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So I've got a bit of dilemma. I recently (2 months ago) bought a 2007 Volvo S60R. The car came with two sets of wheels, one with summer tires and the other with all seasons. Eventually I plan to replace the all seasons with proper snow tires but they're almost new and I don't really want to be bothered with selling them. When I got the car it had the summer tires on it, which are 225 width, while the stock tires for the car were 235s. When I switched to the "winter" wheels I discovered that the proper 235 width tires on them rub on the inside of my wheel wells when I turn close to full lock. The S60R has an abysmal turning radius to begin with (21.6 feet) and this just makes it virtually unparkable. The solution, the Swedespeed forums tell me, is wheel spacers. 10mm should be enough to eliminate the problem, but the rear track of the S60R is already narrower than the front so they say I should put 15mm spacers in the rear to even things out. All in all they'll run me about $300. I have no problem with this idea and it also improves the look of the car a bit. The issue I have is that I've never really worked on my own car before and I don't have the tools to do so. Given that I'm going to have to swap my wheels twice a year anyway I feel like I should bite the bullet and buy the appropriate tools. This means I need a jack, because the jack the car comes with is a strange design with two hooks that hook over a round bar mounted under the car instead of lifting by a pad like every other jack I've ever seen. It's annoying to align properly, and like all scissors jacks a pain in the rear end to use. I also need a breaker bar or an impact wrench because no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the wheel bolts loose with the 10" tire iron the car came with. Finally I need a torque wrench because I'll be damned if I'm going to try to guess how much to tighten my wheel bolts. I don't want to spend a ton of money on this and, if Amazon is to be believed, if I want to get a good torque wrench, impact driver and jack I will have to spend around $550. Alternatively, I can get a mediocre torque wrench, breaker bar and the jack and save a bit of money. So, I'd like to know what you tool gurus think I should buy. Where is my money best spent here, and where can I afford to save a bit? I think giving up the impact wrench for a breaker bar and having things take a bit longer is probably my best bet, but what about the torque wrench and jack? Any better recommendations? Edit: I'm thinking maybe I should put a little more money into it and get this jack instead. For only $44 more the reviews make it out to be a much better jack. Disgruntled Bovine fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Jan 10, 2013 |
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Jan 10, 2013 03:25
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Disgruntled Bovine posted:So I've got a bit of dilemma. That torque wrench is probably fantastic. I had no idea Snap-On made this hybrid tool that is *almost* the same thing. I might buy it for professional use, As long as i can have it serviced every now and again at that price its a steal. Dont ever buy cheap on torque wrenches, ive learnd this the hard way. Three $60 TW's adds up to that snap-on/CDI. The Impact is probably a good tool, but Battery handhelds arent the best for breaking free lug nuts. I find 3/8ths sized stuff to be great for battery impacts, but by the time you get to 1/2 its a gamble if the battery unit will really have the break-free torque needed. Get the breaker bar. Get a "6 inch extension and the right lug socket. Dont buy a crappy chromed one, get one meant to be an impact lug socket. As far as jacks, just read the reviews and go with what that tells you. Its what I'd do. I know lots here love harbor freight jacks, but I dont like them, so theres that. Also get some nice well-made jack stands. I like to use one when changing a tire on the ground, since if the hydraulic jack fails at the wrong time it could be serious even though your not fully under the vehicle. You will need them to set an axle up to do the brakes or change the oil so get them.  A product exists to ensure corrosion never develops on your lug nuts it is called anti-seize. it is controversial. I use it without issues
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Jan 10, 2013 03:46
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Here's what I would do by hitting up the nearest Harbor Freight tools: 1/2" torque wrench: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-type-torque-wrench-239.html 1.5 ton aluminum jack: http://www.harborfreight.com/rapid-pump-15-ton-compact-aluminum-racing-jack-68053-html-7814.html 3 ton jack stands: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-heavy-duty-jack-stands-38846.html Jack stand rubber pads: http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-rubber-pads-for-jack-stand-95952.html Two wheel chocks: http://www.harborfreight.com/solid-rubber-wheel-chock-69326.html 1/2" breaker bar: http://www.harborfreight.com/12-drive-25-breaker-bar-67933.html 1/2" lug nut socket set (I swear there's a cheaper version of this though, with different colored plastic on the sockets): http://www.harborfreight.com/11-piece-1-2-half-inch-super-high-torque-lug-nut-impact-socket-set-94421.html All up this should be about $200. I don't think it makes sense to drop $500 on basic tools to take the wheels off and add spacers. HF's torque wrench is quite good, definitely good enough for torquing lug nuts. The low profile aluminum jack is fine for basic work, and is not too expensive. Don't forget jack stands and wheel chocks any time the wheels come off the ground. A breaker bar is just a steel rod--no need to spend more than $10 on it IMHO. I'd splurge on a nice wheel lug socket set with plastic covers to protect your wheels from the socket scratching them.
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Jan 10, 2013 07:31
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mod sassinator posted:Here's what I would do by hitting up the nearest Harbor Freight tools: http://www.harborfreight.com/floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-3-ton-heavy-duty-69227.html They also do have a cheaper set of the plastic covered impact sockets, but it's a smaller set than the one you linked. The torque wrench is fine, I've confirmed mine is accurate alongside a 3/4" drive wrench, the stands are solid, and that same breaker bar has broken loose very rusty lugs/nuts and a spindle nut without complaint.
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Jan 10, 2013 15:01
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mod sassinator posted:So this 12v portable (but not cordless) 1/2 inch impact wrench is only 40 bucks today: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00544EZQ2/?tag=dealnewscom&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER I bought one for myself at Christmas. I went to use it for the first time on Monday. Dead as a doornail. Just shipped back to Amazon, yesterday, when the replacement arrived. Haven't been arsed to test it since it's snowing and needs 12v/10A so I'm not going to get it to work with a wall-wart adaptor I use for precharging the GPS. It seemed like rather cheap construction, and although it came with 2 SAE standard size adaptors, I'm not horribly impressed being that it wouldn't work out of the box the first time.
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Jan 10, 2013 18:56
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If you really want to cheap out on sockets, get an individual deep wall that's the size of your lug nuts. Then just keep it in your glovebox or sparetire well so you always know where it is. If you're not going to use the whole set, there isn't a need to buy one. And it's pretty nice to have a dedciated socket. Impact sockets are thicker, so definiely be mindful when using them to not scratch your wheels.
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Jan 11, 2013 01:50
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Yes, I had to turn down the first couple inches of my 13/16(?) impact by about .100" to fit the aftermarket wheels on my Miata.
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Jan 11, 2013 04:35
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21?
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Jan 11, 2013 22:37
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Thanks guys, I'm still not 100% sure what I'm going to buy but I'm leaning towards that second jack I linked (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00132CGEW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER) If it ever comes back in stock. As for the torque wrench I'm not sure if I'd want to trust a $20 tool with something as important as how tight my wheel bolts are. It doesn't exactly have stellar reviews and I wouldn't expect it to at that price. I definitely won't be buying an impact as I just don't need it and I don't want to spend the kind of money that would be necessary to get a good one. As for the breaker bar, you have a point, it's just a steel stick, why bother spending a lot on it? If impact sockets can be too large for the holes in some alloy wheels (which I fear they may be on mine as the holes are rather small) do I really need them if the torque spec for my car's wheels is only 102 ft-lbs?
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Jan 12, 2013 00:56
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Lug nuts are one place where a cheaper torque wrench IS ok. It's not a high-tolerance application. Its not like torque sticks are super accurate, and that's how 99% of the cars on the road had their lugs tightened.
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Jan 12, 2013 00:58
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Disgruntled Bovine posted:Thanks guys, I'm still not 100% sure what I'm going to buy but I'm leaning towards that second jack I linked (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00132CGEW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER) If it ever comes back in stock. As for the torque wrench I'm not sure if I'd want to trust a $20 tool with something as important as how tight my wheel bolts are. It doesn't exactly have stellar reviews and I wouldn't expect it to at that price. Lies, the HF torque wrench is  when it goes on sale (every other weekend). And it's remarkably good all things considered. Perfect for lugs, actually.The breaker bar seems simple, but steel quality matters. I've wrenched the head off of crappy ones. The cheap deals are fine for "standard" use, but once you start putting 4' of pipe on them and jumping on the end to break bolts loose, that's what separates the manly Snap-Ons from the poo poo. Cheap ones are fine, as long as you're cool with them possibly breaking when used hard. No need for an impact socket if you're not using an impact. The standard chrome ones are fine if you're removing / tightening with a standard wrench. Don't use anything less than a 1/2" drive wrench on these though, doing that was how I killed my favorite 3/8" ratchet 
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Jan 12, 2013 01:11
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I've broken several 1/2" drive extensions and a couple 12.9 and 10.9 grade 14mm suspension bolts with my Husky breaker bar and a six foot cheater pipe. Still haven't broken the breaker bar. Kinda surprised.
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Jan 12, 2013 02:59
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Yeah I wouldn't rebuild an engine with a HF torque wrench, but for lug nuts it's perfect. Someone.on here did a pretty comprehensive test of the HF wrench and found it was within 5% of a much more expensive model.
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Jan 12, 2013 09:34
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Today at 6pm PST this item goes on sale on the daily shellshocker deal for $24.95 http://www.newegg.com/Special/ShellShocker.aspx   You get two for this $24.95 price!http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1EX0GP8427 This is the most compact model The cheapest one of these on Amazon prime (free shipping) is $15.49 and it is a bulkier one http://www.amazon.com/ELM327-Bluetooth-CAN-BUS-Diagnostic-Scanner/dp/B0090ZJPMK You use it with your: Bluetooth enabled laptop; using a plethora of software Bluetooth android device; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque iPhone; https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dashcommand-obd-ii-gauge-dashboards/id321293183 For the android device there is a free "lite" version, but for that cheap I recommend the full $4.95 version. I used one of these devices, my Droid X, and this software to disable "flags" for a 200x camaro that didn't have cats anymore. No more complaints from the ECM. If he would have put the cats and associated sensors back on, I could re-enable with a quick checkmark. I put it on my wife's 2009 outback out of curiosity and reviewed engine functions and saw I could perform similar mods.
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Jan 14, 2013 22:10
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mod sassinator posted:Yeah I wouldn't rebuild an engine with a HF torque wrench, but for lug nuts it's perfect. Someone.on here did a pretty comprehensive test of the HF wrench and found it was within 5% of a much more expensive model. The digital torque adapter has been really well regarded too. I haven't used mine, but the calibration sheet is .5% for most of the measurement points, and independent checking has been about the same. Not that I would bother with it for lug nuts, but a cheap torque wrench and that, you could probably do anything you wanted inside its torque range.
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Jan 14, 2013 22:18
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B4Ctom1 posted:I used one of these devices, my Droid X, and this software to disable "flags" for a 200x camaro that didn't have cats anymore. No more complaints from the ECM. If he would have put the cats and associated sensors back on, I could re-enable with a quick checkmark. Wait, you were actually able to disable certain codes with one of these, rather than just clearing? What software on what device? Also, any chance you've been able to test this particular one with an early OBDII Ford? Most of the China327s don't work well on those.
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Jan 14, 2013 22:30
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IOwnCalculus posted:Wait, you were actually able to disable certain codes with one of these, rather than just clearing? What software on what device? Device: Droid X Software: Torque not clearing, actually toggled to disable code/flag Only plugged it into a camaro and a Subaru. Nothing else yet. I am working from memory, but this was about 2 or so years ago.
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Jan 14, 2013 23:19
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B4Ctom1 posted:Today at 6pm PST this item goes on sale on the daily shellshocker deal for $24.95 Make sure you don't leave it in the OBD II port, it tends to drain the battery over the weekend. (4.5 year old battery, so gonna take it to get tested before I say everything is good) IOwnCalculus posted:Wait, you were actually able to disable certain codes with one of these, rather than just clearing? What software on what device?
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Jan 14, 2013 23:38
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Does anyone have experience using those BT OBD scanners with iOS? I was under the impression that to get any reasonable performance/functionality one had to use the wifi version because of iOS' miserable BT stack.
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Jan 15, 2013 00:05
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Raluek posted:Does anyone have experience using those BT OBD scanners with iOS? I was under the impression that to get any reasonable performance/functionality one had to use the wifi version because of iOS' miserable BT stack. Theres no bluetooth serial in iOS. There may be a jailbreak hack, but I don't know if there's software that supports it.
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Jan 15, 2013 00:44
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I read and cleared a code on my mothers car last week with Torque and a cheap bluetooth OBD scanner with no problems.
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Jan 15, 2013 00:54
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eddiewalker posted:Theres no bluetooth serial in iOS. There may be a jailbreak hack, but I don't know if there's software that supports it. That's what I'm finding. Looks like it's time to grab one of those seedy Chinese Android tablets for this sort of thing.
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Jan 15, 2013 00:59
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You people make me almost ashamed of disowning my local harbor freight. Its literally 2 min away from my house and I rarely go there anymore. This guy at my shop has got a huge box of Snap-on/Matco tools and after using his tools for several months, I threw my all my pits burg poo poo away. Now look at me, 1000 bucks in just on a set of wrenches and 2 socket drivers already but god drat it if 50 bucks a week ain't affordable for perfection. Using good tools is almost like cheating and I cant go back. These tool guys are gonna be the death of me. Preoptopus fucked around with this message at 02:59 on Jan 15, 2013 |
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Jan 15, 2013 02:57
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Preoptopus posted:This guy at my shop has got a huge box of Snap-on/Matco tools and after using his tools for several months, I threw my all my pits burg poo poo away. Now look at me, 1000 bucks in just on a set of wrenches and 2 socket drivers already but god drat it if 50 bucks a week ain't affordable for perfection. First of all, the $50 a week is what kills you as it grows/lasts forever. Watch out. I know too many mechanics that have gotten way too far into the Snap On guy. Second of all......I don't think anyone who's opinion is worth listening to is suggesting the HF poo poo is something you buy if you use it every day as a professional wrench turner. I don't wrench for a living anymore, so I find that some tools are worth buying quality and for others good enough is good enough. And for others, absolute HF poo poo is just fine. Take for example things like bearing and ball joint pullers. If I get 5 uses out of one it was totally worth the $30 and that means it's lasted me like 4 years or more. I can't justify spending $300 on a proper set. But if that's what you're doing as your primary business you drat well better have the good ones. The potential downtime from a failure or from it simply not working as well can easily cost you the $270 difference on a single job.
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Jan 15, 2013 03:13
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The balljoint set from HF is actually one of the things I really like. You can't just crank on it with an air impact, but that's Doing It Wrong anyways. The hammer trick means I can use one hand and no cheater pipe on my 7/8 box wrench to tighten my cheap-rear end harbor freight balljoint press down, then smack the side of the diff housing with a hand sledge a couple times where the balljoint goes into it and it pops loose. Repeat as necessary. I've pulled rusted-in balljoints out of a truck that had been in there for over 20 years and 250k miles with my HF balljoint press and a 4 pound BFH. No sweat, no power tools, took maybe 20 minutes a side.
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Jan 15, 2013 03:30
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And that my point. But it's still a piece of poo poo compared to a real ball joint kit. For that one, it's all about the materials. It's simply not going to last as long or stand up as well as a better quality kit. It's all about choosing the right tool for the usage profile. At this point, I have an astonishing amount of rarely used red plastic boxes full of very useful things that are rarely needed. I'd certainly not have 1/4 of those specialty tools if I wanted to be a tool snob and only buy the best.
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Jan 15, 2013 03:35
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Yea I only buy poo poo after I pay the last thing I bought off. For sure not trying to have like 20 grand of debt. I see it as an investment into the future. Wrenching is not something I intend to do for the rest of my life, but while im here might as well take advantage. Tools that will last a life time in my opinion are worth it especially when your just talking about basic sockets, wrenches, screw drivers etc... I can picture myself doing an oil change at home years down the road and smiling while using my super smooth fine toothed wrench to break open the drain plug like its butter. However I am super jealous of buddies stupid selection of reckless purchases including a full set of Matco oil filter cups and his Matco wheel weight hammer. On the other side of the spectrum is the old timer farmer who works with us and has a vintage craftsman set of like 10 things he uses to do 100 percent of his jobs with. Its ridiculousness. Oh and our Snap on dude is raw and throws socks in with every purchase! Snap-on socks dude! Preoptopus fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Jan 15, 2013 |
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Jan 15, 2013 03:45
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Preoptopus posted:Tools that will last a life time in my opinion are worth it especially when your just talking about basic sockets, wrenches, screw drivers etc... They absolutely are. I'm still using my grandfather's SK ratchets and most of the sockets (they are old enough to be serialized). As long as you don't go full retard and buy a $14,000 box on credit you should be just fine.
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Jan 15, 2013 03:56
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Sorry if it's already been discussed but can anyone recommend an entry level multimeter? I plan to use it mostly on basic automotive troubleshooting, and testing sensors. I'm seeing things like a Fluke 88 well recommended on the higher end of the spectrum, and Harbor Freight's on the lower end. Is there any recommendations for something around $50? I'd be willing to spend up to $100(new or used), if there is a valid reason for it. Are there certain features I should look for? Are there certain connectors that I should make sure of being included?
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Jan 15, 2013 06:22
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If you're just testing for 12V or not - the HF free meter seems to work well enough there.
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Jan 15, 2013 06:29
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Doesn't hurt to troll Ebay for used stuff either, a couple of years ago I picked up a Fluke 113 on there for like $60. It was a barely used store demo unit and I expect it to be the last multimeter I ever buy.
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Jan 15, 2013 09:08
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I would get a cheap auto ranging meter around $20 or less to start with. Spending more will get you better construction, power handling, and accuracy but for just checking the volts of a sensor or continuity of a wire almost any meter will do.
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Jan 15, 2013 09:10
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I have everything up to a full $10,000 Fluke 435 at work, but just use a $20 wal-mart special for myself at home. Even that's probably about $15 more than you need to spend for residential/light hobby work, and even cheap digital multimeters are surprisingly accurate. Make sure it does AC and DC volts and ohms and you're in pretty good shape. Nice features that you will pay for, but not necessarily break the bank on: Clamp ammeter (AC & DC) non-contact voltage sensor infrared thermometer grover fucked around with this message at 11:36 on Jan 15, 2013 |
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Jan 15, 2013 11:31
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For cheap multimeters I prefer Ideal. They have a lot of the features of higher-end stuff from Fluke, at only slightly more than HF prices.
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Jan 15, 2013 12:39
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Extech is pretty decent. True rms is key too. I prefer a separate infrared thermometer.
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Jan 15, 2013 14:33
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I was at Sears last night and noticed they have a few new "all in one" tools... Are these things poo poo or good enough to keep one my trunk in case of emergency?
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Jan 15, 2013 16:30
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I use this multimeter: http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.html I really like it. It's the nicest one I've ever used.
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Jan 15, 2013 17:54
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revmoo posted:I use this multimeter: http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.html I've got the same one, I like it as well. The idiot lights that tell you where to put the test leads are a nice touch. Plus, I used a coupon to get one of the free HF meters with it when I got it. :xzibit:
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Jan 15, 2013 19:22
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Black88GTA posted:I've got the same one, I like it as well. The idiot lights that tell you where to put the test leads are a nice touch. Yeah the light-up connectors are nice. Also cool that it has sound temp and light sensors, though probably not very accurate. This is my first time with a non-analog autoranging multimeter and I was afraid I'd hate it but I actually like using it. Probably my favorite feature is the light-up display. The build quality is pretty cheap but functional, typical HF gear. Pretty sure it was $39.99 when I bought it and I used a 20% coupon.
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Jan 15, 2013 23:09
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I bought one of those a few months ago and am curious: can I use the any generic leads with it?
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Jan 16, 2013 00:11
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