Essential tools for your home garage
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- Issue Time
- Feb 21,2024
Whether you plan to tackle a large project or the occasional basic maintenance, your garage should not be without some basic tools. No matter the size of the job you're undertaking, having the right tools on hand can be the difference between success and failure. Here are the essential tools that every home garage should have.
1. SOCKET AND DRIVER SET
Nuts and bolts are essential fasteners in automotive construction, and a good socket and screwdriver set are a must-have for your toolbox. Make sure you have a full range of metric and imperial sockets, as well as quarter-inch and three-quarter-inch drives. Start with a set of six-point sockets, as they can handle most jobs you'll encounter. Shallow sockets are the most common depth you'll come across, but it never hurts to have a basic set of deep well sockets for jobs like changing spark plugs. This toolset should be sufficient to handle all but the most esoteric bolt sizes that may be encountered during a project. While you're at it, pick up a set of socket extensions to access hard-to-reach fasteners. Socket universal joints are also a great addition to a socket set.
For manual drives like ratchets, thumb wheels, or breaker bars, any socket will do, but if you use power tools, you'll also want to upgrade the socket. Impact sockets are specifically designed for use with power tools. Due to the extreme force an impact gun can generate, a regular socket can crack or even shatter. Use the right tool for the job.
2. FLOOR JACK AND JACK STANDS
Getting your car off the ground to access the undercarriage greatly increases the number of maintenance projects you can perform on your vehicle. Your factory spare tire jack was never intended for maintenance work. Low enough to fit under your car but high enough to give you the clearance you need for your work, a secure hydraulic floor jack is a must-have tool for your home garage. Floor jacks are available in a variety of load capacities and designs. Always choose a floor jack with a weight rating greater than the weight you plan to lift, but without excessive lifting. A floor jack with a capacity of two tons or more can handle most jobs.
Don't forget to add a pair of jack stands to secure your car securely while you're underneath it. Again, match the jack stands to your needs and provide some extra safety margin. Jack stands are sold in pairs and should be used in pairs. When working on an automotive project, never rely solely on a jack.
3. SCREWDRIVER SET
There are three types of screws you may come across when servicing your car: Phillips head (plus-head), flat head (flat head), and Torx head (hexagonal star). The first two are the most common, while the latter always seem to pop up at the most unexpected and critical moments in a project. Screwdrivers are not a "one size fits all" tool and come in a variety of screw head sizes even within a single design. Don't risk stripping the screw head with the wrong size screwdriver bit. It's a good idea to have a complete set of screwdrivers that can handle each screw size, with short and long handles, so you can easily place the tool where you need it. You can also choose a drill driver kit that uses a handle with interchangeable drill bits. This is a great option for a portable tool set while also saving space in your tool box.
4. INSPECTION LAMP
You can't fix what you can't see, and all the overhead lighting in the world won't help you peer into the depths of the engine bay or peer up from under the car into the brake calipers. Gone are the days of balancing a hot work light while working under your vehicle. LED lighting provides a bright work environment without generating heat. There are many options on the market to suit your needs. An inspection light with a long extension cord is a must-have for accurately diagnosing and repairing car problems, and you'll appreciate the extra lighting.
5. TORQUE WRENCH
No home garage is complete without a torque wrench. This simple device allows you to tighten fasteners to their original factory torque specifications. This is crucial for two reasons: you always want to make sure the wheel hub is tight enough to withstand normal driving, and you never want to over-tighten a sensitive component and risk damage. Using a torque wrench to dial in the correct torque will do both jobs without any guesswork.
Depending on the type of work you plan to do, you may need two different torque wrenches, one for heavy work and one for lighter work. Heavier jobs often require fasteners to be tightened to foot-pound specifications. Lighter jobs often require tightening fasteners to inch-pound specifications. There are also different types of torque wrench designs. The most basic unit is the beam wrench, which uses only a pointer on a scale. But the most popular units look like a ratchet and "click" when the desired reading is reached. The most important of these is the digital torque wrench, which can read on different scales and actually allows the user to slowly approach the target reading while beeping.
With these basic tools, you'll be prepared for any difficulty your repair job throws at you. Remember: a craftsman is only as good as their tools.
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