Just a thought

[pbottomley]

why are metric sockets sets sold in 3/8th or 1/2th sockets fittings????

[Guest]

Here's another. Tyre width = mm. Wheel dia = inches. Pourquoi?

[pbottomley]

So do the French and Germans have this as well? not been over the channel in a while and frankly I was more intrested in the cheap plonk than the size of ones sockets....

[seth]

Tradition!

[scrappylad]

So do the French and Germans have this as well? not been over the channel in a while and frankly I was more intrested in the cheap plonk than the size of ones sockets....

As French & German cars also have 15" tyres - as an example - then I'd say yes. How odd... I've never thought about that before.

[MrDuke]

It's the undergound imperialists fighting back!! Or just typical british bloodymindedness.Ever since way back in the day, MTB frames were always weighed in pounds, but with decimal points. Components were always weighed in grams. Go figure

[michiel]

Tradition!

Even before I clicked I heard the song in my head...

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

After messing with the nuts and bolts on my Triumph for months, the most important requirement on my next car is a completely metric body and engine. You know how long I spent looking for an 8/16ths socket? FUCKING AGES.

[Guest]

8/16ths socket?

Hilarious :lol:Though of course, you could have used a 16/32 instead

[Rocket88]

More to the ponit, why does no spanner in the known universe fit battery terminal bolts properly?

[seth]

More to the ponit, why does no spanner in the known universe fit battery terminal bolts properly?

I know what you mean. Hex sizes seem all over the shop. Maybe some of them are whitworth? Don't always have that problem though

 

 

The tyre thing is odd because they have tried metric wheels/tyres but they've never caught on.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

why are metric sockets sets sold in 3/8th or 1/2th sockets fittings????

That reminds me of the Pulp Fiction 'Royale with cheese' episode.

[Negative Creep]

Also, it's illegal to sell anything in imperial yet wheel trims and alloys are still sold in inches

[Raffles]

Aren't wiper blades still sold in inches?And pints of beer?

[ashmicro]

Also, it's illegal to sell anything in imperial yet wheel trims and alloys are still sold in inches

I seem to remember something about the EU caving on that one, can't remember specifics though.EDIT: "The European Union has ruled that British retailers can continue using imperial measures such as pints, pounds and miles, but some councils have continued to take legal action against people doing so. "From www.metricmartyrs.co.uk

[Des]

Battery terminals are in whitworth, and wiper blade makers were stopped from using inches, so the intelligent ones now still list the inch size, only it's a part No. rather than a measurement.I recall that the big witch hunt of the metric martyrs had to go to some extremes in order to secure a conviction and make an example of them, something about the way older legislation was given preceedent would equate to speed camera scamming being unlawful, so the powers that be had to carry out all manner of side stepping etc. I'll have to have a read up on it some time, but I think the outcome was some travesty in Brussels the outcome of which was 'If you're in a car you can fuck off for your rights and near 1000 years of statute law mean dick, if our computer decides you should pay a fine then that's what you better do'.

[Pillock]

Aren't wiper blades still sold in inches?And pints of beer?

I worked in a pub, we never sold pints of beer in inches. I think the whole 'Metric Overlords' thing died down, and they agreed that your little old sweetshop in the village could still sell things in pounds and ounces as long as there was an equivalent g/kg weight in an equally visible typeface.

[Guest]

Aren't wiper blades still sold in inches?And pints of beer?

I worked in a pub, we never sold pints of beer in inches.

What about a yard of ale? :)I remember the metric tyre thing, Metros and XJ40s mainly? Did always wonder why widths always seemed to be in increments of 10mm, but never a nice round number e.g. 195 or 205 instead of 200.

[Ratdat]

My Renault 30TX has metric tyres. Unfortunately Metric tyres were thus so that they could only be fitted onto wheels with the Michelin designed TRX bead for which they were designed.

[Pillock]

A pointless upgrade to a perviously perfectly good standard, needing parts bought in combinations and therefore costing more for zero benefit... the car and computer world are closer than you think

[Pete-M]

My Renault 30TX has metric tyres. Unfortunately Metric tyres were thus so that they could only be fitted onto wheels with the Michelin designed TRX bead for which they were designed.

How is the 30? I needs to know!!