If you are a car owner who occasionally works on his or her
own car, please don't go out and spend thousands of dollars on high
priced tools. Professional mechanics make a living with their tools and
need the best. If you are doing minor repairs on your own vehicles a
lower cost tool set will do just fine. We have teamed up with AutoBarn.com
to bring you the best price on tools for the DIYer. Keep in mind you
can find most of these tools at your local parts store, but probably
not at these prices. Let's look at the basics you will need for most
common jobs.

The oil change:

Lifting tools: To gain access to the oil pan you need to get the
front wheels off of the ground safely. Never leave the car supported
only by a jack. A good set of jack stands or ramps are the safest way
to go. Also don't forget to chock up the rear wheels to keep the car
from sliding back. Even though you may have the emergency brake set,
they can fail.

Oil filter wrench: Nothing is more frustrating than trying to
get an oil filter off without the right wrench. I have gone to the
extent of poking a screwdriver through the filter to spin it off.....
this is not the cleanest way to change an oil filter.

Funnel: You have to get the new oil into the engine, and the
less you spill, the less will burn off later while driving. Any funnel
will do, but look for one with a long flexible neck, which will help
getting into those tight places.

The brake job:

Disc brakes: You will need some special hex or torx sockets to
get the caliper loose. Do not try using the wrong tool like a
vise-grips or filed down bit.... you will damage the bolts. You will
also need to retract the brake pistons once you have the old pads out.
Using a C-clamp does work, but you have to be careful not to damage the
pistons.

Drum brakes: There are special tools, which allow you to
remove the clips, which hold the shoes to the backing plate. Also you
will need an adjuster to adjust the shoes once you have everything back
together.

Bleeding the brakes: Get a good kit, which includes a sealed container to collect the expelled brake fluid.

General tools:

A good Quality Tool Set: Make sure you have metric wrenches as
all import cars have metric fasteners and most if not all-new domestic
cars do also. If you plan on doing advanced work, or plan on eventually
working as a professional mechanic consider buying a set of Craftsman
tools. I have found them to be the best value and you cannot beat the
lifetime guarantee. Plus wherever you are, there is a Sears store to
take your broken tools in for replacement.

Auto Repair Manual: You wouldn't bake a cake without a
recipe.... would you?? Make sure you have a manual by your side before
you start working on your car. I can only give you general guidelines,
but the manual will give you all of the specifics for your car, truck
or SUV.