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Fri Jun 09, 2017 12:35 pm

I'm working on adding a few more combination wrenches to my 1971 standard Beetle's onboard roadside / light maintenance tool kit. I've already got, and/or seem to remember using the following wrench & socket sizes for the most part:

-- 7 mm (e.g. brake bleeder screws)
-- 8 mm (used on some small stuff)
-- 10 mm (relatively common bolt/nut size)
-- 11 mm (?? seem to occasionally run into this size bolt/nut)
-- 12 mm (?? same as above)
-- 13 mm (very common bolt/nut size)
-- 14 mm (find used on some larger stuff)
-- 17 mm (?? occasionally find on some larger stuff)
-- 19 mm (wheel lug nuts, etc.)

Anybody know of other common bolt & wrench sizes I may be missing here? Do VW Beetles commonly use 9 mm, 15 mm, or etc. bolts/nuts anywhere?

Fri Jun 09, 2017 1:22 pm

36mm rear axel nut mine takes a 27mm, I'm thinking for the steering wheel removal. These will have to be sockets, preferably 1/2 in drive for the 36mm

Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:37 pm

21mm - generator nut and one other spot but I am drawing a blank.

Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:54 pm

baldessariclan wrote: I'm working on adding a few more combination wrenches to my 1971 standard Beetle's onboard roadside / light maintenance tool kit. I've already got, and/or seem to remember using the following wrench & socket sizes for the most part:

-- 7 mm (e.g. brake bleeder screws)
-- 8 mm (used on some small stuff)
-- 10 mm (relatively common bolt/nut size)
-- 11 mm (?? seem to occasionally run into this size bolt/nut)
-- 12 mm (?? same as above)
-- 13 mm (very common bolt/nut size)
-- 14 mm (find used on some larger stuff)
-- 17 mm (?? occasionally find on some larger stuff)
-- 19 mm (wheel lug nuts, etc.)

Anybody know of other common bolt & wrench sizes I may be missing here? Do VW Beetles commonly use 9 mm, 15 mm, or etc. bolts/nuts anywhere?

I used a 9mm once in my life on ANY vehicle, once on a carburetor electrojet.

15mm - cylinder head nuts, brake pushrod locking nut and shaft

-- 7 mm (e.g. brake bleeder screws) - I've seen aftermarket bleed screws (like on mine) that use 8mm wrench

-- 8 mm (used on some small stuff)

-- 10 mm (relatively common bolt/nut size)

-- 11 mm (?? seem to occasionally run into this size bolt/nut)

-- 12 mm (?? same as above) - not on VW unless someone has used a JIS (Japanese) nut which has 8 x 1.25mm thread but uses 12mm wrench

-- 13 mm (very common bolt/nut size)

-- 14 mm (find used on some larger stuff)

-- 17 mm (?? occasionally find on some larger stuff)

-- 19 mm (wheel lug nuts, etc.)

21mm - oil drain plug

22mm - can't remember where

24mm - oil pressure sender

27mm transmission carrier, steering wheel nut

30mm - crankshaft pulley bolt

36mm rear axle nut & flywheel gland nut

Metric flare wrench 11mm for brake lines

6mm and 17mm allen wrenches

Triple Square 8M if IRS transmission

Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:58 pm

9mm = clutch bolts on jettas golfs and such.. and that is all i can think of 9mm is good for lol

Fri Jun 09, 2017 4:24 pm

Spark plug socket

Fri Jun 09, 2017 4:30 pm

shakers73 wrote: 36mm rear axel nut mine takes a 27mm

Are you sure? That's different....or is it the use of commas that is throwing me?

Fri Jun 09, 2017 4:33 pm

24mm for oil pressure switch and reverse light switch.

Fri Jun 09, 2017 5:28 pm

I keep a deep 10mm socket for the exhaust donut gaskets, and a 6mm open end wrench for the AAR if you have a fuel-injected bug.

9mm socket with extensions are used on late model throw-out-bearing guide sleeves.

12mm triple-square XZN "stars" are used on some automatic VW drive plates, but maybe not auto-sticks.

Some tie rod ends use a 4mm Allen bit in the end of the threads to keep them from spinning if you use hand tools to install. A 1/4" drive light impact driver works too, but sometimes when you need to replace a tie rod boot in the middle of the desert……

Have a thin metric nut-fucker for wheel bearing clamp nuts up front and other stuff you don't think about like new-style tie rods and eccentric alignment bushings.

Fri Jun 09, 2017 5:36 pm

Bama Dave wrote: shakers73 wrote: 36mm rear axel nut mine takes a 27mm

Are you sure? That's different....or is it the use of commas that is throwing me?

Let me rephrase that, 36mm for axel nut and my steering wheel nut I think takes a 27mm

Fri Jun 09, 2017 7:44 pm

You won't need to remove the steering wheel as a roadside repair.

10, 13, 14, 15, 17 possibly, but any more wrenches than that, is just silly to cary with you unless there is no home.

VW didn't as a general rule use any 11 or 12mm, but there are exceptions and possibly non-standard hardware has been added since. What size are they? the generator could be 19 or 36.....which nut did you put on it?
I use vise-grips for that.

#1 tool, vise grip wr5,
#2 wr10,
#3 six in one screwdriver
#4.... not sure, maybe, a hammer

Fri Jun 09, 2017 8:48 pm

Have them all ready unless you know your car. I've found so many mismatching bolt sizes on cars I've purchased.

I've also added to the confusion myself. Instead of using 14mm bolts on the steering shaft I put some 13mm ones on there so now there are 13mm and 14mm ones. For the 13mm bolts on the outside of the engine I've found all different sizes. You get the point.

Cusser wrote: baldessariclan wrote: I'm working on adding a few more combination wrenches to my 1971 standard Beetle's onboard roadside / light maintenance tool kit. I've already got, and/or seem to remember using the following wrench & socket sizes for the most part:

-- 7 mm (e.g. brake bleeder screws)
-- 8 mm (used on some small stuff)
-- 10 mm (relatively common bolt/nut size)
-- 11 mm (?? seem to occasionally run into this size bolt/nut)
-- 12 mm (?? same as above)
-- 13 mm (very common bolt/nut size)
-- 14 mm (find used on some larger stuff)
-- 17 mm (?? occasionally find on some larger stuff)
-- 19 mm (wheel lug nuts, etc.)

Anybody know of other common bolt & wrench sizes I may be missing here? Do VW Beetles commonly use 9 mm, 15 mm, or etc. bolts/nuts anywhere?

I used a 9mm once in my life on ANY vehicle, once on a carburetor electrojet.

15mm - cylinder head nuts, brake pushrod locking nut and shaft

-- 7 mm (e.g. brake bleeder screws) - I've seen aftermarket bleed screws (like on mine) that use 8mm wrench

-- 8 mm (used on some small stuff)

-- 10 mm (relatively common bolt/nut size)

-- 11 mm (?? seem to occasionally run into this size bolt/nut)

-- 12 mm (?? same as above) - not on VW unless someone has used a JIS (Japanese) nut which has 8 x 1.25mm thread but uses 12mm wrench

-- 13 mm (very common bolt/nut size)

-- 14 mm (find used on some larger stuff)

-- 17 mm (?? occasionally find on some larger stuff)

-- 19 mm (wheel lug nuts, etc.)

21mm - oil drain plug

22mm - can't remember where

24mm - oil pressure sender

27mm transmission carrier, steering wheel nut

30mm - crankshaft pulley bolt

36mm rear axle nut & flywheel gland nut

Metric flare wrench 11mm for brake lines

6mm and 17mm allen wrenches

Triple Square 8M if IRS transmission

Sat Jun 10, 2017 5:16 am

Excellent input / info. everybody -- thank you very much!! :-)

Sat Jun 10, 2017 5:37 am

3/8" if you use Jet Nuts on the intake and exhaust manifold studs.

Just saying.

Sat Jun 10, 2017 8:31 am

Get to know her before you take her for a ride.

Sat Jun 10, 2017 4:33 pm

Special wrenches, ground down for tight areas where there is little clearance. Compare to non-ground. I have these in 11mm, 12mm (for my Mazda and Nissan trucks), and 13mm.

Sat Jun 10, 2017 4:44 pm

Take a look at that old book by John Muir, in it he gives three scenarios beginner, intermediate and professional. He breaks down what you'd find in each of these boxes and further mentions carrying a few spares. All of this is dependent on the skill level of the owner, why carry things over and above what you can do?

Sat Jun 10, 2017 5:44 pm

Gotta love that old Penncraft wrench. Pick up the ones you want to reshape, grind, bend whatever, get them at the pawn shop/swapmeet.
Zundfolge1432 point is well taken, why carry more then your expertise. So cell phone aaa card and a list of friends.

Sat Jun 10, 2017 7:35 pm

I like the angled open end wrench (not the S) for the engine bolts. I never could get anything on there very well but with the angled one I can get over the bar that connects the two beams.

Sat Jun 10, 2017 8:46 pm

gt1953 wrote: Gotta love that old Penncraft wrench.

Hey - bought that metric Penncraft set brand-new in 1971 for my "mechanic's helper" job at Tim's Auto Repair in Phoenix; I couldn't afford Craftsman or Snap-On.

Those Penncraft wrenches are lifetime-guaranteed, and I've never broken one, or lost one, in all these years. Hmmm - I wonder how JC Penney would handle a warranty claim.....