I am new to tinkering with cars and I have never had a reason to have a decent tool set. I am good with my hands and love to get my hands dirty. The only thing I have is a $30 Stanley tool set I got from Target for household stuff and a Ryobi cordless drill. I need tools for the following things.


Need to install Cat Back and HFC.

Want to change my own oil.

Will at some point do a Downpipe(yes I know it's a pain) and new turbo.

Will be going to multiple track days HPDE, Solo and Drag.



First off I know I need to get the car in the air. I have read that the Rhino Ramps kinda suck for the X so I was thinking about getting a jack and jack stands. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...0140000P?mv=rr

For tools there there are a couple Craftsman sets for around $100 and I also saw this http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...5065_200315065 I don't know much about northern but it looks good.

Anyway, for the tools. Is it a "go big or go home" sort a thing like don't waste my money on a $100 set because you really need a $5,000 Snap On set? Should I just buy the pieces needed for the individual jobs cause I already have some basic stuff?

I guess my problem is that I don't know what im doing and don't want to waste money on a set of tools and need to go out and buy a ton of other stuff because it isn't in the set.

I don't want to spend a ton of money, I don't even have a garage at the moment. I would rather buy more track time/mods then spend lots of money on tools. This is just a hobby. Any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

Good choice of jack and jack stands. I would go with the Craftman tool because of the lifetime warrenty and they are really good tools. I have a set and love them.

 

+1 for craftsman tools. They aren't the best out there but they are good with a lifetime warranty, plus they have good starter sets. I tend to see deals on *************** for craftsman sets about once a month, fwiw.

Do you think you might start using dedicated track wheels to extend the life of nice DD wheels and make tire changes easier? If so I'd suggest getting a good air compressor and an impact wrench.

Nothing beats a lift or a good ramp setup. I wanted to go with a lift but while my garage is big, the ceiling is not high enough. Check around on Craigslist as you might find something. I happened to run into this ramp/lift for ~$200 on CL!

 

Ah, I'm in the the same boat so this thread will come in handy. Good to know that the Rhino Ramps are bad -- I looked at them just the other day.

 

Would something like this be good?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...=Craftsman+154

 

A good torque wrench is never a bad idea. A full set of standard and metric wrenches/ sockets is also a good idea. Some swivels/extensions for the hard to reach places. Dont forget a big *** breaker bar. I actually snapped a socket wrench trying to get my cat off. You can get away with basic tools, but as any mechanic will tell you. having the right tool just makes it so much easier. But then your getting to the point where you have excessive tools.

 

Unfortunately I don't have a garage. At some point I am sure I will have a different set of rims for track duty. But at this point i have only done to Solo days last season and I know I am not "out driving" the stockers yet, same goes for the suspension stuff.

 

I have something similar to that, it's a great starter set. It's gotten me through a few quick installs. I had an issue with my non-02 invidia downpipe, which I had to get TTP to install. When you do an oil change I recommend the K&N filter because you can use the socket wrench instead of an designated oil filter tool.

I think tools are one of those things you just acquire as you go along. When you need something you just run over to get it. Most of the how-to write ups here include the tools used, so it should give you a good idea. Maybe sift through those threads a bit?

 

I think that is the set that I have. Good for all around work.

Yes, good call! Definitely a good idea to get a decent torque wrench.

BTW - you might eventually need a torch for doing the DP, exhaust mani, etc.

 

Torque wrench and breaker bar was on top of the list of the extra tools I know I needed that weren't in these sets.

From reading all the instructions on installing things, they all seem to want extensions, which makes sense. None of the Craftsman kits come with extensions. That is why I was thinking that Northern Industrial set http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...5065_200315065

 

Yeah extensions are the reason I couldn't do my downpipe. The extension that came with my tool kit is about 2-3 inches long, pathetic. For a breaker bar I just use the extended handle that came with my floor jack, it's strong and already has a hand grip on it.

 

I think I am just going to order that Northern Industrial tool set, and get the Craftsman jack and stands. The Northern set has a Lifetime warranty and extensions. I appreciate all the help guys.

 

buy: torch, PB blaster (spray for rusted bolts) everyone using that sockets from 8mm to 22 helps to have full set, wrenches from 8mm to 19mm, basicly main sockets/wrenches for our cars are 10mm, 12mm, 14mm :-)

also invest in some socket extensions...

and yes, best way to buy them as SET, if you buy them individualy it will cost you alot more.

also small compressor is nice, nothing huge, i keep mine to do boost leak test, and i use it sometimes for small things.

 

The key with Craftsman is that you can drive up to Sears and swap it on the spot. Can you do it with the Northern Tools stuff? More than once my car has been down and I've broken a socket (at the time the only one I had) and had to borrow or call a friend to take me up to Sears to exchange it...nowadays I have 2 or 3 of everything, especially 10, 12, 14, and 17mm sockets/wrenches (buy a few extra of those sizes)

 

Craftsman lifetime warranty FTW!!!! I brought in a broken socket wrench to Sears that was passed down to me by my dad over 8 years ago, he had it for over 20 years prior, and they simply handed me a new one and I was on my way.