[deja_vu1344]

Hello friends.

I want to purchase flare nut wrenches for my 2005 Corolla and was wondering which sizes I should get. I heard that investing in quality flare nut wrenches is crucial. But which sizes will I need and which brand is recommended?

Is it true that most modern Toyota only use 8mm,10mm,12mm,14mm,17mm,19mm, & 21mm fasteners?

Which trim panel removal tool do you guys recommend?

Thank you in advance for all of your inputs.

 

[sweeneyp]

honestly a tool is a tool IMO. As long as its not some $.99 Chinese BS tool, you should be fine. I think the ones I have are Stanley.

The sizes I have always encountered were 10mm, 12mm, and 14mm. I'm sure I've used others, but I can't remember any specific time I have, Those 3 are definitely the most common..... I swear you can take more than half the Highlander apart with just a 10mm socket wrench. And on that note I found a socket wrench was much more useful doing most work than a flare nut wrench. You might be better off getting a good socket set instead.

As for trim panels...I use a small flat head screwdriver with tape over the end to keep from scuffing up the panels

 

[MR2Jedi]

Hello friends.

I want to purchase flare nut wrenches for my 2005 Corolla and was wondering which sizes I should get. I heard that investing in quality flare nut wrenches is crucial. But which sizes will I need and which brand is recommended?

Is it true that most modern Toyota only use 8mm,10mm,12mm,14mm,17mm,19mm, & 21mm fasteners?

Which trim panel removal tool do you guys recommend?

Thank you in advance for all of your inputs.

Those are the most needed sizes.

You can do alot with those with a Toyota.
I do prefer a combination wrench with open and closed ends.

Of course, I use the socket set more.
I still have my craftsman I bought in 1975 and it still works great.

 

[got-rice]

Like it was said already, any basic Metric ratchet set should have all the necessary sizes you need. Craftsman would be fine, and maybe if you want to save money, Harbor Freight might be all right if you won't be doing anything to heavy. I have a HF set in my car just for emergencies (cheap because I had my small CM set stolen, grrr), but a Craftsman set (100 pc) for my garage for more serious stuff.

 

[cipher93]

How often will you be using them? That determines how much you should pay for a tool. If you're only going to use it a few times, just get a decent inexpensive one. If you plan on using it a lot, it's worth to pay more. Flare nut wrenches will probably not be something you'll use as often as a good combination wrench unless you're doing a lot of plumping. For value I like Craftsman because if it ever breaks, you can just go back to Sears and get a new one. For combination wrenches I really, really like my GearWrenches that have a ratchet mechanism on the box end. Several brands now make their version but I think most of the nicer ones are made by the original company (like the Craftsman and Kobalt ones). If you ever get a ratchet, don't go cheap on those as you will regret it.

 

[bgrieger]

flare wrenches are critical for brake work. Nothing else will do.


For most others, I usually pick up craftsman or similar. If I were outfitting the first time:

A socket set with 1/4, 3/8 drive. Get the 1/2 inch drive later

A set of combination wrenches in 8mm through 19mm

A set of gear wrenches in the same sizes. I prefer the flex head style for access, but the type with the fixed head and toggle switch are the most durable in general. I wouldn't use these to crack rusted bolts free...use the regular wrenches for that, but these speed up the work a lot!

A good quality torque wrench in 1/2 inch drive and a single 1/2 inch socket for wheel nuts.

From there, sky's the limit.