Fubar’d droplinks
 

Swapped out my droplinks. Couldn’t get through to Audi Parts dpt, so got some Lemförders for £48 from ECPs. Let’s hope they actually are Lemförder hey!

There was me thinking it would be the only simple job I’ve ever done on and Audi.... Until I realised I needed an 18mm socket and spanner. Errrr.

Found one socket. Had to settle for vice grips in place of a spanner.

Why is nothing simple!!??

I fitted Gaz Gold Motorsport suspension to my TT last week, needed exactly the same thing but a deep socket - in the end Halfords only sold the 18 as part of full deep set, so £20 quid later for the Advanced pack and I finally get the bolts undone.

The rest of the world uses 17 & 19, Audi use 18, FFS

Mental isn’t it!

Yep, that's what happens when you have a standard, and then change it but not every one follows.
The only one I know of is BA that has a fixed relationship factor of 1.75

Metric are common ISO sizes from around 1985 mostly the same as DIN standard, but from 1992 onwards ISO/ANSI have recommendations for some head sizes to be reduced, but not everyone followed. You may find some M10 with 16mm AF instead of 17mm and as you found out an M12 with 18mm AF.

It can be so frustrating. Joking aside, if I’d not had one old slightly suspect looking 18mm socket I’d have been back out in the wife’s car to Machine Mart.

I am so lucky.
Hafraud's, Machine Mart, Screwfix, B&Q, Curry's and MacDonalds all within ten minutes walk.
Plus many others. Just feel stupid walking home with three 3metre lengths of white plastic water pipe. I don't have the use of a bus parked outside the house any more.

That time you carried the pond and shed back home you got some funny looks mind Ray.

Not sure I understand this 18mm socket/spanner lark :Confused: My ancient draper socket set had an 18mm and the Kamasa (W Germany) combination ring/open ended set has an 18mm and I have two ring spanners (Heyco - W German) and Draper which also have 18/19mm ended ones??
If you would have asked I would have lent you a pair :) IIRC my drop links were 18mm bolt with a 17mm nut - or vice versa.

A socket is the tube shaped one and the spanner is the long flat one. +++

Those tools were probably made before the standardisation? possibly when metric was quite new :D I reckon they had to make them all as any size could be used. Later sets skipped from 17 - 19 especially the cheaper ones. I'm talking DIY type sets not professional.

Definition of tool...
 

I thought a tool was something you called someone when they cut in front of you, but it seems to have another meaning as well...:rolleyes: