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Crossposting from the stupid questions thread because I somehow missed this thread, despite looking for it and it being on the front page. Does anyone have recommendations for cheap ftlb torque wrenches? I was in at sears, but they didn't have anything cheap that would go to 20 or less, and a big part of why I want one is spark plugs.
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Jun 10, 2011 05:29
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I think the local harbor freight closed, actually. I went looking last night, and found a for lease sign in the window. Maybe they just moved. The sears didn't have anything less than $100 for 3/8 and <25 pounds max. I guess if there isn't a harbor freight, I should start looking on the internet. The beam ones are the ones with the actual needle, right? I took a basic auto shop class a while back, and they most they covered those was "These are the old ones, you might see them around once in a while, but you will probably never have to use them."
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Jun 11, 2011 02:00
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edit: My first double-post on SA. How special.
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Jun 11, 2011 02:15
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Are the Pittsburgh torque wrenches they have at Harbor Freight good enough to use? They are clickers, rather than beam ones, at pretty much the same price as the Sears beam one linked up-page, so I'm a bit worried.
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Jun 12, 2011 01:13
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Lowclock posted:I've put a transmission and the bottom end of a motor together with cheapo harbor freight clickers. Neither had any problems from it. Some goon even tested them and made spreadsheets and poo poo and showed they were fine. edit: Thanks to this thread, by the way. Went down and picked one up. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 01:56 on Jun 13, 2011 |
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Jun 12, 2011 22:28
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Are the harbor freight breaker bars okay? I know they replace their hand tools if they break, so I would think so. Is one with the adjustable angle head worth the extra money?
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Jan 27, 2018 01:45
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Great, the 1/2” drive 25” rotating head bar was the exact one I was looking at.
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Jan 27, 2018 18:57
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Are the Harbor Freight jack stands any good? On one hand, a giant hunk of metal shouldn't be difficult to do well, on the other hand I really don't want it to give out while I'm under the car.
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Aug 27, 2018 21:15
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Related question, do they mean weight for each or the pair? Total weight of the car or for half of it since you're only going to be lifting half the car with two stands? I'm currently using two 6 ton jack stands, but they're holding up the front end of a car I'm fixing soon™ E: For the record, I'm always in favor of using ridiculously high ratings on jack stands because I hate being under a car, it scares the poo poo out of me. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 21:31 on Aug 27, 2018 |
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Aug 27, 2018 21:28
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If I was having a house custom-built I would no joke have them do a Jiffy-Lube style basement in the garage just so I would never have to lift the car unless I was doing tires/brakes/axles/whatever. I get that lifts are safe, but working with a hydraulic lift was terrifying too just because I was afraid the auto shop teacher would miss something when they came to check it out. I got a pair of the Harbor Freight 3-ton jacks so I can do my Camry's oil (I miss having a car that I didn't have to jack to do the oil), if I never post again I got crushed by Japanese steel due to Chinese craftsmanship.
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Aug 28, 2018 03:29
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Is there a cheap good solder remover? Not sure if they’re called solder suckers or what. I have a HF iron that meets my needs, but not sure if they have anything for the other way around.
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Sep 16, 2018 20:48
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Question, what are the go-to brands for jack stands now? I don't really trust Harbor Freight's third attempt at them after their initial replacements immediately had failing welds. Second, I know people love the HF racing jacks, any feedback on these? https://harborfreight.com/3-ton-long-reach-low-profile-professional-rapid-pump-floor-jack-blue-56641.html I like the height and the length, seems like it would be very easy to reach the crossmember/subframe to jack up the car compared to the more compact jack I currently have that is getting long in the tooth. Finally, are there any baseplates or anything like that to make it safe to use a jack and stands on dirt? I've found the farm jack baseplates but they seem to be for one specific type of jack. I was looking at installing a driveway but I can't afford to pay someone else to do it and I really don't feel like wrangling 2.5 tons of concrete pavers and ??? pounds of gravel if there's another way. I've got coveralls, I don't mind lying in the dirt, I just need a hard stable surface for the jack and stands. E: Wait, would just a thick slab of plywood do for the last part? I'm not sure why I didn't think of that. Might want some rubber feet for my jack stands so they don't dig in on the wood I guess? 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 19:03 on Apr 16, 2021 |
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Apr 16, 2021 18:54
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Thanks, I'll keep an eye on them. I had used a spare piece of lumber for chafing (or whatever you call it when you put something on top of a jack to get extra height) and it got chewed up pretty bad but in hindsight it was going on a fairly small surface while being supported by the raised edges of the jack. E: My ground clearance on my lowest car is about 5", so hopefully I could get it under there. It says the minimum height is under 4".
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Apr 16, 2021 19:17
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Okay. The lighter weight of the racing jacks is pretty appealing, the idea of lugging 100 pounds of jack to the car doesn't sound fun. In everyone's experience, does the difference between getting the car 24" off the ground and 19" off the ground make a big difference? I'm not sure how high my current one goes, but I'd guess it's only 17". I'll probably shell out for the escos, that's expensive but they're effectively 6 ton jacks by how others are measured and they've got nice big feet and a good height. Those only go to 21" but I'm also considering using a concrete paver instead of plywood for the jack stands, which would add another couple inches.
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Apr 16, 2021 20:06
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$100 each at minimum is a little out of my price range.
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Apr 17, 2021 00:53
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Advent Horizon posted:Sort of like how HF keeps trying to move their power tools upmarket? I literally bought a DeWalt cordless impact (on sale) last week with two 2ah batteries and a 5ah battery for like $10 more than one of HF's comparable impacts without any batteries. Picked up a racing jack and some sockets and HF but I'm definitely not seeing the benefit for a lot of stuff anymore.
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Apr 20, 2021 20:23
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Lowclock posted:I must be a huge liar when I say I don't have or expect them to install crash bushings, and the only thing adjustable on the entire suspension is the front tie rods. What kind of BMW is that? Even on my cheap-rear end '90s Subaru it has adjustable rear toe and adjustable front and rear camber. Has anyone tried the new HF 90 degree air impact? Seems like it could be pretty handy for aforementioned Subaru at about 2/3 the price of one of the Milwaukee cordless ones. https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-composite-xtreme-torque-right-angle-air-impact-wrench-57537.html
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Jun 11, 2021 19:29
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Yeah, the Milwaukee is what my friend is planning on getting but holy gently caress the price. I think he said it was going to be like $250 with a battery but I forget. All the same, it would probably end up being my most-used tool. I got a compact DeWalt impact with three batteries for $100 from Lowes when they were having their sale and it was a huge help on my front calipers, not sure how it will do on the back but I think it should be small enough. Biggest issue was that the DeWalt didn't have the torque to break some of the old filthy bolts loose so I had to use one of those HF extending ratchets, the Milkwaukees have considerably more torque. I don't mind, though it's small and handy I don't have to worry about massively over-torquing stuff. Lug nuts especially, I just zap it until it starts chugging then stop and apply like half a turn with the torque wrench and it's good at the high end of in-spec. I'm thinking about getting a second and just keeping one in each car to speed up roadside repairs if I need to change a tire in the winter or something, the batteries last quite a while too. I'm really trying to be responsible and make it at least a few years before my tools are worth more than my cars, but using power tools after a decade of nothing but ratchets is just a massive difference. The corded HF impact I have is fantastic too, if bulky. I can wrench hard enough on a breaker bar to snap an impact socket but my shoulders thank me for using an impact the next day.
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Jun 12, 2021 02:43
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So, I'm not an expert, if anyone else says I'm wrong they are probably right, here's my point of view on it. Per torque specs you should be able to put just about anything on a vehicle back on with any of those. The problem is a lot of shops massively over-torque stuff and road grime is better than loctite, I've got an impact right in the middle of the Ryobi and Milwaukee and I have to use a long ratchet fairly often. I'm okay with that, I've got a giant bolt-snapper if I need maximum torque, but if you're looking for a tool that can do just about anything, I'd say get the mid-torque.
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Jun 12, 2021 21:00
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As someone who loses stuff constantly that's not a bug, it's a feature.
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Jun 12, 2021 23:37
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Oh nice, it has a sounding option too.
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Jun 13, 2021 09:19
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Anyone have a recommendation for an adapter to turn a floor jack into a transmission jack? Or are those things no good? It feels like it should be doable and cost a lot less to ship than a full jack (nearest Harbor Freight is hours away), but I've never looked into it.
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Aug 16, 2021 19:16
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I was looking at this thing, it seemed pretty similar in size to a floor jack but maybe I'm wrong, I haven't seen one in person. I thought maybe there's a way to replace the little round support of a floor jack with a plate like that one has. https://www.harborfreight.com/800-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-60234.html
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Aug 16, 2021 19:31
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Does anyone have a recommended toolset for doing an alignment? I feel like it shouldn't be too horribly complicated, a digital level should do for camber, caster I can't do anything about either way but should be measurable from the strut body itself (this is probably wrong), and I'm not sure what to do about toe but it seems like it should be simple enough. I know the string thing for making sure both wheels on a side are in alignment but I'm not sure about making sure the right and left are in alignment. I'm not worried about race-quality perfection, just being able to get it within spec per the FSM. Since I've moved to a small town taking the car to the shop to get stuff fixed has become more of a pain because it requires scheduling out weeks in advance and getting a ride since there's not really such a thing as uber/lyft/traditional taxis, so I'd rather just do it myself if I can.
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Nov 4, 2021 05:01
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So basically all I would need is a digital level, a nice long piece of paracord, something to attach it to, and maybe something to put under the tires so you can fine-tune the toe more easily without jacking up the car? I am in a situation where whatever I get has to fit in a tiny shed area and be hauled out into the driveway and back so size is a factor. Especially since I frequently end up taking my cars over to a friend's garage because it's a garage rather than a driveway and it snows a lot here.
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Nov 4, 2021 22:50
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IIRC Torque Test tested it out and it was miles ahead of the Milwaukee, which was disappointingly weak given how nice the fuel tools usually are. I'm probably going to go with the Astro 90 degree air impact when I end up shelling out for one because it's something like $120-150 and I already have a compressor and hose.
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Nov 10, 2021 04:37
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Are impact rated sockets that are colorful and color-coded a thing? I've got a set of HF hand sockets that are color-coded which are great because I can grab the one I need without guessing which one is the 12mm vs 14mm or 17mm vs 19mm. I should probably 3d print a socket holder but my standard tool bag has 10, 12, 14, 17, and 19mm combination wrenches, the 12, 14, 17, and 19 hand wrench sockets, and then a set of 12, 14, 17, and 19 impact sockets in both 3/8 and 1/2" drive, since those are the only sizes Subaru uses off the top of my head aside from the axle nuts. But that means that there's four sockets that could easily be the 17/19mm 3/8 or 1/2" drive sockets and since they're all the exact same color it's a lot of guessing. Visual distinction would really save me a lot of time.
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Jan 11, 2022 00:57
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Yerok posted:I recently got the M12 stubby 3/8" impact and the right angle die grinder and holy poo poo do those things rule. My buddy has either the 3/8 or 1/2 stubby impact, I forget which, and I can confirm that thing does rule. I've got a DeWalt 12v compact impact that I got with three batteries for $100 on a sale at Lowes and the M12 is without a doubt better, just not better enough for me to buy into another ecosystem, I'd rather save up to get higher power options. I already got the Kobalt right angle impact which, while huge in length, is amazing for tight quarters and will bust off mechanic-installed (read: overtorqued) mag-chloride gummed up lug nuts without a hitch. I still might buy into the M18 ecosystem eventually, though. They're not always the best but I've almost never seen them be bad when Project Farm or whoever tests them.
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Feb 5, 2022 21:16
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Does anyone have a recommendation for a brake bleeding tool? I've used the empty soda bottle with a little fluid put in the bottom and a hose into it before but I'm trying to get in the habit of replacing my fluid every year or two since it's hygroscopic and I don't live with anyone else so if I can get a decent tool for like  or something that might be worth getting rid of the hassle.
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Apr 20, 2022 20:24
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ryanrs posted:Speed bleeders work great. They were all I needed for the Sienna torque vectoring brakes project. I had been wondering about an external tool because I have three cars to keep up on, but it looks like it's the front or rear set for $17, not one bleeder for $17 like I thought, so that's not terrible.
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Apr 20, 2022 21:11
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I've got a curbfind convection microwave around here that I'm probably not going to use since I'm about to move into a place with a non-kaput microwave. I should see if it has a convection-only setting that would let me use it as a shop oven. Thanks for the idea, goons.
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Apr 23, 2022 01:38
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Okay but if your new guy doesn't reel up the hose does it get tangled the instant it's no longer being observed?
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May 1, 2022 21:15
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I can't speak to Makita's 12v impact driver but I can say that Milwaukee's M12 Fuel impact driver is fantastic and that if I hadn't already bought in to the DeWalt 12v infrastructure by the time I found them I might have gone with Milwaukee.
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Jun 6, 2022 16:35
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BigPaddy posted:Ceilings in my garage are about 12ft. They could have built them higher to match the main living spaces roof line but it is high enough. Should hear back today about them coming out to check the space and book an install date. Just need to pull everything out of the garage which will be fun. I've got a friend that wants nearly 20 foot ceilings so he can have his van or Land Cruiser 80 series up over a 6'6" person's head. I've told him that's dumb but he won't listen so he'll probably end up having to build a massive shop when he buys land which actually might be his ulterior motive there.
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Jun 16, 2022 19:03
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I've lost a massive amount of bolts over the 8 months my SVX has been apart. I'm thinking about getting something like a metal detector except instead of detecting metal it's just a magnet to pull up the bolts. Is that a thing? I feel like it probably is, although OTOH some of the bolts might have sunk into the dirt. I've been working on it in a dirt yard that's now covered in dandelions so it's hard to find anything. If it is a thing, are there any caveats to how it works? Are 10.9 or stainless bolts not going to be magnetic enough to get much pull? Are there some with garbage strength magnets?
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Aug 12, 2022 18:19
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Wow that's way better than I was expecting. I don't have a harbor freight near me but the local hardware store apparently has one for only like $6 more than it would be shipped without taking a week.
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Aug 12, 2022 18:49
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nitsuga posted:I’ll plug https://boltdepot.com once again too. They’ve even got JIS bolts. I might get an assortment from them if they have them, but I'm hoping to find at least the two long power steering / alternator bracket bolts. The alternator bracket bolt is still available from the dealer but the power steering one isn't, so I'd have to find like a 120mm m6 bolt at boltdepot and wait. At least I'm at the point where I can probably crank it over and drive it around the block just without power steering or a radiator, it should take less than a minute so the block won't overheat. I got a 17" magnet sweeper so I should hopefully find a bunch of bolts and then I'll be able to use it to clean up the garage too, since that has washers and bolts and metal shavings all over the place.
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Aug 12, 2022 20:49
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Suburban Dad posted:Bolt management is so important when taking poo poo apart and I never give it the time it requires. A piece of cardboard that you can push them through approximately where they go with sharpie notes or bagged and tagged is a lifesaver. I usually just try to thread them back in a few threads when I remove stuff and that usually gets me 90% there. Maybe I'll learn. Next time. I thought I had put them in boxes but now I can't find the boxes and also I pushed the car into a better position once the snow was gone so some that I had in the engine bay fell out.
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Aug 12, 2022 21:03
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Anyone see any Labor Day sales items worth looking at? I'm going to pick up a couple DeWalt batteries to go with a DCF891 (sadly not on sale) and a Harbor Freight 12k pound winch, they've got a 25% off a single item coupon if you have Inside Track membership and as far as I can tell it doesn't exclude winches/Badlands products.
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Sep 3, 2022 17:14
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