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If you plan to tighten, keep these sleeves at hand.

If you are engaged in car repairs, you will not go far without a socket. As car manufacturers use different styles and sizes, mechanics must have a drawer dedicated to removing fasteners. So before you go deep into repairs and see a fashionable bolt that makes you frown, check to make sure you have all the sockets you need.

In addition to some suggestions from other gearboxes from Autoweek, we also offer some top choices from Amazon. Remember, investing in the right socket for the job-round nuts and bolts can become a nightmare. Use these essential 3/8-inch drive socket kits and you can do it all in one go.

Experts love these 3/8 inch drive cordless impact wrenches

A basic socket kit is essential, this kit from Casoman has everything you need at an affordable price. Unlike their shiny chrome counterparts, these impact sleeves are shatter-resistant when used in power tools. The kit has deep and shallow sleeves of 8 to 22 mm and 5/16 to 3/4 inches, including most common sizes you need to work on a vehicle. This chrome-plated socket set looks great on hand tools, but we recommend not to use them with impact tools. 

Like the one in Astro Pneumatic's Autoweek recommended set, the low-profile sleeve is very convenient. The size varies from 6 mm to 19 mm, and they are 35% shorter than typical shallow grooves. They are also equipped with a 17mm outer hex, so you can use them with a wrench for more operations.

There are advantages and disadvantages to 12-point sockets, but it is best to have one set at the same time. With double gripping points, the bolt can be grasped more easily. However, you do lose some of the integrity of the grip and it is easier to round the bolts. However, in terms of speed, it is difficult to exceed 12 points. Sunex's influence set has all the basics. If you are looking for some good chrome 12 points, we like this set. 

The spark plug socket has a rubber insert that grabs the tip of the plug and pulls it out when it is completely loosened. They will save you the trouble of trying to remove the spark plug from the hole. This package from Powerbuilt includes five sockets, all of which can be unplugged except for the rarest spark plugs.  

Oh, these things are geniuses. Universal joint sleeves, commonly called rotating sleeves, have unparalleled flexibility when touching hidden fasteners. These rotating sleeves are designed to deal with the abuse of impact tools, but will lose a lot of torque when used at an angle. The garage staff of Auto Week recommended this set. In terms of access, they are excellent, but in terms of power, they are lacking. 

More and more oil filters are used in housings with large built-in nuts. If you are using GM Ecotec, a 32 mm sleeve with a long extension and a rotary joint will be your friend. Since car manufacturers continue to use cartridge filters, it is a good idea to prepare this set of filters. 

You will encounter Torx fasteners on anything, but they are usually used in European cars. The kit has a T8-T60 Torx drill socket and E4-E22 E-Torx socket. Note that not all of these require a 3/8-inch drive — the smallest requires a 1/4 inch drive; the largest 1/2 inch — so be prepared to drive the ratchet or impact properly. 

You will occasionally encounter hex-head fasteners similar to Torx. The kit has 16 metric drill bit sockets and 16 SAE drill bit sockets, so unless your bolts are very fashionable, you will be protected. The kit has a range of drive sizes, so please prepare a ratchet that suits your needs. Be careful not to round the inside of the fastener with a hex bit-make sure you have the tightest fit before trying to loosen it. 

Cubic, uh. The bane of many mechanics. Commonly found in BMW and Audi vehicles, the unique fasteners may look like Torx, but are very different and require special sockets. This set of Capri Tools will cover the basics, but be careful-the triple square has the habit of rounding in the middle. Before attempting to disassemble, make sure you have a close fit. We also like this low-key suit recommended by Autoweek, suitable for hard-to-reach places. 

If you end up rounding the head of the nut or bolt, these bolt extractors may save the day. They have reverse spiral grooves that bite into the metal, thus adding extra grip. The kit has seven sizes, suitable for small and medium-sized fasteners.