Here at OTTO we stock the very best in automotive tools and for a very good reason too, we are hooked on having the right gear, its as simple as that.  We know how valuable your time is and we all know how frustrating it is to discover you can’t open or close a bolt when you are already half way through a job!  It gets even worse when you realise that you can get by without the “right” tool but you are going to make an unholy mess by proceeding.  Needs must and so you make an unholy mess but know deep down you have let yourself down, badly!

The absolutely invaluable 7mm hex key, articulated no less for those awkward calipers.

Today just to give you a perfect example we will have a look at that European oddity; the 7mm hex key.  You won’t find this on any metric hex key set and you will discover that 7mm is not a close match to your imperial 1/4″ key either.  If you are tempted to service the brakes on your Mercedes-Benz, BMW or many VW and Skoda models then you will need the 7mm key.  Yes, need.

Many “fist type” brake calipers found on European cars will be mounted on slide pins.  These of course are the correct route to removing the caliper for service but you will find yourself quite simply trumped without the right tool.  In fact, you will find on the rear brakes of many rear wheel drive cars such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW saloons that there is a damper right where your 7mm hex key needs to go so a shorter than standard tool is needed for this job.

This is never the right way to do it AND you will always leave a trail of evidence too!

It is only one example of the oh so frustrating challenges we face during a simple service task but such are the hurdles placed in our way!  We are distributors of several tool brands including Hazet for example.  We have always been fond of Hazet, mainly because they manufacture the tools that are used to assemble your Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen or Audi at the production plants in Germany.  We make it our business to visit the Hazet production facilities whenever we have the chance though and it is a truly humbling each time we do.  These guys take their business very seriously which I guess is partly why they are heading towards their 100th anniversary!  It’s the little things that surprise us; Did you know for example that their forging plant is located in Remscheid in a geographically optimised location that makes use of a special bedrock foundation?

Contact any of our branches to ask about Hazet tools.