Applications for Metric Wrenches Over 24mm?

[Flash21]

I ran across a decent deal on some large metric wrenches. My current wrenchs stop at 24mm.

I'm not sure what the applications are for large metric wrenches. I work on mostly German and US manufactured cars right now but it could be anything in the future. I haven't run across a need for a metric wrench this large yet on the work I have been doing.

Will a non-professional mechanic run across applications for 24mm+ wrenches? Or would they just sit on my box and never be used?

Thanks for the advice

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

Better to have them an not need them, than need them and not have them...my .02...

 

[matthew]

Better to have them an not need them, than need them and not have them...my .02...

Hey, that's the GJ motto, isn't it...

 

[wreckercologist]

Will a non-professional mechanic run across applications for 24mm+ wrenches? Or would they just sit on my box Waiting to be used?

Fixed!

Honestly, the fact you have up to 24 MM puts you way ahead of most DIY guys and a lot of pros too.

On a regular car or truck I can only think of suspension fasteners (maybe), pinion nuts, and axel nuts that might be larger than 24MM. I wouldn't sweat it, IMO.

I run into larger stuff on medium and heavy duty trucks, but you can usually get away with using SAE.

 

[brian90505]

A lotta motorcycles have nuts that big and bigger.

 

[KEH]

Farm machinery has larger fastners. I bought a Wright 32 mm impact socket to use in assembling some hay cutters for a dealer.

A friend wanted a 1 1/8 wrench to remove blades on a riding lawnmower. That's only a 3/4 inch bolt head. Probably some lawn equipment is metric. 1 1/8 is about 29 mm.

36 mm is the nut size for the fan on a VW bug.

KEH

KEH

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Porsche oil line nuts are 30mm+ (but you should be using flare nut wrenches for those). I think the Porsche axle nuts are 27mm. I had to purchase a 27mm wrench to do something on my 911, just can't remember what for...

 

[l3randon]

i use 24mm often doing alignments

 

[blarf]

I can't think of much that you'd need big *wrenches* for, but plenty of things you'd want big sockets for. The biggest metric wrench I'd want is a big crow's foot wrench for the tie rods on the Bimmer. Oh, right, and a 32mm wrench (THIN) for the mechanical fan on an M52TU/M54/S54 engine.

 

[PorscheTech]

Porsche oil line nuts are 30mm+ (but you should be using flare nut wrenches for those). I think the Porsche axle nuts are 27mm. I had to purchase a 27mm wrench to do something on my 911, just can't remember what for...

I believe they are 32mm.
Also, oil filter housings on most Porsche's are 32mm.

 

[Bran Diezel]

I can't think of much that you'd need big *wrenches* for, but plenty of things you'd want big sockets for. The biggest metric wrench I'd want is a big crow's foot wrench for the tie rods on the Bimmer. Oh, right, and a 32mm wrench (THIN) for the mechanical fan on an M52TU/M54/S54 engine.

i got the whole 32mm wrench on a volvo inner tie rod on friday

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

I believe they are 32mm.
Also, oil filter housings on most Porsche's are 32mm.

Oil filter housing?

Porsche's?

Where do you work?

 

[yogitech]

I have wrenches from 4mm (Ignition wrenches) all the way to 32mm. I do alot of suspension and I use wrenches bigger than 24mm daily. It just depends on your needs. If you can find good quality wrenches at a good price then go for it, you never know when you'll need them. Later...

 

[blarf]

i got the whole 32mm wrench on a volvo inner tie rod on friday

Must be one of them newfangled Detroit or Beijing made Volvos. From memory the ones I'm used to used smaller wrenches. On cars at least, I think the issue with the bigger tools is that they need to be a bit more specialized (thinner, deep offset, 12pt, etc). Come to think of it the recent BMW sixes use a 32mm fixture on the oil filter cartridge cap (the fours use a ~75mm)... but I'd want a socket or at least a deep offset box wrench for one of those.

 

[bmxr4life87]

I have up to 1-1/2 and 32mm the 30mm will come in handy if you do a steering box or rear calipers on a gmc 5500/6500 from 2000 or before

 

[Daedalus]

Crank bolt on my Nissan is 30-something mm. I think my Acura crank is 27mm. I have 27, 30, 31 and 32mm, so I know I've needed them in the past. I bought them individually. One was probably for an axle nut.

 

[Goinlow]

I believe on a blazer you need a 27 and 30mm to take off the AC lines. I didn't do the job but a coworker did it and I saw him borrow those 2 wrenches so thats why its not a definite.

 

[nate379]

It's one of those things most folks just buy the one or three sized they need instead of having a whole set I bet.

I have up to 21 or 22 in metric and 2" in SAE.

 

[Rnz520]

42mm removes some fan clutches.

 

[posaune]

I was in the "I'll never need anything that big" camp until I *did* need something that big and had to stop a project to run to Sears at 8:30p. I say that if you found a good deal on them, buy them. It is definitely better to have and not need than the other way around.

Fwiw, later redblock Volvo fuel filters need a 27mm (the one I had to buy). Oil drains on redblocks are 25mm. My VW's oil filter housing is 36mm, but I use a socket for that. Like so many other things, there might not be a lot of times that you'll use them, but when you need them...

 

[t100]

I had to do an alignment on my car to correct the toe, set up everything steering only to find out the tie rod nut is huge, only thing close to it was 1-1/8", wish I had the right tool.

 

[browntown]

older bmw's generally have 32mm fan clutch, other than that I don't think there are any other big nuts that don't require a socket. For my e30 I used a 10" crescent wrench and called it a day. I think the socket sizes you want for the ****** rear main seal and axles are thin wall 30mm and 36mm.

 

[Stick Figure]

largest metric i have NEEDED were for my 4runner. Outer tie rods were 27mm and 28mm, and inner tie rods were 30mm and 42mm. I ended up going super cheap on the 30 and 42 since thats all i could find when i needed them. 27 and 28 i grabbed at sears.

 

[speed bump]

I had to do an alignment on my car to correct the toe, set up everything steering only to find out the tie rod nut is huge, only thing close to it was 1-1/8", wish I had the right tool.

1-1/8" is huge? Dang I need to get out more, at work they have singles of sub 7/8" and triples of most of the sizes larger than that.

As far as larger metric wrenches go, 90s GM trucks have a big bolt holding on the fan clutch.

You can do it with a socket but a wrench is easier: Transmission fill plug on a 80s Chrysler automatic transaxle.

I know there is something on either GMs or Chrylsers that takes somewhere between a 24mm and a 30mm because I didn't have the size and had to use a crescent.

 

[Flash21]

In a lot of these applications, will a socket work? I know some of them are going to require the wrench but it seems like on front ends, suspension and the like you are going to be able to use a socket in a lot of instances.

 

[Cumminst100]

The transmission drain and fill plugs and the rear end drain and fill plugs on my t100s are 24mm, can't remember about the front diff and transfer case think 24mm also. My explorers trans drain and fill plugs are 24mm as well

 

[toolmutt]

Just changed the front shocks on my F150. Bolt = 27mm, nut = 30mm.

 

[kmorgancraw]

Yes you need big wrenches. You can't go wrong with US made KD combination wrenches, they are super inexpensive on ebay, less than $10 per wrench above 24mm from "Cripe Distributing", they combine shipping.

 

[Sick Puppy]

I think Toyota CV joints need 32mm spanners/ sockets... so I got offset wrenches to 50mm just in case

Seriously, it came with the set I got, who was I to argue?

 

[foul_ball]

My question is: how many of these applications over 24mm require a dedicated combo wrench instead of, say for example, an 18" crescent wrench?

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Yes you need big wrenches. You can't go wrong with US made KD combination wrenches, they are super inexpensive on ebay, less than $10 per wrench above 24mm from "Cripe Distributing", they combine shipping.

Seconded. I bought a Blackhawk metric set a while back. 6mm to 32mm minus four wrenches for $60. I filled in them, thanks to Cripe, for what one Blackhawk wrench would have cost, to keep the set the same. (these are user ones for me)

 

[mrholeshot]

The biggest metric I have is 27mm. Most stuff bigger I use a socket or grab and adjustable. On fan clutches I use impact assisted open end wrenches

 

[pfbz]

A lotta motorcycles have nuts that big and bigger.

Yup.

I use my 27mm all the time. 30mm fairly frequently, 32mm occasionally.

KTM motorcycles get most of my wrench time...

I have a vingage '50's Bluepont/Snap-on open end set and a Toptul extra long jumbo size combination set for my big wrenches.

 

[pfbz]

My question is: how many of these applications over 24mm require a dedicated combo wrench instead of, say for example, an 18" crescent wrench?

I *hate* adjustable wrenches! IMHO in the same league as taking a vice-grip to your fasteners.

 

[mrholeshot]

I *hate* adjustable wrenches! IMHO in the same league as taking a vice-grip to your fasteners.

Not my favorite wrench but a big one makes a good hammer.lol A good quality adjustable wrench can be quite helpful.

 

[Flash21]

So if you ARE going to invest in larger metrics, are combos the only way to go? What about a nice set of double-sided open ends?

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I have wrenches for 5.5mm to 41mm. They get used for various things..

 

[ukvauxtech]

I've got a 32mm flex head ratchet spanner for vauxhall 1.9 diesel oil filters.
Normal spanners 6mm-32mm.
And lot's of random large SAE and Whitworth for making "specialised" spanners...

 

[MattT]

So if you ARE going to invest in larger metrics, are combos the only way to go? What about a nice set of double-sided open ends?

Open end will likely cover the majority of what you'll need large wrenches for. It's mostly open end or sockets for the big stuff. Box ends can be useful sometimes for striking especially if you don't have a stout impact wrench.

What I do is buy up any good quality large wrenches I can find cheap. Also don't forget to use an inch to metric conversion chart on the big stuff. 27mm = 1 1/16", 30mm is close enough to 1 3/16", 1 1/4" might fit a 32mm nut............

 

[jkeyser14]

30, 32, and 36 are common for crank's on most import cars.