A vehicle's power steering mounting bracket is secured with a standard fractional bolt hea… — Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

A vehicle's power steering mounting bracket is secured with a standard fractional bolt head measuring $1/2\text{ in}$ . To safely loosen the fastener without slipping or damaging the bolt corners, which wrench must be chosen?

A
A $13\text{ mm}$ combination wrench
A $1/2\text{ in}$ combination wrenchAnswer
C
A $12\text{ mm}$ box-end wrench
D
A $9/16\text{ in}$ open-end wrench

Answer

1/2\text{ in}

combination wrench

Standard fractional SAE fasteners must always be turned with matching SAE wrenches. A

1/2\text{ in}

bolt head corresponds to exactly

0.500\text{ in}

(

12.7\text{ mm}

). Selecting a

1/2\text{ in}

combination wrench ensures an exact tolerance fit, preventing the tool from slipping under load and protecting the hex corners from rounding.

Step-by-Step Solution

Identify the fastener measurement standard and nominal dimension

The bolt head is an SAE standard fractional size measuring

1/2\text{ in}

(

0.500\text{ in}

12.7\text{ mm}

Correct tool selection requires matching the fastener's measurement system (SAE vs. metric) and exact size.

Evaluate the fit of metric and mismatched fractional alternatives

12\text{ mm}

(

0.472\text{ in}

) tool is too small to seat; a

13\text{ mm}

(

0.512\text{ in}

) tool is slightly loose; a

9/16\text{ in}

(

0.5625\text{ in}

) tool is far too large.

Using near-miss metric wrenches on SAE fasteners causes rounding of hex corners when high torque is applied.

Select the dedicated exact-fit tool

The

1/2\text{ in}

combination wrench provides an exact dimensional match.

An exact match distributes force evenly across all fastener flats to ensure safe operation.

Key Concept

Selecting proper SAE wrench sizing to avoid interchanging metric tools on fractional fasteners

Estimated Time:1m 0s

Question

Answer

Step-by-Step Solution

Key Concept

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