What to Carry in Your Car Toolbox If you plan to do your own car maintenance and
repairs, you need a toolbox to keep tools clean, in good shape, and all in one
place. Look for a lightweight, plastic toolbox that fits easily into the trunk
of your vehicle and fill it with these tools: Screwdrivers: The difference
between a standard screwdriver and a Phillips screwdriver is the shape of the
head, as shown here. Offset screwdrivers are handy because they make it easy to
get to screws that have little clearance over the head. Offset screwdrivers come
in both standard and Phillips styles and some have one of each type of head at
either end. Screwholders: Instead of holding a screw in place with the fingers
of one hand while wielding the screwdriver with your other hand, you fit the
screw into the screwholder and use it to insert and tighten the screw. Wrenches:
Wrenches are probably the most basic tools for auto repair. Most wrenches are
available in both standard also known as SAE (Society of Automotive
Engineers) and metric measurements launch
crp123. Today, most American vehicles have a mix of SAE and metric nuts and
bolts. Foreign vehicles or foreign components used on American vehicles (a
practice that's becoming quite common) use metric nuts and bolts even the
inch-based British. Socket wrenches: Socket wrenches come in sets for a wide
variety of prices, depending on quality and how many wrenches are in the set.
You need at least one ratchet handle; most sets have two or three handles with
at least one adapter. Socket extenders are indispensable items to help you reach
those almost-unreachable nuts and bolts. Combination wrenches: Combination
wrenches have one open end and one boxed end. These wrenches come in sets of
several sizes, and each wrench is made to fit a nut of a specific size,
whichever end you use. Torque wrenches: These wrenches are designed to tighten a
nut, bolt, or screw to an exact degree to avoid under-tightening or
over-tightening. Adjustable wrenches: You probably already have a crescent
wrench in the house, and you can adjust the jaws to fit a variety of nuts and
bolts simply by turning the wheel. Pliers: If you have to buy pliers, the very
best kind to get are combination slip-joint pliers. You can adjust this
general-purpose tool to several widths with a sliding pin. Gauges: Several tools
are available to help you determine when enough oil, fluid, air, pressure, or
whatever is enough. The gauges here are the most useful: Tire pressure gauges:
If you never check anything else on your vehicle, make a habit of regularly
checking the tire pressure; it's critical both for safety and good fuel economy.
Wire and taper feeler gauges: You use wire and taper feeler gauges for gapping spark plugs. Compression gauges: You use compression gauges to check
the pressure that builds up in each cylinder as your engine runs launch
crp129. In addition to these basics, you might want a work light.
Fluorescent work lights can draw power from the car's battery or cigarette
lighter or plug into a wall socket. They also come with changeable batteries,
like flashlights. And if your car didn't come with a jack, you'll want to be
sure you get one of those, and jack stands too.
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