What are the socket sizes needed for 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2?

stchman

stchman

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Sep 25, 2013
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St. Louis, MO
I would like to know what are the must have socket sizes in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2"?

I see some sets skip sockets. Tekton has no skip sets, but are 29mm and 31mm deep sockets a necessity?

I am just a DIY'er, so I have never encountered these more obscure sizes.

Thanks.
 
It depends on your car-- there are multiple standards for metric heads such as SAE and JIS. So a bolt with 6mm threads may have a 10mm head, or a 12 depending on who engineered it.

For a starter set get at least 8mm, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22. 1/4 in, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8.

Suspension parts and axle nuts will be bigger.

They might skip metric sockets that have an approximate inch equivalent. 5/16=8mm, 7/16=11mm, 3/4=19mm, 7/8=22mm.

3/8" drive will do most of what you want until you get into suspension work.
 
I’ve used every size from 4-36 with the exception of 28 and 35 but I still have it for when it’s needed. For 1/4 drive I have sizes 4-15mm and 1/8-9/16, 3/8 drive 6-24 and 1/4-1 inch. 1/2 I have 8-36. And 3/8-1 1/2. Including odd sizes like 20 and 25 and 26 and 23 and all of that I’ve used them all. But i also do it as a career. 31mm is the size for the aftermarket axle nut on my 2008 Ford Escape. 29mm is used on Dodge trucks and Ford diesels have a sensor that is a 29MM I believe. Toyota has 30mm 12 point axle nuts. Subaru has 32 and 36 axle nuts for the most part though I encountered one 30mm 6 point recently not sure if it was aftermarket or not. 28mm never used but have. 26mm never used in automotive but it fits the water elements of my hot water heater at home however still in my toolbox because you never know what you might run into. 20mm I’ve used on older Ford suspension components also on Ford swollen lug nuts. 23mm is the differential plug size of both my Mazda trucks. 25mm is the equivalent of 1 inch so if you have that not really a necessity I’ve used it a few times on various things. 27mm always used on suspension stuff mainly on aftermarket Toyota parts like ball joints but other things too. For regular use it’s 8-24 for me as a Subaru tech occasionally working on other things too. I do keep SAE on hand at all times too because you never know and my dads truck is all SAE so I have to have it.
 
I rarely have a use for 1/2" drive sockets so 8-22mm in 3/8" and 7-14mm plus 5.5 in 1/4" drive. Larger sockets in 1/2" can be bought as needed or as an add-on set.
 
Personally, I have the standard Craftsman set of 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 in metric and SAE size ranges mentioned above (by @drtyler). However my 1/2 set stops at 21mm and 15/16. This set is sufficient for 99.9% of the stuff I do, so I would not get a broader range just for the sake of having it. On the rare occasion I need something bigger, I either rent it or just buy a single socket for that job - like a 35mm axle nut or a 1-1/16" anode rod on my water heater.

Edit: if you drive a 4x4 or have aspirations to work frequently with larger fasteners, then a set like that described by @AutoMechanic may be a good choice.
 
RyanY said:
Personally, I have the standard Craftsman set of 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 in metric and SAE size ranges mentioned above (by @drtyler). However my 1/2 set stops at 21mm and 15/16. This set is sufficient for 99.9% of the stuff I do, so I would not get a broader range just for the sake of having it. On the rare occasion I need something bigger, I either rent it or just buy a single socket for that job - like a 35mm axle nut or a 1-1/16" anode rod on my water heater.

Edit: if you drive a 4x4 or have aspirations to work frequently with larger fasteners, then a set like that described by @AutoMechanic may be a good choice.
Click to expand...
I agree. I work on a lot if different cars, and 22, 24, and 27mm get used fairly frequently. As well as a lot of SAE sizes on older American and British cars.

But often when a large SAE size is needed (by me), it happens during plumbing projects and I use 10” Channellock (Irega) adjustable wrench and/or my Ridgid pipe wrench. Sockets not too useful.

Thats the great thing about this site. So many folks with experience in different areas.
 
Last edited:
I too have had the need for large metric and large inch sizes. But these are really one-off, when I need them buys.

Off-topic....

When I did the timing belt on the LS400 last year, I only needed 3 sizes of sockets/wrenches....10mm, 12mm and 14mm. But because of clearance issues, I had to use every 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive socket, standard, deep and universal, every extension, every drive adapter, every wrench in every length and every Gear Wrench in those same sizes.

A duck bill plier was essential for those Corbin hose clamps. I bought a set of those specialized spring clamp tools to get to the hard to reach clamps. Biggest waste of money. None of them would close down enough to let the clamp pass over the tubing beads. I really should pitch those things in the trash.

It got to a point where I had to gather up and sort into piles, every tool at the end of the day just so I could find them all the next day.
 
1/4 shallow and deep to 19mm

3/8 shallow mid deep from 8mm to 24mm

1/2 shallow and deep from 10mm to 36mm

this is really the bare minimum
 
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