The Tool Thread

[NorCalAthlete]

Well, you kinda got me there lol. Then again, I did buy the Milwaukee stuff (M12, 1/4") with the idea that I might be able to use it for lug nuts and such swapping winter / summer wheels. Haven't actually tried it yet but on paper it's got more than enough to handle it. 1,500 inch pounds == 125 ft lbs, lug nuts are 103 ft lbs.

I was kinda assuming everyone would have a lug wrench with their car but did forget about a 1/2" torque wrench at least to tighten the wheels back up. And if you're gonna get the torque wrench...might as well get the rest of the 1/2" to go with it.

Shifted 1/2" into the basic necessities category.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Then again, I did buy the Milwaukee stuff (M12, 1/4") with the idea that I might be able to use it for lug nuts and such swapping winter / summer wheels.

Lugbolts are 17mm I think?
You have 17mm sockets with 1/4" connection drive?
I mean they exist (pretty much everything exists...) but that is not a normal tool.

Also, if a bolt is torqued down with 100lbs-ft, after a year it usually takes a lot more to get it loose
I don't know if your 1/4 impact drive is strong enough, that is something you have to test for yourself. But using an adapter will reduce torque.

Personally I always use a breaker bar to get the bolts loose when I'm just swapping wheels and get them out with whatever I have laying around, sometimes even a common batterydrill with 1/2" adapter (bolts are handloose at that point anyway)

[GuidoK]

I think one (or two) other tools that are essential when working on cars are:

1. OBD scanner. This can be a really simple one like a $5 bluetooth obd dongle from alie
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002857427418.html
and the free torque app (android).
I have a dongle like this in the glovebox of all my cars.
It won't program features in your car, but it'll diagnose and erase engine and powertrain codes (the ones that leave you stranded by the road or put your car in emergency mode)
I'm sure that for apple phones there are similar ultracheap alternatives.
This should be in the basics section if you ask me. (brake jobs are there too, and they are much more high risk/complicated)

2. engine stethoscope. Again a ~$5 tool on alie
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003003173213.html
that is essential to engine/powertrain diagnostics, as most topics on here start with "I hear this strage sound...is it bad?). This will pinpoint the origin of the sound, and is probably the only tool which can do that, a lot more effective than the 'screwdriver against the ear'.
I have an ancient one from the '60's but it's one of my most important tools (this means I have no personal experience with the one on alie, although it looks similar).

[..Rush..]

I originally saw the thread title.
By "Tool Thread" I thought that this was a thread about: jerks, morons, misfits, etc. Lol!
Anyway, this is a useful thread. Thanks.

[rustyroger]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

I dunno. 3/8" sets are enough for 200+ ft-lbs of torque. Even the Milwaukee 1/4" drive stuff can do 160+ ft-lbs (2,000 in-lbs). What are you doing on a car that requires more? Lug nuts are only 105-ish give or take. Maybe suspension components or something? But again, that's dipping down into the more advanced category vs basic category in my opinion. Brakes, cosmetic stuff, oil changes are what I would consider basic. Suspension, engine, transmission, differential I would consider advanced. Exhaust can be 50/50 depending on what you're doing. But I can't think of any bolts on body panels / exhaust requiring that much torque. I'm not sure on suspension / engine, but for example header bolts are only like 20 ft-lbs.

Maybe....but it's cheap enough to have both that you might as well. And as others have said - right tool for the job. You don't want to be stripping stuff out because you didn't have a socket and had to make do with "close enough". About the only sizes you can get away with that is 9/16 vs 14mm, 1/2" vs 13mm, and 7/16 vs 11mm in my opinion. Maybe a couple more at the upper end like 19-21mm range but yeah. Having the extra set with the proper sizes doesn't take up that much extra space and ensures best fit.

One piece wheel bearings normally require big torque, you almost certainly require a good vise if you're replacing them yourself.
Very close metric/SAE equivalents are 5/16-8mm, 7/16-11mm, 5/8-16mm, 3/4-19mm, 13/16-21mm, 15/16-24mm. 9/16-14mm and 1/2-13mm are sloppy fits. I spent a lot of time fixing British cars as they transitioned to metric finding this out!

Roger.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by rustyroger

One piece wheel bearings normally require big torque,

The collarnuts on BMW front and rear wheel bearings usually require 200-450Nm of torque (147-330lbs-ft) depending on model. They are usually between m22 and m27, so sockets are usually 1/2" or sometimes 3/4" drive. 200Nm+ torque wrenches (certainly the 300Nm+ ones) tend to be 3/4".
Some collarnuts are 12 point, so that is not something you typically find in toolsets, certainly not at that size.
Having 12 point sockets can be handy from time to time, just as a set of crows feet when you do a lot of wrenching on cars. You can never have too many tools

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by ShopVac

Been slowly replacing my heavy duty corded tools with battery versions...but nothing will replace my hilti and angle drill for putting pipe in studs. I have one of those band saws too...can't think of the last time I actually used it. Find that I'm more prone to just go with a cut off disk anymore. I have a gas powered cutoff wheel / cement / brick cutter too...for larger pieces of steel.

Yeah I agree,the new modern battery versions are incredible. Last jobsite I was on was the American Dream Mall in Rutherford,NJ and I had a 24v battery Hilti SDS and you could drill over 100 1/2" holes in concrete for 3/8" drop-in anchors before it needed a recharge. Since I'm retired&barely use all the tools I have it simply doesn't make sense to update to battery versions.

I've uses a demo-saw(thats what we call em at least) to cut Corporation pipe(cast iron w concrete liner) for large water mains(and large PVC pipe) but,for carbon steel weld pipe it was always either an oxy-acetylene cutting torch(simply referred to as "burning outfit" in the trades)for pipe 6" and up and anything under 6" the porta-band was the ideal tool. Lol if you used a chop saw/demo saw to cut weld pipe you'd be fired immediately and laughed off the jobsite
4.5" grinder w a thin wafer wheel is ideal for cutting threaded rod,or small pieces of metal etc like you mentioned.

[Oldgixxer]

Since welding machine was mentioned on NorCalAthlete's list here's a few pics of my home setup. Mind you,I was a professional pipe welder/plumber for 30yrs and the Synchrowave I have for the shop pales in comparison to the equipment I had at my disposal in the field but it's perfect for what I need it for,which is welding aluminum,titanium,carbon steel&stainless.
Also,just a few of my masks(2 auto tint,2 conventional) and the contents of my welding bag that I carried from job to job w some specialty items in it to make my day easier.
Apologies for the sideways pics

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

So back in the day I was an equipment planning engineer at the factory that built the Patriot Launcher (SCUD Busters!). I was tasked to replace all the welding and metal cutting equipment for Patriot assembly. Your Miller 200 pic brought back memories of spec'ing out and buying the Miller Syncrowave 500 rigs (circa 1988). The 500 had so much adjustability you could literally weld anything with it.

Whoa! Thats a badass rig! Which welding process did they typically use that machine for? IIRC,that'd push 600amps w a high duty cycle? You must have some interesting stories from back in the day,that's awesome

[Mautofied17]

Need to get pictures of my impact sockets and Milwaukee stash, but here is my small collection that is slowly growing...

Next on my list is a a floor jack and jack stands, as my previous jack was destroyed during the move.

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

They were BIG machines. Patriot was MIG welded.

I just looked up the specs on that Synchrowave 500....weighs 1000lbs and pushed 625amps@60% duty cycle. Thats a monster lol

What type of material did those consist of mainly,aluminum?

[Oldgixxer]

The house we built in NY before moving south had a 2.5 car garage under and a full basement which I sectioned off and had a workshop specifically for my bikes and all the tools in that section of the garage were metric and bike specific while the other section of the garage was automotive&general shop/welding/construction tools. Now I have a tiny setup and gave away 50% of my tools so we could downsize

Lost almost all the pics but found one of the bike tool section with 2 of my boys hangin out w me

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Nice guard dogs.

If they're anything like the ones I know, the only thing they guard is the treat jar lol.

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

The tool highest on my list right now is a Quick Jack. I continue to surprise myself that I don't have one yet given all the work I do on my cars.

Same here. It would help make many jobs so much easier, and it's not too difficult to store out of the way when not in use.

[ShopVac]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Harbor Freight is good for floor jacks...

Be very, very careful with this. Many of their jack stands have been recalled due to failures...and I had a floor jack explode on me while lifting my Audi. Actually an item you may want to spend a little more money on.

Originally Posted by XutvJet

The tool highest on my list right now is a Quick Jack. I continue to surprise myself that I don't have one yet given all the work I do on my cars.

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

Same here. It would help make many jobs so much easier, and it's not too difficult to store out of the way when not in use.

Love mine - use it all the time, and feel much more secure working under the car. Just a quick note - I believe these are on sale right now at Costco ($300 off). At least they were a week ago, could have ended in July.

Added in one of my quality managers.