Rant! why BMW are you doing this? |
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UweM3
Moderator Group Joined: 11-February-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 5445 |
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Posted: 03-November-2012 at 12:22 |
Why are you using 16mm or 18mm Hex heads on screws?
W H Y ???? no standard tool kit contains a 16 or 18mm socket. I know I should have anticipated it, but why would one think that there is an 18mm hex bolt holding the brake calipers to the strut? Do I need to read a manual for EVERYTHING before I can carry out a simple job on a BMW? What usually takes me 2 hours ( changing front disks and pads) has again turned out to be a whole Saturday morning because I have to take my motorhome (all I got this morning) to drive to Halfrods to buy a 18mm socket! Not enough that other "simple" bolts are all torx (thanks BMW, I have bought sets of these.....), now I have to buy all other odd sizes of sockets as well. What's next? 18.5mm?? NO BMW, you will NOT stop me to work on my car MYSELF! I am not going to pay £80-90 per hour to get some screws undone. rant over. sorry. Edited by UweM3 - 03-November-2012 at 12:22 |
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E61 520d, slow and buzzy but my wallet likes the mpg.....
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579 |
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Smart @r$ response....
My socket set has an 18mm socket.....
Did you not read my link? It tells you that you need an 18mm socket?
I think the rule for sizing bolt heads is 1.5 times shank dia. 12 mm thread = 18 mm hex head.
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579 |
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^ although that doesn't figure for 16 mm hex heads. I remember doing the rear anti roll bar links on my E39 and having to use two 16 mm open ended spanners to do the job. I had never used a 16 mm spanner before and I think it was 16 and 18 mm spanners needed to move the drive belt tensioners again on the E39....
Everything I had done before on Fords and GMs was always 15 mm, 17 mm etc..... I know where you are coming from. Suspension ball joint nuts are all 21 mm that's a more standard size innit?
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579 |
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Just out of interest what make of disc and pad did you put back on?
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
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Hasso
Senior Member I Joined: 15-August-2007 Location: Kumla Sweden Status: Offline Points: 128 |
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Well new standars on ordinary bolts come fore a couple of years ago. 19>18 17>16 and so on.
I have a complete set of tools and more then that fore proffisional use as I work with cars untill 1998. When a need to change starter on my 316G biogas i need to buy new tools fore about £80 and ½ size its no good to use anymore its 3/8 today , ½ is to big to use on modern cars.
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BR Hasso
BMW 540T 2001 6 speed. BMW 316G (biogas) -1998 http://www.autopower.se/galleriet/bilder.asp?bil=40895 http://www.autopower.se/galleriet/bmw.asp?bil=45700 http://www.autopower.se/galleriet/bmw.asp?bil=40865 http://www.autopower.se/galleriet/bmw.asp?bil=45749 |
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UweM3
Moderator Group Joined: 11-February-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 5445 |
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this is a german car. German rules!
12mm bolt = 19mm hex. Always was. 10mm bolt = 17mm hex 8mm bolt = 13mm hex. and there is no 11mm hex either (hello water pump and thermostat...) I bet they do this with the BMW garages in mind to put people off DIY. Conspiracy rules PS I have used disks and pads from www.c3bmw.co.uk. Meyle is the make. Working ok so far. Edited by UweM3 - 12-November-2012 at 13:39 |
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E61 520d, slow and buzzy but my wallet likes the mpg.....
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Howard
Moderator Group Did I say thaaaat? Joined: 14-October-2002 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 735 |
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BMW now manufactures car components in China. Does that tell you anything?
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UweM3
Moderator Group Joined: 11-February-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 5445 |
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I work with Companies that manufacture in China and the chinese will supply what you ask them for...... Be it dimensional or material. |
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E61 520d, slow and buzzy but my wallet likes the mpg.....
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579 |
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Unless it is bridge components made from poor grade material which I believe was covered up with forged paperwork to state otherwise......
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
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Howard
Moderator Group Did I say thaaaat? Joined: 14-October-2002 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 735 |
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My last 728i had to have new springs changed within 13 months and 20K miles. BMW said that the car was 12 years old and one should expect things to wear out on such an old car. The fact that I had replaced the original springs with genuine new BMW ones was mentioned in the correspondence. After 4 broken springs in 2 years, I asked Alpina where their springs were made - the reply was "In Germany" So I fitted these and had no problems in 35K miles. The AA men who picked up my car on three occasions said that all companies who had their springs made in China were having problems. He had most problems with Ford and BMW cars. BMW have at least 2 car plants in China and have been purchasing parts from China for many years. Form your own conclusions.
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UweM3
Moderator Group Joined: 11-February-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 5445 |
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I repeat, they make what you ASK them for. If the penny pinchers at BMW don't want to spend more money for better material, it's hardly the fault of the cinese. Do you really believe that a company like BMW would be conned by cheap chinese material substituted for the expensive one they asked (and paid) for??? And just watch how their reputation as a quality car manufacturer goes down the drain? BMW knows exactly what they are doing. It's called value engineering. In plain english, produce as cheap as you can with juuuuust meeting the level of performance of an item required. Sometimes they push this too far... Look around you, there is a LOT of stuff made in China around you which performs absolutely flawless. |
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E61 520d, slow and buzzy but my wallet likes the mpg.....
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thepits
Moderator Group Joined: 09-July-2003 Location: far far away Status: Offline Points: 10000473 |
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But not for very long Todays market is to make it cheap and sell it cheap. The consumer - i.e. us - buy it, use it and when it breaks, throw it away and buy another. That is now the way of our world. p.s. when was the last time that You/Anyone bought an extended warranty on their TV/DVD/BlueRay/ Fridge/Freezer/etc./etc. ??
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540 V8
Bavarian-Board Contributor Lick my badge Joined: 07-December-2005 Location: Running the asylum Status: Offline Points: 2280 |
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You should work in a garage, I have around 20 large red tool boxes to choose from with every tool you could possibly imagine. Sorry, I know you were ranting but somewhere there is always some smug git you want to slap so I thought on this occasion it would be me lol.
On a more serious note though, my wife bought me a Halfrauds tool kit a few years back and that goes from 6mm up to 19mm so cant understand why all of them don't go that high. Look on the bright side, at least you now have a socket not many other people have ;-) Mike Edited by 540 V8 - 12-January-2013 at 21:47 |
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Current:E34 540i Touring 6 speed manual(Mpower bodykit & suspension)& Chrysler Voyager 3.3 V6 auto Previous:E34 530iSE AC Schnitzer suspension. E28 525e auto-Standard |
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