Cars And Metric Fasteners ?

Hello,

Not a car buff, but was wondering about this:

Are the screws and nuts fasteners on most cars these days metric ?

Does it depend upon if they are made in U.S., or imported ?

Thanks,
Bob

"Bob" > wrote in message
...
> Hello,
>
> Not a car buff, but was wondering about this:
>
> Are the screws and nuts fasteners on most cars these days metric ?
>
> Does it depend upon if they are made in U.S., or imported ?
>
> Thanks,
> Bob

Most are metric nowadays, no matter where they are made.

Bob > wrote:
>
>Are the screws and nuts fasteners on most cars these days metric ?

Sometimes, but not always.

>Does it depend upon if they are made in U.S., or imported ?

It's hard these days to tell what is made in the US and what is imported.

The absolute worst was a Ford Escort my girlfriend had. The water pump
was held on with three bolts, one metric and two SAE.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On 11/19/2010 7:44 AM, Bob wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Not a car buff, but was wondering about this:
>
> Are the screws and nuts fasteners on most cars these days metric ?
>
> Does it depend upon if they are made in U.S., or imported ?
>
> Thanks,
> Bob

Back in the old days, it used to be that the Europeans seemed to favor
the 13mm, 15mm, and 17mm sized nuts and the Japanese, the
10mm,12mm,14mm. The worst sized nut of them all is the 11mm. It's like
the orphan of the wrench world. The 13mm is a special size because it
can traverse between both the metric and SAE worlds. :-)

"dsi1" > wrote in message
...
> On 11/19/2010 7:44 AM, Bob wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Not a car buff, but was wondering about this:
>>
>> Are the screws and nuts fasteners on most cars these days metric ?
>>
>> Does it depend upon if they are made in U.S., or imported ?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Bob
>
> Back in the old days, it used to be that the Europeans seemed to favor the
> 13mm, 15mm, and 17mm sized nuts and the Japanese, the 10mm,12mm,14mm. The
> worst sized nut of them all is the 11mm. It's like the orphan of the
> wrench world. The 13mm is a special size because it can traverse between
> both the metric and SAE worlds. :-)

Let me put it this way...nowadays my small toolbox contains metric, and
essentially nothing else. I keep the others in the rolling toolbox, but wont
throw them away. I still need them from time to time, but not very often.

On 11/19/2010 12:35 PM, hls wrote:
>
> "dsi1" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On 11/19/2010 7:44 AM, Bob wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> Not a car buff, but was wondering about this:
>>>
>>> Are the screws and nuts fasteners on most cars these days metric ?
>>>
>>> Does it depend upon if they are made in U.S., or imported ?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Bob
>>
>> Back in the old days, it used to be that the Europeans seemed to favor
>> the 13mm, 15mm, and 17mm sized nuts and the Japanese, the
>> 10mm,12mm,14mm. The worst sized nut of them all is the 11mm. It's like
>> the orphan of the wrench world. The 13mm is a special size because it
>> can traverse between both the metric and SAE worlds. :-)
>
> Let me put it this way...nowadays my small toolbox contains metric, and
> essentially nothing else. I keep the others in the rolling toolbox, but
> wont
> throw them away. I still need them from time to time, but not very often.

Me too. I did buy a SAE socket recently. It was for a Ford axle nut and
was something like 1.25 inches. My assumption was the the nut was metric
but that was what was on the shelves at Checkers. They also make great
paperweights.

On Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:20:48 -1000, dsi1 wrote:

> On 11/19/2010 7:44 AM, Bob wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Not a car buff, but was wondering about this:
>>
>> Are the screws and nuts fasteners on most cars these days metric ?
>>
>> Does it depend upon if they are made in U.S., or imported ?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Bob
>
> Back in the old days, it used to be that the Europeans seemed to favor
> the 13mm, 15mm, and 17mm sized nuts and the Japanese, the
> 10mm,12mm,14mm. The worst sized nut of them all is the 11mm. It's like
> the orphan of the wrench world. The 13mm is a special size because it
> can traverse between both the metric and SAE worlds. :-)

Also 19mm is 3/4 inch

Bob > wrote in -
september.org:

> Hello,
>
> Not a car buff, but was wondering about this:
>
> Are the screws and nuts fasteners on most cars these days metric ?



Just about all of them since (very roughly) the late-'80s.


>
> Does it depend upon if they are made in U.S., or imported ?


Some older US technology still in production might still be Imperial, but
anything designed in the last 20-25 years is going to be Metric. I'm sure
there are a few exceptions to the rule somewhere, though.

And there are a few socket sizes that are so close as to be just
interchangeable enough to fool people into thinking they are one when they
are actually the other.

Domestic cars designed since at least the late-'80s have been designed in
Metric from the ground-up, with particular exceptions where accommodation
has been made for consumer preference, such as the ability of pickups to
receive 4'x8' sheets in their beds.


--
Tegger

On 2010-11-19, dsi1 > wrote:

> Me too. I did buy a SAE socket recently. It was for a Ford axle nut and
> was something like 1.25 inches. My assumption was the the nut was metric
> but that was what was on the shelves at Checkers. They also make great
> paperweights.

Large sizes cross over well. I've been using 1in and larger sockets that
are older than I am. I'll still probably buy a set of larger metric
sockets anyway as one of these days my luck will probably run out.

On 11/19/2010 3:49 PM, Brent wrote:
> On 2010-11-19, > wrote:
>
>> Me too. I did buy a SAE socket recently. It was for a Ford axle nut and
>> was something like 1.25 inches. My assumption was the the nut was metric
>> but that was what was on the shelves at Checkers. They also make great
>> paperweights.
>
> Large sizes cross over well. I've been using 1in and larger sockets that
> are older than I am. I'll still probably buy a set of larger metric
> sockets anyway as one of these days my luck will probably run out.
>
>

I'm hoping that in the age of electric cars with no engine, no cooling
system, no fuel injection, no ignition system, no lubrication system
etc, etc, etc, will greatly simplify our tool boxes.

In the future they'll be reduced to the size of a tackle box and contain
a can of WD-40, a Swiss Army knife, a voltmeter, a Slim-Jim (teriyaki
flavor) a church key and some pocket change. :-)