Whether it’s getting to work, doing the groceries on the weekend, taking a road trip with your mates, or running an errand around town – it would be tricky to manage without your car. And if you’re a car enthusiast, you probably like to keep your wheels in tip-top shape.
But what tools are must-haves for car enthusiasts who want to ensure that their vehicles stay in good working condition? And what tools would come in handy for those looking to restore vintage cars or older cars that are in need of a little TLC?
This helpful article will share the top 8 tools every car enthusiast should use in their garage. Read on to learn more.
A Set of Torque Wrenches
No car enthusiast’s garage is complete without some quality torque wrenches in your toolbox. You can get wrenches in varying sizes and lengths, which is useful for those with multiple vehicles.
Torque wrenches are used for a simple but crucial action – tightening or loosening bolts and nuts on your car. This is another reason why you’ll want to own a few sets of these nifty tools, just to ensure you have the proper wrench for every job. As a rule of thumb, the longer the wrench, the better torque and action you’ll have.
A Portable or Under-Hood Work Light
This is an essential tool for anyone who works on their car at home in a garage. Unfortunately, most garages are poorly lit, with flickering or dim fluorescent lights. Even if you have decent lighting in your garage, the lifted car hood can block it, making it difficult to see what you’re working on. You need good illumination to work, whether restoring an engine or doing an oil change.
A great solution to this problem is an under-hood LED light, which you can put on your hood to allow easy navigation of the job at hand. Another option is to buy an LED headlamp, which you can strap on your head to light where you’re looking. Each option has benefits, with the headlamp great for working underneath your car.
A Screwdriver Set
No home mechanics tool set is complete without a screwdriver set. These versatile tools can tighten or loosen screws of various sizes. Your car will contain screws in many places, and a screwdriver is needed for all sorts of car modification and improvement tasks. You can use it to upgrade your car sound system or unscrew the dashboard.
It’s worth getting a set that comes in various sizes. Also, get a good mix of flathead and Phillips head screwdrivers, as you’ll need both for all your car modification and maintenance projects.
A Pick and Hook Set
Your car will have many electrical connectors and components, most locked with plastic pins or slides. This can be painful to undo without the right tool, and if you use needle-nose pliers, you risk wrecking these delicate pieces.
This is precisely why pick and hook sets were developed! A precision pick and hook set is the perfect solution to undo these intricate connecting pieces without damaging any of these more delicate technical components that make all modern vehicles run smoothly.
A Battery Lifter and Carrier
Car batteries are heavy and often tightly wedged into their place. If you want to swap out a battery but don’t want to pay a mechanic, you should invest in a battery remover and carrier. You can use this tool to easily remove the battery from your car and place it out of harm’s way. You can then use the same tool to effortlessly position your new car battery.
Just be sure to select a battery lifter and carrier that matches the size of your car battery. You don’t want to buy a battery lifter and carrier only to realise down the line that it’s unsuitable for bearing the weight or dimensions of the battery you’ll actually need to replace! Whilst this isn’t likely to be an issue for most modern sedan or hatchback owners, it may be the case for those with people movers or other large vehicles.
A Car Jack
While we’re talking of lifting heavy car objects, a car enthusiast must own a hydraulic or mechanical jack to lift and anchor your car if you need to change a tire or perform work underneath the chassis of your vehicle. These are essential for safely working on your vehicle whenever it may need to have its tires changed or will need to be lifted or elevated for other purposes.
Be sure to read up on the functionality of your selected car jack and trial first using this tool with support people nearby. The last thing you want is to place either yourself or your loved ones in danger by either failing to use a car jack or using a car jack in the wrong way.
A Flexible Funnel
This tool is a must-own if you change your own oil, which is an essential car maintenance task for which most garages will charge through the roof. Use a funnel and a drain pain to drain your motor oil and replace it to keep your car engine’s parts lubricated and functioning properly.
A flexible funnel is best as it can be adjusted and moulded to direct the oil into the pan with minimal effort. You can then use your trusty funnel to pour in the fresh oil.
A Car Battery Tester
Last but certainly not least, you’re not driving anywhere with a flat or dead car battery. And if your garage is on the messier side and you’re still holding onto car batteries that you may be waiting to dispose of, then there’s every chance that you can find yourself installing a battery that’s already been depleted.
Thankfully, this can be easily avoided by simply investing in a car battery tester. A hand-held electronic car battery tester means you can gauge your car’s battery life if required and determine if you need to charge it or if you need to replace it.
And there you have it – the top 8 tools every car enthusiast should keep in their garage. You’ll be well-prepared with these valuable tools to keep your pride and joy on the road.