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3/8", 1/4", or 1/2" drive - Sockets & Torque Wrench


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#1 Merlin01

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Posted 28 November 2009 - 10:50 PM

I'm thinking of buying a torque wrench and I'll have to buy some sockets/extensions as well. Never bought them before and have only used 20yr old bits and pieces from one of my Dads old tool boxes in the past (mostly imperial). Can anyone make a suggestion for the best size drive to use for general car maintenance? The torque wrench's I've seen come in a variety of drive sizes but I've read that it's not advisable to use adaptors on them, so I'd like to decide on a drive size and buy a metric socket set to suit. Suggestions???

#2 Pete S

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Posted 28 November 2009 - 11:36 PM

I used to use my 1/2" set, still use it on the bike but for smaller things (under say 13mm) I have a 1/4" drive set. Also use my ring spanners. So there's no right or wrong, a complete range of tools would be the best choice, just the most pricey. I got a set of these about 6 months ago, best purchase ever. http://www.justtools...au/prod4345.htm

#3 thatsgoodsquishy

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Posted 28 November 2009 - 11:40 PM

1/2" drive is best option IMHO, 1/4"-3/8" stuff is a lot more compact and easier for little fiddly stuff in the engine bay but I find it struggles as soon as ya move past about 10mm sockets. Suspension/gearbox/block/heads/diff/exhaust etc will need 1/2" drive. Buy good 1/2" stuff (I like Sidchrome myself) and a cheap shitty 1/4"-3/8" drive set for $20 from supercrap for fiddly stuff. Thats my approach anyway :dance:

#4 Scuba-Roo

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Posted 29 November 2009 - 12:54 AM

1/2 drive my tool box consists of a 20peice screwdriver set ($30) a $30 1/2 drive socket set metric and imperal, set of pilers and cutters, $40 a bunch of spanners $87, few other bits and peices, but under $200 roughly With these cheap basic tools i've done engine and gearbox swaps, rear subframe, heaps of cv shafts, brakes, you don't have to spend alot of money on tools, I've broken sidchrome breaker bars/strong arms on cv nuts, so don't buy them and think their unbreakable (3/4 drive ftw!) it depends how much you want to use them, how much work your going to do at home. If you can spare the money then By all means spend the extra money on the better tools, you won't regret it be any means, but if $200 worth of tools will do same job as 500-600 worth, is it worth it? Subaru's use metric sizes aswell, Things aren't very hard when you have the right tools and equipment.

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#5 RX25SE

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Posted 29 November 2009 - 08:45 AM

I have all three sizes but I used 3/8 drive most of the time. The rest of the time I use 1/4. I lost my 1/2 ratchet (actually it was my apprentice!) about 10 years ago and I have never replaced it. I only use 1/2 with my breaker bar. TBO I find using 1/2 socket sets like doing brain surgery with a chainsaw. All the mechanics I know all use 3/8 most of the time. My socket set are a French brand called Facum and have given me over 20years of reliable service using them every day, but these would be excessive for home use. My home socket set it King chrome and I find them excellent value for money. They are well made, strong, feel good 'in the hand' and are very reasonably priced. My only complaint would be that the ratchet is not fine enough, ie number of clicks per revolution. King chrome make an excellent 1/4-3/8 kit which comes with metric and imperial 3/8 and 1/4 drive sockets (up to 3/4", 19mm), 3/8 ratchet, spark plug socket, 3/8 3" extension bar and a 1/4 to 3/8 adaptor and from memory it just over $100. You can add more later if you wish. You will find most bolts on a Subaru (as with all Japanese cars) will have a head size of 10,12,14,17mm with the others being 8mm and 19mm. If you were to buy a spanner set I would recommend ring/open style and double up on these sizes in a ring/ring style. Look at repco, SEK, Proto, Lobster for home use. For a torque wrench it depends what you will use it for. Most mechanics only use them for cylinder head bolts. In most cases this would be 1/2" but newer cars have head bolts which are 'torque to yield' which have a lower starting torque so a 3/8 torque wrench is required. Basically it the range of operation. Small 1/4 torque wrenches work in the lower range and 1/2 towards the upper range. Personally, for home use I would beg, borrow or hire one. If you want to buy, look at Norbar. Cheap ones are usually not accurate. For a good home tool kit all you really need is a socket set with some extra extension bars and adaptors, 5/8 spark plug socket (with a RUBBER insert so it wont crack the plug),spanner set, long and snub nose pliers, screwdriver set and a hydraulic jack and some GOOD jack stands. Cheers PS A handy tool for spark plug changing is a rubber tube made by NGK which is used to remove and replace the plugs after they have been loosened by a socket. I use mine all the time.

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#6 CodeBurn3r

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Posted 29 November 2009 - 10:27 AM

All the time i was working at subabits i used the 3/8 sockets, the only time i used 1/2 was for head bolts, and anything suspension or steering orientated. When i did my headgasket at home i borrowed my dads 1/2 and 1/4 Sidchrome sets. had everything i needed. i mostly used the 1/4 as silly as it sounds, but it went upto 14mm had long and short sockets and plenty of extensions/knuckle joints and such. i would recommend buying a GOOD set of 1/4 so that nothing breaks, and go buy a cheaper set of 1/2 or 3/8 sockets but go buy a decent ratchet on its own cause the cheaper ratchets are annoying, they have play and as Jason said, not enough teeth so in those hard to reach places when you need every movement to count you end up working 3 times as hard. http://www.justtools...au/prod1062.htm is the 1/4 set i used, had a slightly different ratchet though (flick style instead of the twist one) http://www.justtools...au/prod1071.htm this is the other set, slight overkill as i never used any Imperial bits but having the longer breaker bar was handy. i removed my engine and serviced the whole thing with just those 2 sets ( oh and 4 ring spanners) like i said though on your 1/4 set get good quality else it will break.
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#7 twinturbosubaru

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Posted 29 November 2009 - 01:06 PM

1/2" drive definitely, you can always go backwards with an adaptor. I have my 1/2" drive set I use for most things, with a small Sidchrome 1/4" drive set for small or fiddly things, I have never not had the right socket...except for Subaru spark plugs as they are smaller drive than normal. Another major bonus which I bought recently was a set of 12 spanners in 3. This set is awesome, it's 4 different sized ring spanners on each physical spanner, one size on each side of each end, and you have 3 spanners all in a nice pouch, they are just so damn useful it's not funny, not to mention how compact they are. I think the sizes are 8,9,10,11mm on one, 12,13,14,15mm on another, and 16,17,18,19mm on the last one. I bought them from a toolshop but I suppose you could probably get them a lots of places, they were expensive, about $130 from memory, but my god how handy they are!!! Regards Paul
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#8 Alex

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Posted 29 November 2009 - 01:23 PM

All three here.

#9 Merlin01

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Posted 29 November 2009 - 03:31 PM

Hmmm, should have made it a poll...

So I'm deluding myself to think I'll get a set out of a box that has a 3/8" ratchet with 3/8" sockets up to 12mm AND a 1/2" ratchet with sockets from 13/14mm up to 20mmish.... That seems to be the general consensus.

1/2" Torque wrench's are more expensive than 3/8", but the cheaper variety of 3/8" don't go past around 80ft-lb... and I'll need 129ft-lb for the suspension... $200+ 3/8" ones will do 129ft-lb though.

May have to ring friends with mechanic friends for this job, cause the way this is adding up I'll spend my Spring money on tools quite easily... either that or just postpone the suspension job....

This modding thing feels like a 14yr old about to lose his virginity, so eager to get the job done without having the necessary tools to do it properly!!! :blush:




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