Tools every TJ owner must have

[Flivver250]

I am putting together a “must have” tool list for new and future TJ owners. I am old and own damn near every tool ever made including the first two pieces of flint ever struck together. That said, I live in two countries and have had to duplicate or triplicate many of my tools since I got a TJ. Additionally, I had never worked on a TJ before so there are some things that do not make sense. First being, every type of fastener ever conceived seems to be engineered into the TJ as a cruel joke by an evil engineer bent on using up three generations of fastener inventory. I will add preferred by me brands where relevant, but understand choice of brands is a personal journey. If you are young, never buy cheap tools. Good ones will last forever and pay for themselves in more ways than longevity. I have not touched every component as of yet and there are vast gaps in my TJ education. Remember, if you have to borrow a tool once and need one again, buy it. Buddies hate loaning tools, especially twice. Very few times in my long life that I have borrowed a tool. There is something grossly obscene about tool loaning and borrowing. Like sharing a tooth brush. I have not ventured into the air tool realm here. Please copy this list and add to it and re-post as a living document for member’s consideration. Here goes in no special order of importance.


· 3-Ton jack Hein-Werner

· Four 6 ton jack stands Hein-Werner

· Complete metric box end set Wright Tool

· Complete standard box end set Wright tool

· Complete metric 3/8 drive and ½ drive socket sets Wright, Snap-On, SK, or US forged Williams

· Ratchets of every size, 3/8 flex head imperative. SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· 3/8 and ½ drive extensions SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· 3/8 drive swivel sockets metric and standard SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· Small and larger torque wrenches. CDI

· Pry Bar set Mayhew

· Chisel set Mayhew

· Punch set Mayhew

· Brass drift set Mayhew

· Seal/bearing race driver set

· Pliers, dykes, side cutter, needle nose, large slip joints, etc etc, Klein, Channel Lock, Wilde, Knipex

· Dead blow mallet and ball peens, Trusty-Cook

· Small Sledge Estwing

· Ball Joint tool Snap-On BJP1 or OTC

· Test light

· Multimeter

· Complete screw driver set Wright, Snap-On, SK, or US forged Williams

· 18 Volt or larger impact and drill

· US made cobalt drill bits Huot

· Spring compressor

· Pickle forks and tie-rod separators

· Complete torx bit set

· Male Hex head set

· Good 4 way lug wrench

· Soldering iron

· Dial indicator (cheap one might suffice if for minor tasks)

· Measuring Tape Stanley

· Magnetic angle finder

· Hand held torx and allen wrenches Eklind

· Fluid suction gun OTC

· Grease gun

· Small blutooth speaker for your music while wrenching

· Multiple rechargeable drop lights

· Drip pans

· Oil filter wrench

· Wire brush

· Sand paper

· Gasket scraper set Mayhew or Wilde

· Snap ring plier set Lang

· Pick set

· Beer Bottle opener Klein

 

[LJJames]

You saved the best for last! Great list.

 

[Hawkeye]

Thank you for this. I've been building my tool collection the last 8 months since buying my TJ. This checklist is helpful.

 

[Boinked]

I am putting together a “must have” tool list for new and future TJ owners.

· Spring compressor

I will never buy or use one. Unless you are referring to a valve spring compressor.

There is no need to place yourself in that much danger when you can remove the control arm bolts. (If you have some un godly 6-8" lift)

 

[skrelnik]

I will never buy or use one. Unless you are referring to a valve spring compressor.

There is no need to place yourself in that much danger when you can remove the control arm bolts. (If you have some un godly 6-8" lift)

Yeah, if this is for the coil springs they just come out if you remove a few other parts. Plus you can rent a spring compressor if really needed and other tools for free from your local autozone or advance auto.

One tool I love that is not on the list is a nutsert. That can come in handy. Astro Pneumatic is the brand I have.

Oil filter wrench really is not necessary either, for a German car with an oil filter housing yes.

A propane torch, Bernzomatic brand. Very helpful to remove rusted bolts or certain bolts that have thread locker.

 

[Mike_H]

One of the brands for screwdrivers I really like is WiHa or Wera (I have both) All my "good" screwdrivers and Allen Keys are Wiha. They lock in really well. Maybe not quite as good as Snap on, but they were 50 bucks for a 5 piece set (screwdrivers) vs 130 or so.

 

[C.J. Roberts]

!/2 in drive 36mm socket for removing front hubs.

 

[k-huevo]

Be sure your socket set has a 28mm (it's an oddball), 55T short shank, and 50T Torx bit sockets. Ratcheting, off-set or articulating, metric box-end wrenches are highly useful. Penetrating fluid, and thread restoration tap & die set (aka master metric rethreader kit). A 19mm impact deepset socket, and torque extension (aka torque stick) 75 lb/ft rated. Use the torque extension with impact wrench to secure the wheel while raised, then torque to spec with wrench when lowered.

 

[Michael Roberson]

I am putting together a “must have” tool list for new and future TJ owners. I am old and own damn near every tool ever made including the first two pieces of flint ever struck together. That said, I live in two countries and have had to duplicate or triplicate many of my tools since I got a TJ. Additionally, I had never worked on a TJ before so there are some things that do not make sense. First being, every type of fastener ever conceived seems to be engineered into the TJ as a cruel joke by an evil engineer bent on using up three generations of fastener inventory. I will add preferred by me brands where relevant, but understand choice of brands is a personal journey. If you are young, never buy cheap tools. Good ones will last forever and pay for themselves in more ways than longevity. I have not touched every component as of yet and there are vast gaps in my TJ education. Remember, if you have to borrow a tool once and need one again, buy it. Buddies hate loaning tools, especially twice. Very few times in my long life that I have borrowed a tool. There is something grossly obscene about tool loaning and borrowing. Like sharing a tooth brush. I have not ventured into the air tool realm here. Please copy this list and add to it and re-post as a living document for member’s consideration. Here goes in no special order of importance.


· 3-Ton jack Hein-Werner

· Four 6 ton jack stands Hein-Werner

· Complete metric box end set Wright Tool

· Complete standard box end set Wright tool

· Complete metric 3/8 drive and ½ drive socket sets Wright, Snap-On, SK, or US forged Williams

· Ratchets of every size, 3/8 flex head imperative. SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· 3/8 and ½ drive extensions SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· 3/8 drive swivel sockets metric and standard SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· Small and larger torque wrenches. CDI

· Pry Bar set Mayhew

· Chisel set Mayhew

· Punch set Mayhew

· Brass drift set Mayhew

· Seal/bearing race driver set

· Pliers, dykes, side cutter, needle nose, large slip joints, etc etc, Klein, Channel Lock, Wilde, Knipex

· Dead blow mallet and ball peens, Trusty-Cook

· Small Sledge Estwing

· Ball Joint tool Snap-On BJP1 or OTC

· Test light

· Multimeter

· Complete screw driver set Wright, Snap-On, SK, or US forged Williams

· 18 Volt or larger impact and drill

· US made cobalt drill bits Huot

· Spring compressor

· Pickle forks and tie-rod separators

· Complete torx bit set

· Male Hex head set

· Good 4 way lug wrench

· Soldering iron

· Dial indicator (cheap one might suffice if for minor tasks)

· Measuring Tape Stanley

· Magnetic angle finder

· Hand held torx and allen wrenches Eklind

· Fluid suction gun OTC

· Grease gun

· Small blutooth speaker for your music while wrenching

· Multiple rechargeable drop lights

· Drip pans

· Oil filter wrench

· Wire brush

· Sand paper

· Gasket scraper set Mayhew or Wilde

· Snap ring plier set Lang

· Pick set

· Beer Bottle opener Klein

Hats off. Comprehensive list. Exemplary!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[billiebob]

and

 

[twistedlv]

You saved the best for last! Great list.

I may or may not have been putting one of those through its paces today!:godsdrink0nw:

 

[Xposure]

You may want to add a bolt extractor set and a tap/die set....I’m sure at some point your going to need them and it will be at the worst time and your going to wish they were right there in your garage already since it will be like 130am.

I’d also get a good battery powered drill and impact and a set of metal drill bits.

Also a breaker bar.

 

[Flivver250]

Added the suggestions plus a couple more thoughts. A vise is a must have. I removed the spring compressor as suggested because I only use one on struts.

· 3-Ton jack Hein-Werner

· Four 6 ton jack stands Hein-Werner

· Complete metric box end set Wright Tool

· Complete standard box end set Wright tool

· Complete metric 3/8 drive and ½ drive socket sets Wright, Snap-On, SK, or US forged Williams

· Ratchets of every size, 3/8 flex head imperative. SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· 3/8 and ½ drive extensions SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· 3/8 drive swivel sockets metric and standard SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· Small and larger torque wrenches. CDI

· Pry Bar set Mayhew

· Chisel set Mayhew

· Punch set Mayhew

· Brass drift set Mayhew

· Seal/bearing race driver set

· Pliers, dykes, side cutter, needle nose, large slip joints, etc etc, Klein, Channel Lock, Wilde, Knipex

· Dead blow mallet and ball peens, Trusty-Cook

· Small Sledge Estwing

· Ball Joint tool Snap-On BJP1 or OTC

· Test light

· Multimeter

· Complete crew driver set Wright, Snap-On, SK, or US forged Williams

· 18 Volt or larger impact and drill

· US made cobalt drill bits Huot

· Pickle forks and tie-rod separators

· Complete torx bit set

· Male Hex head set

· Good 4 way lug wrench

· Soldering iron

· Dial indicator (cheap one might suffice if for minor tasks)

· Measuring Tape Stanley

· Magnetic angle finder

· Hand held torx and allen wrenches Eklind

· Fluid suction gun OTC

· Grease gun

· Small blutooth speaker for your music while wrenching

· Multiple rechargeable drop lights

· Drip pans

· Oil filter wrench

· Wire brush

· Sand paper

· Gasket scraper set Mayhew or Wilde

· Snap ring plier set Lang

· Pick set

· Beer Bottle opener Klein

· 1/2 in drive 36mm socket

· 28mm socket

· 55T short shank

· 50T Torx bit sockets

· Tap & die set

· Easy outs

· Thread chasers

· ½ breaker bar

· Penetrating oil (recommend 50/50 acetone with tranny fluid)

· Big vise Wilton

 

[fuse]

Awesome list! Thanks for putting that together! I would add wheel chocks (obvious?) and ratchet straps for shifting components by small increments.

 

[bluewatersailor]

All right, I just have to stick my oar in (us sailors do that a lot ). To me, no tool kit is complete unless it has one of these:

I've been shipmates with those things for ~20 years now, and have used it all over the place. If it wasn't for Vise Grips and maybe the multi-bit screwdriver, it would be the most used tool in my kit. Heck, when I came back from a 7-year sailing trip and complained that the tip was wearing down on the one I had, they sent me a brand-new one, free.

What it does is let you clamp anything you like by using wire (I like soft stainless wire for this, but it works with anything.) You can make up hose clamps in the field - high-pressure air, fuel, anything at all - that are more reliable and clamp much better than almost any other method. You can strap broken stuff with it and make it hold; you can neck down thin-wall pipe until it grips a fitting (I've collapsed stainless tubing with it on a bet)... pretty much the ultimate emergency repair tool.

Lots of other stuff in my toolbag (and the above list is great!), but this one is a must-have.

(Disclosure: I have no connection with the company that makes it, but I'm a huge fan of their product.)

I've got much the same kind of love for my Mobi-Arc welder, but I haven't transferred that one onto the Jeep yet...

http://www.offroaders.com/directory/products/Mobi-Arc-Onboard-Welder.htm

 

[Xposure]

I've got much the same kind of love for my Mobi-Arc welder, but I haven't transferred that one onto the Jeep yet...

http://www.offroaders.com/directory/products/Mobi-Arc-Onboard-Welder.htm

I gotta say, there aren’t many tools I get excited about any more....BUT a welder hooked into my alternator that actually works....it’s making me excited....I’m wanting one of these lol

 

[C.J. Roberts]

I should also mention that if you have a NV3550 transmission a 10mm coupler nut fits the drain/ fill plugs perfectly.

 

[alittleoff]

x2 with the ClampTite, sm. & lg. A good razor knife, hand cleaner & rags. That "self sealing" tape. And a beverage koozie.
A fire extinguisher and First-Aid kit. Safety glasses, tweezers and magnifying glass.
Camera / cell phone.
Gorilla tape, zip-ties and nylon string.
Tire plug kit, OBA, 16g - 8g elect. wire, solder less connectors, shrink tube and fire.

 

[bluewatersailor]

I gotta say, there aren’t many tools I get excited about any more....BUT a welder hooked into my alternator that actually works....it’s making me excited....I’m wanting one of these lol

I bought it back in the 90s when I was living aboard my steel Duch ketch in the Caribbean; it's welded around a thousand linear feet of mild and stainless steel since those days, and still works like new. Because it's DC, it's got a quiet, clean, easily-controllable arc - almost like TIG welding; going to an AC buzzbox after using it feels like driving a farm tractor over rocky ground after driving a Mercedes on the autobahn.

You do need to either have, modify (usually pretty easy), or buy an alternator that can take an external regulator - but any good-quality alternator will do that. By the way, the 3-stage regulator in the Mobi-Arc is much higher quality than any built-in regulator... most regulators of that quality are a couple of hundred bucks all by themselves.

Related story: I called the manufacturer from the Caribbean with a one-off problem (since I was running a big bank of golf cart lead-acid batteries on my boat in a high-temp environment, I needed to adjust the charging voltage); their design engineer, Frank, spent a couple of hours on the phone with me, and together, we designed a method of externally adjusting the voltage (I'm an electronics engineer myself) - something that is now available to anyone who owns one. A couple of years later, long after any warranty period, they had spent time diagnosing a subtle problem I was having with the harness - and sent me one, free (including shipping to St. Thomas!), to replace it. THAT is what I call solid customer service, folks. I wish more companies worked that way.

 

[MichelleS]

SO basic

I am putting together a “must have” tool list for new and future TJ owners. I am old and own damn near every tool ever made including the first two pieces of flint ever struck together. That said, I live in two countries and have had to duplicate or triplicate many of my tools since I got a TJ. Additionally, I had never worked on a TJ before so there are some things that do not make sense. First being, every type of fastener ever conceived seems to be engineered into the TJ as a cruel joke by an evil engineer bent on using up three generations of fastener inventory. I will add preferred by me brands where relevant, but understand choice of brands is a personal journey. If you are young, never buy cheap tools. Good ones will last forever and pay for themselves in more ways than longevity. I have not touched every component as of yet and there are vast gaps in my TJ education. Remember, if you have to borrow a tool once and need one again, buy it. Buddies hate loaning tools, especially twice. Very few times in my long life that I have borrowed a tool. There is something grossly obscene about tool loaning and borrowing. Like sharing a tooth brush. I have not ventured into the air tool realm here. Please copy this list and add to it and re-post as a living document for member’s consideration. Here goes in no special order of importance.


· 3-Ton jack Hein-Werner

· Four 6 ton jack stands Hein-Werner

· Complete metric box end set Wright Tool

· Complete standard box end set Wright tool

· Complete metric 3/8 drive and ½ drive socket sets Wright, Snap-On, SK, or US forged Williams

· Ratchets of every size, 3/8 flex head imperative. SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· 3/8 and ½ drive extensions SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· 3/8 drive swivel sockets metric and standard SK, Wright, Williams or Snap-On

· Small and larger torque wrenches. CDI

· Pry Bar set Mayhew

· Chisel set Mayhew

· Punch set Mayhew

· Brass drift set Mayhew

· Seal/bearing race driver set

· Pliers, dykes, side cutter, needle nose, large slip joints, etc etc, Klein, Channel Lock, Wilde, Knipex

· Dead blow mallet and ball peens, Trusty-Cook

· Small Sledge Estwing

· Ball Joint tool Snap-On BJP1 or OTC

· Test light

· Multimeter

· Complete screw driver set Wright, Snap-On, SK, or US forged Williams

· 18 Volt or larger impact and drill

· US made cobalt drill bits Huot

· Spring compressor

· Pickle forks and tie-rod separators

· Complete torx bit set

· Male Hex head set

· Good 4 way lug wrench

· Soldering iron

· Dial indicator (cheap one might suffice if for minor tasks)

· Measuring Tape Stanley

· Magnetic angle finder

· Hand held torx and allen wrenches Eklind

· Fluid suction gun OTC

· Grease gun

· Small blutooth speaker for your music while wrenching

· Multiple rechargeable drop lights

· Drip pans

· Oil filter wrench

· Wire brush

· Sand paper

· Gasket scraper set Mayhew or Wilde

· Snap ring plier set Lang

· Pick set

· Beer Bottle opener Klein

So basically every tool made. LOL