Tools for car repair and maintenance

When carrying out repairs or on a long journey, especially if the route is unfamiliar, you have to rely only on yourself and the tools in the trunk. A good tool is the key to a successful repair. A high-quality tool will serve you for a very long time and will not let you down in unforeseen situations, so you should not save on buying it.

Basic tool kit

Even if you will carry out simple repairs, you will need a set of a minimum number of tools. This kit includes the following wrenches and accessories:



– set of TORX wrenches type T…



…and E. On a Ford Fusion, most fasteners are TORX tool;



- a set of screwdrivers with flat and Phillips blades of different sizes, with comfortable handles. When choosing screwdrivers (especially with cross blade) be careful, as a blade of the wrong size can rip off the slots in the screw head;




- a set of carob..



... cap..



...or combination keys. It is desirable to have keys from 5 to 27 mm in size, and when repairing imported cars, keys of any size from the specified range may be needed, for example «at 15» or «at 18»;



- spark plugs «at 16» or «at 21» (depending on the size of the spark plugs used in your car);




- a set of hex keys of different sizes (most often, sizes from 2 to 10 mm are needed in 1 mm increments);



- pliers, side cutters and pliers with variable grip;



– hammers of different sizes with metal and rubber heads (the latter is necessary when carrying out leveling work);




- punches of different sizes (required for drilling), a set of chisels (can be used to lock a nut or cut one that cannot be unscrewed);



– when working with the electrical system, special pliers are required for crimping terminals and plugs, a wire stripper, an indicator screwdriver and a set of terminals of various sizes;



- when working with hard-to-reach units and assemblies, a set of socket wrenches with a ratchet and universal joint is required;




- a set of universal pullers of different sizes for pressing out bearings and other parts.

Special tools and fixtures

If you often have to repair a car, in addition to the basic kit, purchase special tools necessary for more complex repairs:

- portable lamp (preferably one that works from the on-board network of the car). It is necessary when working under the car, under the hood and in the cabin with insufficient lighting. The lamp must be with a waterproof housing with impact-resistant glass;



- a rolling jack and a rubber or wooden spacer;



- stand (type «tragus») for work under the car;



– a special key for nuts of brake pipelines;



- adjustable collet wrench and clamps for secure fixing of parts;



- a torque wrench to maintain the exact tightening torque of critical threaded connections, it is desirable to have wrenches with a measurement range of 5 to 200 Nm;



- a special key for the oil filter, it is used if the filter cannot be unscrewed by hand;



– a set of pullers of lock rings;



– a device for pressing and pressing the bearings of the front and rear wheel hubs;



– a stripper for a vypressovki of fingers of spherical hinges of a suspension bracket and tips of steering draughts;



- a set of probes and a caliper for determining gaps during the repair and maintenance of the gas distribution mechanism, gearbox, differential, etc.;

– mandrels of various diameters (for pressing bearings, seals, etc.);



- an automobile tester used in the repair of electrical circuits and for checking the technical condition of electrical equipment;



- Compressometer for diagnosing the technical condition of the engine by determining the compression in the cylinders;



- metal brushes (manual and in the form of a nozzle to a drill) for cleaning threaded connections from rust and dirt before disassembly;



– eye protection goggles used when working under the vehicle;

- battery charger.