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Obsolete Wrench Sizes

Y

YoshiMoshi3

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2022
Messages
502
Hi,

Has anyone ever had a use for old wrench sizes for modern day automotive applications? I was thinking for rusty fasteners that have decreased in overall size, maybe an old sized wrench would good to have around? I live in the states and work on imported cars that mostly have metric fasteners.

I recently learned about Whitworth and BA wrench sizes. As far as I know these are the only four wrench size standards (W, BA, Metric AF, Inches AF)? Are there others? I know there are like USS wrenches, but the AF dimension can be found in regular inches AF wrenches I believe, so it doesn't provide a unique AF dimension that you can't just simply get with another wrench in a different standard.

Found some odd sizes as well in inches and metric AF. I knew about 13/32", 15/32", 19/32", 21/32", 25/32", 31/32", 18.5 mm, 19.5 mm, 21.5 mm, 22.5 mm. But I did not know about 13/64" and 15/64", anyone know their application or know if there are other #/64" wrench sizes that are made? I only know of those two.

I've also seen photos of a 5/32 W wrench, but can't find any conversion table for it online saying what it's equivalent AF dimension is

Anyways just for knowledge purposes I gathered the following sizes, please let me know if there are other unique AF sizes for automotive applications (i.e., I highly doubt going to see much above 2 inches on a car):
Diameter of BoltsWidth Across Flats
WhitworthInchesmm
10 BAN/A2.97
N/AN/A3
N/A(1/8)3.175
N/AN/A3.2
9 BAN/A3.33
N/AN/A3.5
8 BA0.1523.86
N/A(5/32)3.96875
N/AN/A4
7 BA0.1724.37
N/AN/A4.5
N/A(3/16)4.7625
6 BA0.1934.9
N/AN/A5
N/A(13/64)5.15937
N/AN/A5.5
N/A(7/32)5.55625
5 BA0.225.59
N/A(15/64)5.95313
N/AN/A6
4 BA0.2486.3
N/A(1/4)6.35
1/16 W0.2566.9
N/AN/A7
N/A(9/32)7.14375
3 BA0.2827.16
3/32 W0.2977.54
N/A(5/16)7.9375
N/AN/A8
2 BA0.3248.23
1/8 W0.348.64
N/A(11/32)8.73125
N/AN/A9
1 BA0.3659.27
N/A(3/8)9.525
N/AN/A10
N/A(13/32)10.3187
0 BA0.41310.49
N/AN/A11
N/A(7/16)11.1125
3/16 W0.44511.3
N/A(15/32)11.9063
N/AN/A12
N/A(1/2)12.7
N/AN/A13
1/4 W0.52513.34
N/AN/A14
N/A(9/16)14.2875
N/AN/A15
N/A(19/32)15.0812
5/16 W0.615.24
N/A(5/8)15.875
N/AN/A16
N/A(21/32)16.6687
N/AN/A17
N/A(11/16)17.4625
N/AN/A18
3/8 W0.7118.03
N/AN/A18.5
N/AN/A19
N/A(3/4)19.05
N/AN/A19.5
N/A(25/32)19.8438
N/AN/A20
7/16 W0.8220.83
N/AN/A21
N/AN/A21.5
N/AN/A22
N/A(7/8)22.225
N/AN/A23
1/2 W0.9223.37
N/A(15/16)23.8125
N/AN/A24
N/A(31/32)24.6062
N/AN/A25
N/A125.4
9/16 W1.0125.65
N/AN/A26
N/A1 1/1626.9875
N/AN/A27
5/8 W1.127.94
N/AN/A28
N/A1 1/828.575
N/AN/A29
N/AN/A30
N/A1 3/1630.1625
11/16 W1.230.48
N/A1 1/431.75
3/4 W1.333.02
N/A1 5/1633.3375
N/AN/A34
N/A1 3/834.925
N/AN/A35
13/16 W1.3935.31
N/AN/A36
N/A1 7/1636.5125
N/AN/A37
7/8 W1.4837.59
N/AN/A38
N/A1 1/238.1
1. W1.6742.42
1.1/8 W1.8647.24
1.1/4 W2.0552.07
1.3/8 W2.2256.39
1.1/2 W2.4161.21
1.5/8 W2.5865.35
1.3/4 W2.7670.1
(1.7/8 W)N/A76.7
N/A3.1580.01
2. WN/AN/A
 
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D

Dave455

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 19, 2013
Messages
5,831
Location
Sussex, England
YoshiMoshi3 said:
Hi,

Has anyone ever had a use for old wrench sizes for modern day automotive applications? I was thinking for rusty fasteners that have decreased in overall size, maybe an old sized wrench would good to have around? I live in the states and work on imported cars that mostly have metric fasteners.

I recently learned about Whitworth and BA wrench sizes. As far as I know these are the only four wrench size standards (W, BA, Metric AF, Inches AF)? Are there others? I know there are like USS wrenches, but the AF dimension can be found in regular inches AF wrenches I believe, so it doesn't provide a unique AF dimension that you can't just simply get with another wrench in a different standard.

Found some odd sizes as well in inches and metric AF. I knew about 13/32", 15/32", 19/32", 21/32", 25/32", 31/32", 18.5 mm, 19.5 mm, 21.5 mm, 22.5 mm. But I did not know about 13/64" and 15/64", anyone know their application or know if there are other #/64" wrench sizes that are made? I only know of those two.

I've also seen photos of a 5/32 W wrench, but can't find any conversion table for it online saying what it's equivalent AF dimension is

Anyways just for knowledge purposes I gathered the following sizes, please let me know if there are other unique AF sizes for automotive applications (i.e., I highly doubt going to see much above 2 inches on a car):
Diameter of BoltsWidth Across Flats
WhitworthInchesmm
10 BAN/A2.97
N/AN/A3
N/A(1/8)3.175
N/AN/A3.2
9 BAN/A3.33
N/AN/A3.5
8 BA0.1523.86
N/A(5/32)3.96875
N/AN/A4
7 BA0.1724.37
N/AN/A4.5
N/A(3/16)4.7625
6 BA0.1934.9
N/AN/A5
N/A(13/64)5.15937
N/AN/A5.5
N/A(7/32)5.55625
5 BA0.225.59
N/A(15/64)5.95313
N/AN/A6
4 BA0.2486.3
N/A(1/4)6.35
1/16 W0.2566.9
N/AN/A7
N/A(9/32)7.14375
3 BA0.2827.16
3/32 W0.2977.54
N/A(5/16)7.9375
N/AN/A8
2 BA0.3248.23
1/8 W0.348.64
N/A(11/32)8.73125
N/AN/A9
1 BA0.3659.27
N/A(3/8)9.525
N/AN/A10
N/A(13/32)10.3187
0 BA0.41310.49
N/AN/A11
N/A(7/16)11.1125
3/16 W0.44511.3
N/A(15/32)11.9063
N/AN/A12
N/A(1/2)12.7
N/AN/A13
1/4 W0.52513.34
N/AN/A14
N/A(9/16)14.2875
N/AN/A15
N/A(19/32)15.0812
5/16 W0.615.24
N/A(5/8)15.875
N/AN/A16
N/A(21/32)16.6687
N/AN/A17
N/A(11/16)17.4625
N/AN/A18
3/8 W0.7118.03
N/AN/A18.5
N/AN/A19
N/A(3/4)19.05
N/AN/A19.5
N/A(25/32)19.8438
N/AN/A20
7/16 W0.8220.83
N/AN/A21
N/AN/A21.5
N/AN/A22
N/A(7/8)22.225
N/AN/A23
1/2 W0.9223.37
N/A(15/16)23.8125
N/AN/A24
N/A(31/32)24.6062
N/AN/A25
N/A125.4
9/16 W1.0125.65
N/AN/A26
N/A1 1/1626.9875
N/AN/A27
5/8 W1.127.94
N/AN/A28
N/A1 1/828.575
N/AN/A29
N/AN/A30
N/A1 3/1630.1625
11/16 W1.230.48
N/A1 1/431.75
3/4 W1.333.02
N/A1 5/1633.3375
N/AN/A34
N/A1 3/834.925
N/AN/A35
13/16 W1.3935.31
N/AN/A36
N/A1 7/1636.5125
N/AN/A37
7/8 W1.4837.59
N/AN/A38
N/A1 1/238.1
1. W1.6742.42
1.1/8 W1.8647.24
1.1/4 W2.0552.07
1.3/8 W2.2256.39
1.1/2 W2.4161.21
1.5/8 W2.5865.35
1.3/4 W2.7670.1
(1.7/8 W)N/A76.7
N/A3.1580.01
2. WN/AN/A
Click to expand...
I think you are broadly correct, and that’s a useful table, should you need it.

When you say there are four wrench standards It’s worth considering that there are several different metric standards - the modern ones being ISO, DIN (German), ANSI (American) and JIS (Japanese). Of course they all specify wrenches in mm A/F, but the size ranges used are different.

Also beware that while the Whitworth sizes you have quoted are correct, bolt heads in this size have not been manufactured since the war. BSF (fine thread) bolts always used one size smaller, and these smaller bolt heads were used on BSW bolts from the war onwards. There was a revision to the British Standard that formalised this in the 1950’s

So, a wrench may be marked 1/4W, 5/16BSF, but it’s the BSF size that is generally relevant. Some manufacturers (Snap On for one) just mark this size as “BS” which is correct, but don’t confuse it with the Whit size.

BA threads are actually metric threads (although specified in Imperial units). 0BA is 6mm, and they reduce by a constant percentage. Thus, as the sizes get smaller, the difference to the next size gets smaller, which is what you want.

They are actually lovely to use - the 47.5 degree angle, combined with the generously rounded crests, makes for easy cutting and minimises the risks of breaking taps, especially in small sizes.
 
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