Common nut/bolt head sizes on Fords and Citroens?

[Deisel Weisel]

Looking to upgrade my current tool kit, which is biased towards jap bikes, so metric sizes 8-10-12-14-17-19 predominate. Just about to start fettling my Ford and looking to get a Citroen Berlingo next year, so what are the common sizes found on these?

[andyiley]

You might need to be a bit more specific.

A Ford from 1934 will have different sizes to a current model Focus for instance.

Citroens have always been metric.

[Deisel Weisel]

2002 Focus. I guessed Citroen was always metric I’m after the most common sizes of nut/bolt head...

[PositronicRay]

You're missing a 13.

[phillpot]

11 and 15 are not unheard of, then of course there are Torx........

[paintman]

Head bolts on our 306s were Torx.
Could I suggest you wait until you buy the vehicle then have a look at what fastenings it uses & buy tools accordingly - or is somebody offering to buy you some nice shiny things for Christmas?

[shoehorn]

Deisel Weisel said:

Looking to upgrade my current tool kit, which is biased towards jap bikes, so metric sizes 8-10-12-14-17-19 predominate. Just about to start fettling my Ford and looking to get a Citroen Berlingo next year, so what are the common sizes found on these?

Apart from 9 and 20 every size you are missing up to 22.
30/32 for hub nuts and you will need 7mm for the some Ford stuff and as some one mentioned Torx, Everything from 15 up to 55.

[Locknut]

I heard a rule-of-thumb years ago: The Japs use the even-number metric sizes and the Europeans use the odd number sizes. I have found many exceptions to this rule over the years but it seems to hold true in the majority of cases. Unfortunately for Diesel Weasel this means he needs a complete new set of tools made up of odd-number metric sizes.

[PaulKemp]

I have found 14,16&18mm
Plus Torx nut head and socket T45

[PaulKemp]

I have found 14,16&18mm
Plus Torx nut head and socket T45

[andyiley]

Locknut said:

I heard a rule-of-thumb years ago: The Japs use the even-number metric sizes and the Europeans use the odd number sizes. I have found many exceptions to this rule over the years but it seems to hold true in the majority of cases. Unfortunately for Diesel Weasel this means he needs a complete new set of tools made up of odd-number metric sizes.

If anything I have found the opposite.

Most common Japanese sizes I have found are 10, 13, 14, 17, & 19.

Most common (ON BMW I stress) European are 11, 14, 16 & 18

Either way, if you pick up a standard good quality spanner/socket set they will have all & several others to make up the set.

Plus Torx, allen, etc

[phillpot]

This should cover most things....... clicky , keep scrolling

[PaulKemp]

My policy has been to buy a good base socket set and spanners and add what I don't have I buy

[andyiley]

These are pretty good sets to get started with, add a good quality screwdriver set, allen key set, pliers set, torx set & Robert's your father's brother.

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/garage-equipment/...

[sunbeam alpine]

PositronicRay said:

You're missing a 13.

You're always missing a 13.

Somewhere in the world there's a massive pile of 13mm spanners which have escaped into the wild.

I have at least 10 14mm's

[Locknut]

...and don't forget a good hammer!

andyiley said:

If anything I have found the opposite.

@andy: I will pay more attention the next time I am out in the shed to see if I can add anything about odd/even/Euro/Jap sizes. There is a Nissan and a BMW out there.

[andyiley]

The only reason I noticed myself is because every time I first went to do a job on the bm I had the wrong size spanner in my hand.

11mm heads on M6
16mm heads generally on M10
18mm heads on most things bigger

[Viperz888]

You'll definitely want to invest in 13 & 15 spanners, and a 7mm allen key for the ford. Obviously you'll need more for specific jobs, but i'd just buy them as you need them.

I've never seen a 14 on a 80s - early 00s ford, and 16/18s seem to be reserved purely for pipe fittings - power steering screws use them. However, 16s and 18s are common on BMWs and Volvos in my experience. My 14 sat unused in the box until I got a Subaru!

I heard that the lack of 13s on Japanese cars was to do with their traditional superstitions, so use 14 instead. Don't know how true that is.

[shoehorn]

A lot of Ford suspension,brake and subframe assemblies are bolted using 15 and 18mm,especially cars from the last 10-15 years.
Citroen you will find use all and every size,sometimes you will find a 13mm headed bolt with a 17 mm nut on it or such like.
Anyone remember the pentagon bolts on Citroen calipers?,took a long time for a socket to become available,the bds!