The snap-on long barrel air hammer is great when you need the "I'm not asking, I'm telling" sort of tool.
The snap-on long barrel air hammer is great when you need the "I'm not asking, I'm telling" sort of tool.
Since I race and need to do alignments and other things all the time, my fm hibstands are my favorite. They are amazing at saving time and adding versatility.
Eagle Grip by Malco LP10WC 10 in. Curved Jaw Locking Pliers with Wire Cutter
Hands down the best locking pliers I have laid hands on and made in the U.S.A.
Don't have it yet, but worth every cent .....Two Post Lift.....regardless
Impact driver. I have this one from Mac Tools.
Funny thing is, I wanted to use it with a hex screw recently and couldn't find bits for it, so I found a $10 one at Harbor Freight that had a 1/2" square drive with a removable 5/16" bit socket. When I got home and took it out of the box, I noticed that the bit socket looked a little like the Mac Tools one. I grabbed the Mac and and tried to pull the bit socket off and was amazed to find a 1/2" square drive. 10 years I had this Mac one and never knew the bit socket came off!l
Good drill bits. Cheap bits that come in sets of 30 for $10 will cause more frustration than anything, as well as wasting time. Spending $ on quality bits makes such a difference.
I build LOTS of rollbars & rollcages and my FEMI NG120XL bandsaw has been one of the best purchases ever!
pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) said:Good drill bits. Cheap bits that come in sets of 30 for $10 will cause more frustration than anything, as well as wasting time. Spending $ on quality bits makes such a difference.
This. While I bought a mid-range full set of drill bits, I use places like McMaster to pick and choose really good drills, typically the most commonly used sizes.
Same goes for taps, and there are a TON of different styles of taps.
No Time said:Not super expensive, but so much easier than pliers. I finally gave in and spent the $40 on a set yesterday to replace the lower hose on the 98 Ram.
Where did you purchase that tool? How well did it hold up with squishing the hose clamps? I have borrowed one in the past but have not spent the cash for one.
My good buy on a tool is a air pop rivet gun. When you have to install large pop rivets this is the one you need.
Also the Bosch impact and drill combo pack is a winner. I have used mine for years daily. The impact tightens and loosen bolts great.
A portable hand held band saw with a SWAG Off-road table either stand alone or vise mounted. I bought a used Mikita on eBay and new vise mount table. I use this thing all the time. Great for fabricating small parts and really doesn't take up much space.
No Time said:Not super expensive, but so much easier than pliers. I finally gave in and spent the $40 on a set yesterday to replace the lower hose on the 98 Ram.
TIL that I simply have to have one of these amazing things that I had not one clue existed prior to.. just now. Til then, the best money I ever spent on a tool, in that it paid for itself and continues to, was on a Miller mig welder. A 2post lift will replace my quickjacks as soon as the shop is built. And like so may others here, I can't go without my Fluke and my Snap-on torque wrench..
In reply to MyMiatas :
I bought it at O'reillys, but I'm guessing most chain parts stores would carry them.
It held up to the clamps on the upper and lower hoses without issue. There would have been some foul language and skinned knuckles on the engine side of the lower hose if I was using pliers on the clamp.
The lock feature is a nice bonus when working at odd angles.
Once you have your lift, at least two underhoist stands and a hydraulic transmission jack are are essential. Your back will thank you forever.
The hose clamp pliers was my first thought, but at $20 from Auto Zone, I didn't consider that expensive. But it's an amazing tool that I feel stupid for not having bought sooner.
I was trying to remove the power steering reservoir from the GL350 back when I started that whole project and I fought that thing with pliers and Vice-Grips forever. In a fit of desperation, I decided to drive up to Auto Zone and buy the stupid "special tool" for stupid spring clamps. When I got back, it took me only a matter of seconds to have the spring clamp off. I spent more time monkeying around with the pliers than it took me to change my clothes, drive to the store, buy the tool, drive back, change, and then remove the clamp. I have found that it doesn't work as well with every clamp. There are some that it just doesn't compress enough, leading me to wonder if there are different sizes that I should have.
Another tool that was cheap, but that I would have spent 10x on and still felt good about was my set of Irvin bolt extractors. I bought them to get the bolts off the EGR valve on the motorhome. It was another case of taking longer to use the wrong tool with no results than it took to go buy the right tool and use it. I've used them since and they have been a real time-saver.
For me it is my spot welder...invaluable for rocker replacement and for so many other metal repair tasks. (Please don't tell my other tools I have a favorite!)
Pgj9m pliers from Matco. I got my pair after a shop left them in a radiator shroud of a Durango 4.7 they tried to fix. I use them on just about everything, including those damn spring clamps.
Channel lock 414 "nut buster" pliers. If the nut/bolt is round, these will hold it in place just fine. I used them on sway bar endlinks all the time....
The hose clamp pliars work great on the larger clamps, but the ones that are hard to get or in tight spaces are still a bit of a challenge.
today i established a tool fund for bolt buster, masterkool, and remote hose clamp plier thingy
Does a garage count? I worked in my gravel driveway for years, but eventually bought a house with a garage. Yesterday I replaced a starter in a parking lot in 95 degree heat and was reminded how awesome a garage is.
In reply to bigeyedfish :
Most definitely.
In reply to bigeyedfish :
And once you have the garage, it gets even better when you can heat it! I'm very jealous of garages with A/C and may have to investigate that option...
aw614 said:The hose clamp pliars work great on the larger clamps, but the ones that are hard to get or in tight spaces are still a bit of a challenge.
Knipex makes some pliers that are absolutely amazing for hose clamps. They are straight but asymmetrical, the jaws are three dimensional in contour so you can grab them end-on, all surfaces are deeply grooved for non slipness, and the slip joint has four or five notches, not just two.
I am so happy with them I will run out to the shop to take a pic. (munching tuna and rice with BBQ sauce in breakroom...)
In reply to No Time :
what is it called?
Sorry, looks like they are hose clamp pliers. Tnx
Not terribly expensive, but game changers...
Cobalt drill bits...I don't even mess with HSS anymore, unless I am drilling wood or plastic.
MAP gas torch...just enough heat to get just about anything unstuck, and you don't have to wheel around a cart or trip over hoses.
Thread insert repair kit...I went thru inserts like candy when racing karts and autocrossing a Fiat 124.
You'll need to log in to post.
