Cheaper the better

Harbor Freight, buddy. They're not the *worst* tools in the world, and if you find something to be particularly useful, you can buy a more expensive and robust version and just keep the old one as a spare. Don't go overboard and spend too much money if you're not sure what exactly will be needed.

 

Common sizes 10, 12, 14, & 19 mm.

 

You will also need a hex bit (10mm) I believe for transmission drain plug. And a 17mm wrench for the differential if yours is separate

10 & 12mm bolts are very common

 

Socket extensions

http://www.harborfreight.com/9-pc-wobble-socket-extension-set-67971.html

 

Get a good flashlight. A basic LED Maglite is very handy - keep one in the glove box.

Basic socket/ratchet set along with dogbone wrenches in the sizes that 97 Trophy indicated. Also a spark plug socket. Be sure to get a few extensions. Otherwise, a standard and stubby (short) philips screwdriver. Battery post terminal cleaning tool.

Cap wrench to remove the oil filter. Keep it with the 14mm wrench to loosen/tighten the drain plug.

I rotate my tires at home, this is what I recommend.

Telescoping lug wrench - more leverage for loosening
Torque wrench - for tightening.
Floor jack - much faster and easier to use than the jack in the trunk.
Jack stands - much safer to support vehicle.

Basic pen style mechanical tire pressure gauge
Air pump (I use a foot pump)

To better prepare yourself in case of flat tires and other roadside emergencies, get yourself a yellow reflective safety vest, heavy duty gloves, safety flares. Put them in large zip lock bags and stuff them in the spare tire compartment. This is also a good place to stow jumper cables.

I have used Craftsman tools (dogbones, wrenches, sockets and ratchet) from Sears and they work just fine. Sears sells a professional series Craftsman tool that costs a little more - these are a little nicer, gives you a little more leverage (dogbones) and slightly slimmer at the ends that can help in tight clearance locations.

Of course, snap-on tools are really nice, but cost more.

If don't already have one, get one of these.

 

In addition to the previously mentioned items... I'd have a set of spark plug sockets and an o2 sensor socket. Also some mafmaf cleaner, throttle body cleaner, lithium grease, roll of shop towels, gloves, funnel, obd2 Bluetooth module, and pliers.

Also get a penetration oil for the rusty bolts... Like pb blaster or wd40

 

I reckon a basic socket set is a good starting point,
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-t...s/hand-tool-sets/64-pc-14-in-38-in-12-in-drive-sae-metric-socket-set-67995.html
This is a good one, metric and SAE sockets, all 6 point, and 9-19mm.
And then a basic metric wrench set and screwdriver set.
A pen light and a telescoping magnet really come in handy.

Oh and you could probably take most of my cars apart with 10, 12, 14, 17 and 19mm wrenches. 10 and 12 being the most common.

 

You'll want 8-21mm in sockets and wrenches. HF sockets aren't bad, Gearwrench is a lot better and the next step up. HF wrenches leave a lot to be desired.

I have some Kobalt and Bostitch wrenches, and I really like the Bostitch set. Long panel and a great fit, I got them from Walmart.

I'd get a long breaker bar and the deep metric impact socket set from HF as well. Their composite ratchets are great for the money.

You'll want a ball peen hammer and a pry bar set as well. HF has a 4 piece pry bar set that is pretty nice.

 

I have to agree with MrGiggles although I own a set of harbor freight wrenches and they haven't broke yet. They're certainly not the best. Mine are made in India and if I had known that before ordered them, then I wouldn't have gotten them. I have Craftsman and Gear Wrench sets, so these were just a cheap set to kick around. The 25 inch breaker bar and impact sockets sure will come in handy for changing tires or doing any suspension work.

This $30 socket set by Stanley will fit almost all of your needs http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-STMT71650-60-Piece-Socket-Set-1-4-In.-And-3-8-In.-Drives/21950037

I have the Husky version (made by Stanley and stamped Husky for Home Depot) which is identical except it comes in a much smaller case. Home Depot stopped carrying the set, but Walmart still carries the Stanley version in it's bigger case. It's my go to set even though I have three sets of better/larger Craftsman (one for each car and a huge one to keep at home). The vast majority of my automotive work has been done with that 60 piece set.

Although not needed, a set of ratcheting wrenches can sometimes make life easier. You can get a 8 piece set of reversible Gear Wrench ones at Advance Auto parts for $30 right now. They put them on that sale price every few months. http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...OR+9010498+OR+9010499+OR+25984315+OR+9010500+OR+9010501&showTitle=no#fragment-3

 

This $30 socket set by Stanley will fit almost all of your needs http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-STMT71650-60-Piece-Socket-Set-1-4-In.-And-3-8-In.-Drives/21950037

Yup, this + pliers+screwdriver set + metric wrench + jack stands + a jack is all you need to do most of the work on these cars.

You can easily have 95% of the tools you'll need for around $100 if you shop Harbor Freight deals.

Harbor freight is great for the occasional DIY'er. Craftsman is my personal preference, but many people are happy with Husky/Kobalt tools.

 

Walmart Jack Stands and Floor Jack??

Does anyone have any personal experience with either of these products?

At $25.00 bucks each, instore, the pricing seems a little too good to be true.

I can't remember the brand names on them...

DJ

 

Does anyone have any personal experience with either of these products?

At $25.00 bucks each, instore, the pricing seems a little too good to be true.

I can't remember the brand names on them...

DJ

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Torin-Black-Jack/34202690

The ratcheting jack stands are handy. The first set I got had only three positions and a pin you had to insert.

What is your setup like?

If you work in the driveway or the parking lot and have to store the jack inside the house or the storage shed, the small WM jack is fine.

If you can store the jack in the garage and work on the car near the garage - I would get one of these on sale: http://www.harborfreight.com/rapid-pump-15-ton-compact-aluminum-racing-jack-68053-7814.html - but it is bulky if you have to lift rather than rolling it.

 

Official Toyota Repair Manuals?

And,

Any opinions about the authorized Toyota Repair Manuals, Volumes one and two?

The ones with the black and green covers.....Toyota printed, "official" repair manual, etc.


I have the Haynes and Chilton repair guides. Oddly, they share the exact same photos, etc, as if they are printed by the same publisher, and re titled, somehow....

I bought both of them, thinking that maybe if one was missing something, the other might have it, info and picture wise.

I discovered they seem to be virtually identical, almost direct copies...kinda weird...

DJ

 

Any opinions about the authorized Toyota Repair Manuals, Volumes one and two?

Not needed, with this forum, youtube and Google manuals are IMO not needed.

 

Very important

 

I have the Torin 3 Ton jack stands from Walmart. I bought them online and had them shipped free to the store. The product itself is great, but if they are out-of-stock and you have to buy them online, be prepared to wait a LONG time for them to arrive. I recommend going to local Harbor Freight and getting the same thing for about the same price.

For factory service manuals, I recommend going to Toyota TIS and paying for the $15 2-day access. Once in, you can download each page individually and then assemble a combined PDF afterwards (takes about a day). As long as you're willing to invest the time to put it together, I find the FSMs much more useful than the Hayne's Manual.

 

I've been using these from Oriely's for a few years http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/ACD9/34117.oap?keyword=jack+stands
They were small, so I didn't have the lift the car as high and they also have small "feet" to help spread out the pressure. They're good for cars, but I wouldn't use them on large vehicles. Currently $25

I also got the matching jack which is currenty $35. Oreilly's will put two stands and the jack on sale together every few months for about $40. That's how I got mine. It worked great until a few months ago when it started going down slowly, but I still got about five years of regular use out of it. My father-in-law borrowed it several times and left it as the only thing supporting his truck for several hours, so that might have helped it go bad. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...N0768.oap?ck=Search_hydraulic+floor+jacks_-1_1439&keyword=hydraulic+floor+jacks

I saw the same setup at Home Depot about three weeks ago with the Husky name, but it looked like the same tools with a different paint job.

 

I made this list for a guy in the Matrix forum when he asked about some services he was recommended:

At most you will need:

1. Cheap socket and ratchet set -
2. Waste fluid container or two
3; Cheap pliers set (w/hose removal pliers)
4. Cheap screwdriver set
5. Extensions
6. Minor small pieces of supplies here and there

All of that above should cost you around $150 if you were to go to somewhere like Harbor Freight:

http://www.harborfreight.com/storelocator/location/map

Socket set w/extensions, ratchet, and adapters - $39.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/35-piece-high-visibility-38-drive-saemetric-socket-set-67927.html

3/8 Inch Drive Deep Socket - $10.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-pc-38-in-drive-metric-high-visibility-deep-wall-socket-61300.html

1/4 Inch Drive Socket set - $18.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/21-pc-14-in-drive-sae-metric-high-visibility-socket-set-62303.html

Metric Wrench Set - $24.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/11-pie...m/11-piece-metric-highly-polished-long-handle-combination-wrench-set-47067.html

Hose pliers for transmission and power steering hoses - $14.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-long-reach-hose-grip-pliers-37909.html

Pliers for clamps and stuff - $9.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-pliers-set-69355.html

Screwdrivers - $4.99 or $12.99 depending on how many you need:
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece-cushion-grip-screwdriver-set-68868.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/22-piece-screwdriver-set-95114.html

Drain pan - $9.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/waste-oil-storage-container-97608.html

This would cover you for most eveything you can do on the car with the exception of heavy work that requires an air compressor or precision work.

 

The thing I would change in this is to drop those socket sets and replace them with the 64 piece set. The ratchets aren't as good, but you get many more sockets that are all 6 point. You will need to buy metric deep sockets separately though.

You can get metric shallow and deep sockets from Gearwrench that aren't all that much more expensive (50.00 for both). If you go this route, get the ratchets separately from HF.

HF has pretty reasonably priced jacks as well, but I got an AC Delco combo (2 stands and floor jack) for around 40 bucks from Oreilly's a few years ago.

 

Stanley 66-Piece Mechanic's Tool Set on sale at Walmart.com for $15
http://www.walmart.com/ip/39073436?...ip/39073436?athcpid=39073436&athpgid=athenaHomepage&athznid=ItemCarouselCurated

That set is decent and will give anyone a good start. The extension isn't long enough to change the spark plugs or loosen the power steering belt, but I'd get the harbor freight extension set linked by maestro123 earlier anyway. I have them and have found them useful.

 

Haynes bought Chilton (or vise-versa) a few years ago so that is why the manuals are the same.

Agree with most of what has been mentioned - a few things to add:

Vise-grips are indispensible - at least one pair of 7-inch straight and needle-nose pliers.

Lots of the specialty tools can be rented.

A hose clamp tool is great for changing OEM hoses - Oddly harbor freight doesn't seem to have one. I got one from advance - like this: [ame]http://www.amazon.com/ABN-Flexible-Clamp-Pliers-Water/dp/B00F3DP2KC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1437307774&sr=8-3&keywords=hose+clamp+pliers+cable[/ame]

I started with a basic Sears ratchet/socket set, and still have most of it.

My wife got me this case - http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-carrying-case-with-storage-area/p-00933876000P - and I gradually filled it up. For a Toyota, you only need the metric side of it. The nice thing with the case as opposed to other cases or the socket rails are the sockets are easy to remove and put back and you know where they go so you can see if you forgot to put anything back.

Most of the sockets (besides the initial craftsman set) are either Harbor Freight or Powertools from E-bay. They are fine for occasional usage.

Another good thing about the case is you can use whatever ratchets you want and aren't locked into a specific one.

Mostly those are Harbor Frieght also, but the better line - if you use them a lot, feel and convenience are important - I use these: http://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-drive-quick-release-ratchet-62287-11051.html - comfortable grip, easy to see whether it is in the ON or OFF position by inspection. I don't like some of the cheap ratchets in the other kits mentioned previously - although the Stanley didn't look bad.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/100-pc-security-bit-set-with-case-68457-8616.html - you will use these more than you will expect - also - get some of the $2 safety glasses and the $6 Nitrile gloves.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-Tough-106-Piece-Rotary-Tool-Kit/39590574 - The fake Dremel tool will get more usage than expected also - and a power drill if you don't have one.

 

Vise-grips are indispensible - at least one pair of 7-inch straight and needle-nose pliers.

A pair of needle-nose was what finally got the messed up engine mount bolt on my brother's 96 camry. They come in handy for other things all the time.

I might go two or three years between using my dremel, but sometimes that little bugger saves me a lot of time around the house. There is no telling how many 16d nails I cut with it in some very tight spaces just last week. I went through cut off wheels like candy.

 

I don't think I've seen a digital multimeter mentioned. They're great for finding shorts, checking fuses and relays, and seeing if electronic parts are still in spec. I've been using the cheap ones from Harbor Freight ever since my Fluke got stolen. There's a coupon in one of this month's flyers (they print several) to get one for free. They only cost a few bucks and that's all they're worth. They work well enough but don't stand up to any abuse. I've had two break so far, but I got them both for free and I still have a few around. Do a google search for coupons and you can probably get one for 3 bucks.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.html

 

I don't think I've seen a digital multimeter mentioned. They're great for finding shorts, checking fuses and relays, and seeing if electronic parts are still in spec. I've been using the cheap ones from Harbor Freight ever since my Fluke got stolen. There's a coupon in one of this month's flyers (they print several) to get one for free. They only cost a few bucks and that's all they're worth. They work well enough but don't stand up to any abuse. I've had two break so far, but I got them both for free and I still have a few around. Do a google search for coupons and you can probably get one for 3 bucks.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.html

I have 2 of these from using free Harbor Freight gift coupons. The quality isn't very good. The current one that I've been using for only about 3 months already has a wonky display, but luckily I can still make out the numbers. Since the ones I got were free I can't complain too much, but I wouldn't shell out any real money for these.

 

Good point - I use the harbor freight multi-meters and I've also had one break with very light usage. But for $5, I can buy 3 of them for what a normal cheap meter would cost.

 

You have to keep in mind the usage here though ...

Yes, Harbor Freight isn't going to be as good as Fluke or Craftsman or Snap-On ...

That said ...

I use the DMM occasionally to check if a circuit has power or find out where it broke down. Many of my wrenches I have NEVER used but I have them in case I ever need one.

If I were turning wrenches for a living, I would likely be using tool truck wrenches (Snap-on, Matco, etc.) - not so much b/c they are better (although they probably are), but b/c it saves me the time and money of having to drive back to the store to get them replaced.