Whitworth sockets

[Fingolfin]

Hi gang,
I've read many times that it's dumb to use US socket sizes on a Minor and dumber to use metric, which are the two I have easily available. I'd like to purchase a Whitworth set -- which has to be imported. ESM offers a set of eight on a rail, but it seems overly expensive to me. Amazon has no match for the word 'Whitworth' -- unless there's a British Amazon I don't know about? -- and eBay has a few sets but they're all expensive too. Surely one can buy a set of eight sockets for less than $40?

I should also have a socket wrench.

Whitworth = British Standard = BSW?

[mike.perry]

The essential sockets are 1/4W, 5/16W, 3/8W + 3/4W for removing the steering wheel. You should also have the smaller sizes in open ended / combination spanners. Just about any other nut and bolt can be undone with the aproppriate A/F spanner or socket. I would recommend 1/2 in drive ratchet, extention bars etc.
Whitworth = spanner size for BSF and BSW threads
A/F = spanner size for UNF and UNC threads
Also useful is a 0BA/2BA spanner for the smallest bolts

[chickenjohn]

ESM sell (or they did sell) a set of whitworth sockets on a rail. You will also need a set of whitworth spanners.

Having the proper sized spanner makes a HUGE difference and makes more serious Minor work such as getting the suspension apart, removing body panels, doors etc so much easier without rounding off tight/ rusty whitworth head nuts and bolts.

BTW, Whitworth refers to the spanner/ socket size, the thread sizes are BSF (British STandard Fine).

[Alec]

Hello Fingolfin,

see this link to Amazon U.K.:- http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keyw ... qjdsnuo6_e.

Just to add to what has already been said, whitworth sizes refer to bolt diameter, rather than the across flats system SAE and Metric follow.

Alec

[Kevin]

There's also these ones

http://cgi.ebay.com/British-Whitworth-C ... 19bffccdab

http://cgi.ebay.com/8-Piece-1-2-Drive-B ... 3caf565df9

[stanley0070]

This site is really good to......
http://www.whitworthspanners.com/
Good luck
Brian.