex fasteners. Mostly 6, 7, and 8, but occasionally 9 and 10mm.