Date:         Tue, 31 Jul 2001 11:32:18 -0700
Reply-To:     SBirkner@WESTFIELD.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Sean B." <SBirkner@WESTFIELD.COM>
Subject:      46mm Socket = 1 13/16" SAE
Comments: To: rbias@hotmail.com
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I went to Sears in search of the same thing. Using a conversion chart (I
asked a salesman there if they had one), I was able to find an exact SAE
equivalent 3/4" drive socket. IIRC the socket you want to get is a 1 13/16
socket (which converts to 46.038mm). When I did that job I purchased a 3/4
drive breaker bar from Sears as well as a 5ft length of pipe from a
hardware store to slip over the breaker bar handle (pipe dia will be
determined by the diameter of the breaker bar handle) and get the required
torque leverage.

When you have 5ft of steel pipe working with you it's amazingly easy to
loosen a nut that was torques on to 345 (IIRC) ft. lbs. :)

One other tip. When using this method, I found it best to still have 2
people. One to hold the pipe/breaker bar/socket on the nut and protect the
wheel well lip, and the other to actually apply the force to the end of the
pipe.

Sean B.
'90 V'gon, "Happy Bus", pseudo Wolfy
Torrance, CA
http://vgonman.vwtrek.com