1.04.2022

13 Essential DIY Car Maintenance Tools - Bob Vila

diy car maintenance

istockphoto.com

Before beginning any new maintenance or repair work on the vehicle, it is necessary to understand the types of tools that will be required to carry out the work. For example, changing oil is relatively straightforward, but if you don't have a suitable sump to collect used oil, your garage or driveway could be a major disaster.

Whether you're working on the wheels, engine, or body of the car , repair and maintenance are easy with the right tools . New home improvement generally find it more helpful to have the right tools when they just learn basic car maintenance rather than trying to perform the same unfamiliar tasks with the wrong tools for the job.

To ensure your next DIY repair goes on schedule, it's important to equip your shop with these 13 must-have DIY car maintenance tools.

1. Jack

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

One of the most important tools for doing home improvement in the car is a jack . Without this tool, it's incredibly difficult to access several key vehicle components, including the oil filters, transmission oil pan, and brakes. A jack such as the Liftmaster 3-ton floor jack usually slides under the car or truck frame to gradually lift the vehicle off the ground. This allows the tires to be removed without damaging the rotors, axle, or driveshaft, and raises the vehicle high enough to allow relatively easy access to the underside of the car.

Get the Liftmaster 3-Tone Floor Lifter on Amazon.com for $ 219.99

2. Tire pressure gauge

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

ADVERTISING SELECTION
While a tire pressure gauge is not as important as a jack, it is an essential tool for the proper functioning of your vehicle. Under- or over-inflated tires can impair control and increase vehicle wear. Therefore, it is important to have a tire pressure gauge in the workshop to closely monitor your vehicle's tire pressures. Even if you only have a small, inexpensive tire pencil gauge like this tire pressure gauge from Drive Auto Products , you can still check the tire pressure regularly and top up or deflate it if necessary.

advertising

Get the Tire Pressure Gauge from Drive Auto Products on Amazon.com for $ 29.99

3. Tire mounting and crowbar

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

Tire levers and crowbars help remove large nuts and bolts from the vehicle. When changing a tire , a tire iron is often used to remove and replace the wheel nuts that hold the wheel to the vehicle, while a crowbar to help break it provides extra leverage and loosen rusted or seized connections. Let's consider investing in EPAuto Universal Rim , which is designed to fit the most common SAE and metric wheel bolt sizes .

Get the EPAuto Universal 14-inch Wheel Iron at Amazon.com for $ 13.97

4. Wheel chocks

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

A set of wheel ramps or a jack lift the vehicle off the ground to reach the entire vehicle, but even with the parking brake on, a car is prone to shifting and swaying. Wheel chocks are designed to keep DIY enthusiasts safe during repairs and maintenance. Simply slide it under the rear wheels of the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away. These solid rubber wheel chocks from ROBLOCK adhere to concrete and pavement and ensure that the wheels do not roll or roll during work.

Get ROBLOCK solid rubber wheel chocks from Amazon.com for $ 24.99

5. Torque wrench

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

Having a torque wrench in your tool kit is essential for replacing spark plugs as these tools are designed to tighten nuts and bolts to a specified torque without exceeding it. Because over-tightening can damage these parts, spending more time and money on a relatively simple repair, it makes sense to invest in a torque wrench. The EPAuto ½ inch torque wrench can perform a quick spark plug change and run your vehicle efficiently.

Get the EPAuto 1/2 inch click torque wrench on Amazon.com for $ 38.13

advertising

6. Spark plug spreader tool

DIY car repair

amazon.com

While you are thinking about tools to help you replace spark plugs, another necessary addition to your tool kit is a spark plug spreader tool. These simple devices check the spacing of the new spark plugs and adjust them to the correct spacing if necessary. Without a spark plug spacer tool, the center and side electrode spacings may not meet manufacturer standards, resulting in decreased efficiency and increased spark plug wear. Let's consider the K-Motor Performance Spark Plug Gap Tool for your next spark plug replacement project.

Get the K-MOTOR PERFORMANCE Spark Plug Gap Tool from Amazon.com for $ 37.99

7. Ratchet socket wrench set

diy car maintenance

homedepot.com

Ratchet bits and socket wrenches are used for a variety of automotive repair and maintenance tasks because they are effective in holding nuts and bolts for easy removal and replacement. Most parts of a vehicle are secured with nuts and bolts instead of bolts, so a number of dice have high quality like the game dice ⅜ inch Milwaukee is essential to the success of your DIY automobile work.

Get the ⅜ inch Milwaukee plug kit from HomeDepot.com for $ 99

8. Pliers

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

Automating tasks may not require the use of pliers as often as a socket wrench, but there are many cases that are best solved using a set of these tools. Pliers can often get into tight spots that are inaccessible to other tools. This is especially true for needle-nose pliers, although angled pliers are also useful for getting around obstacles in the engine. Check out this set of 4 pliers from Husky to better equip your toolbox.

Get the 4-Piece Husky Plier Set on Amazon.com for $ 34.99

9. Oil filter wrench

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

Replacing vehicle oil, along with changing tires and replacing windshield wipers , is usually one of the first car care tasks you should learn. However, it can be difficult to do this job without investing in an oil filter wrench like the Lisle Twist Grip Oil Filter Wrench, which is specially designed to hold the smooth side of an oil filter for quick and easy replacement. Efficient oil filter. If any of these keys are missing from your tool kit, you are likely spending too much time loosening the oil filter during an oil change.

advertising

Get the Lisle Rotary Oil Filter Wrench at Amazon.com for $ 6.81

10. Liquid drain pan

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

Whether you're changing your gear oil or your fluid, you must have a fluid pan in your arsenal of auto service tools. This pan is used to collect oil, transmission oil and other fluids that must be drained from the vehicle during regular maintenance. While you can use single-use containers, it is recommended that you invest in an inexpensive reusable product such as the custom-made oil drain pan as an accessory .

Get the Custom Accessory Oil Drain Pan from Amazon.com for $ 7.69

11. Quick start kit

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

Emergencies never seem to come when you have time to attend to them, so take steps to prepare ahead of time with a starter kit. These indispensable devices store electrical energy and can be used to start your vehicle. They usually come with a set of jumper cables that plug directly into the starter kit to power a car battery . Additionally , some products, such as Kinverch's portable car starter, may even have a built-in air compressor to inflate a slowly leaking tire.

Get the Kinverch Portable Car Jump Starter on Amazon.com for $ 99.99

12. Work light

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

Using a work light to see what you're lying in a dark garage or under a vehicle is an invaluable asset that will help you get repairs and maintenance done properly. A simple work light that can stand on its own, like the DEWALT 12V MAX LED work light , is a great addition to any tool kit.

Get the DEWALT 12V MAX LED Work Light on Amazon.com for $ 42.01

13. Personal protective equipment

diy car maintenance

amazon.com

Regardless of the project, the focus must be on personal safety. Personal protective equipment or PPE should include safety glasses, hearing protection, face or full face protection, long trousers, a long sleeved shirt, closed shoes, and mechanic gloves to protect your hands and fingers while working. . These Grease Monkey work gloves have been specially developed for automotive maintenance tasks such as replacing spark plugs and changing oil.

advertising

Get the Grease Monkey Work Gloves on Amazon.com for $ 19.69

All prices shown here are valid at the time of publication on January 4, 2022.

Adblock test (why?)

Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire