Required tools for working on a Rover?

[rover12]

What are the required tools for doing basic repairs and maintenance on an 89 classic? I've got a good selection of standard wrenches and sockets, but need more metric stuff. Does everyone prefer 3/8 drive or 1/2 drive sockets?

 

[john]

You need both 1/2" and 3/8" ratchets and sockets. You can't standardize just one drive size, as desirable as this would be.

 

[Leslie]

When it comes to tools, listen to John. He knows of what he speaks. 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" drive sockets all have their place and use. Nothing makes a job go better than having the right tool for it (other than knowing what to do! lol.....)



FWIW.....




-L

 

[john]

Man, how did I become the tool guru or something? I don't know that much about tools. Certainly, I LIKE tools. But when I have a tool question, I call 1-800-ASK-KYLE.

 

[Leslie]

Man, you earned it, fair and square. Just look at your Snap-On collection....

It's your "LIKE" of tools that led you to begin your collection, through which, you learned about 'em. Simple, eh? lol....

Recently, I've learned a lot better about some likes and dislikes of tools. More and more, I'm beginning to despise cheaper tools. I've not moved on up to Snap-On yet, but I can appreaciate a better socket over a lesser one. Same with box-end, open end wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. Especially in the basics. Ususally, you get what you pay for.


FWIW...

-L

 

[nosivad_bor]

this set will get just about everything done
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=00946567000&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL

few filler tools. the ratchets are essentially shit but will it get done for a while


i'd also say you should get both metric ans standard ratchert wrench things



http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=00942406000&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL

 

[john]

If you're into the Craftsman thing, I'm kinda digging their thin-profile ratchets:

The anvil on my old 1/2" Craftsman breaker bar sheared off so I took it back to Sears for a warranty. The local Sears offered a warranty no problem, but I didn't want another POS Craftsman breaker bar, so I asked if I could get something else instead. They said no problem, so I looked around for something I might like but didn't find anything. So I got the 3/8" thin-profile ratchet for my brother.

When I got back to the shop, I disassembled the ratchet to grease it, and I was shocked to find that this ratchet is sealed (or at least partially sealed). There are o-rings around the release button and the anvil. The selector is not sealed like Snap-on ratchets so the head is not completely sealed like a Snap-on ratchet, but a sealed anvil is still way ahead of no seal at all. This ratchet also has six-degree reset. When lubricatd with Militec grease, this ratchet is very smooth. With a sealed anvil, six-degree reset, full polished finish, and pretty smooth selector operation, this ratchet is fucking Uptown for a Craftsman.

Personally, I would rather pay the extra $40 or $50 for a Snap-on ratchet and have the option of a flexing head or soft-grip handle, but for the man on a budget, I think this ratchet is pretty nice.

 

[marc olivares]

.....When I got back to the shop, I disassembled the ratchet to grease it, and I was shocked to find that this ratchet is sealed (or at least partially sealed). There are o-rings around the release button and the anvil. The selector is not sealed like Snap-on ratchets so the head is not completely sealed like a Snap-on ratchet, but a sealed anvil is still way ahead of no seal at all. This ratchet also has six-degree reset. When lubricatd with Militec grease, this ratchet is very smooth. With a sealed anvil, six-degree reset, full polished finish, and pretty smooth selector operation....

John, this is what makes you the tool geek ( i mean guru) that we all have come to trully appreciate


it's the attention to detail, every little detail.

rock on my tool worshipping brother!

 

[rover12]

Is that Craftsman thin profile raatchet rebuidable? I was in Sears the other day, but they didn't seem to have any rebuild kits.

 

[JeffreyDV]

What do you need a rebuild kit for? Just exchange it for a new one. That is the great part about Craftsman tools.

If I were you I would buy a 100 piece tool set from Sears. They usually have everything that you should need for everyday maintenance on your RRC.

Jeff

 

[10spline]

1 1/8 open combo-wrench for the oil sump plug
1/4" nut driver will make life easy when fooling with hose clamps
14mm 12 point wrench will be good for yankin' your swivel balls (if you get a gear wrench you will be the envy of your friends)
and i guess a 14mm 12 point socket for removing your hub from your rotor (or is it the other way around?)
hub nut sockets are always a good thing to have 2 1/16 i think
18" breaker bar
I have a set of 3/8 swivel sockets that i thought would rock my world, but i think i've only used the 9/16 once.
get swivels in 1/2, 3/8 and 1/4
I have a ton of 3/8 extensions and maybe a single 1/2 and a single 1/4 extension
if you are going to pull your valve covers or heads, i would find a snap on man and get an 8-mm 12 point deep socket (3/8 drive, of course) and replace your dorky machine screws with the updated 12-pt hardware. I did that on my rangie when i yanked the heads and was much happier having them then the philips headed-machine screw.
(john lee will get a kick out of this) This however, is another example of snap-on having a leg up on craftsman, craftsman cannot sell you an 8mm 12 point socket. go snap on, or go home.
27 mm 6-point deep socket. since you have a classic, you don't have the troublesome 2-piece lug nuts which come apart if you use the wrong size. Sometimes they even swell up from repeated impacts with a 1 1/8 socket (tisk tisk!) If you want craftsman for this, get an impact, as their chromy 27 mms only come in 12 point, which you do not want for your lug nuts.
if you want to play with electrics a continuity tester and 12-volt test light are both good ideas.
brass drift for bearing races
snap ring pliers (pay the extra dollar and get reversable innies-and-outies)
I like magnetic trays for hardware, washers, and clamps.
I agree with john lee the 3/8 ratchet will be the one that is most often in your hand, get a comfortable one.

come to think of it
go out to your truck with the tools you have, try to complete a job, if you come up short, get the tool. it all depends on the type of wrenching you plan on doing. no sense in getting tools you will never use because their application is above your technial ability

 

[john]

Ooh la la! Patrick, I didn't know you were into tools. Nice.

27mm works just fine for lug nuts, but I prefer the 17/16" size, which is very slightly smaller and fits the lug nuts better. This is especially true for the steel lug nuts.

For the 14mm 12-point fasteners on the front axle flange, I'm digging the Matco GRHPM1414 wrench:

http://www.matcotools.com/ProductImages/sgrhpm5t.jpg

It's the next to largest wrench in that set. This wrench is about 13" long and has a 14mm 12-point thin-wall box on one end, and a 14mm ratcheting box on the other. Use the thin box to crank the bolts loose and then flip and use the ratcheting box to spin the fasteners loose. I gotta get one of these for the shop boxes.

For my field set, I use keep these two different 14mm's in my wrench rolls:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/pro_...=17480&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all

and

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/pro_...id=612&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all

The 14mm is somewhat of a specialized size on the Rovers, but there are 17mm M10 fasteners everywhere, so that 14/17 aircraft wrench is really handy to have.

 

[10spline]

Right on with the matco Ratcheting and box-end! I get made fun of by my girlfriend for busting them loose with my 12-pt wrench, and then working them loose with the gear wrench.

 

[nosivad_bor]

That damn, 14mm

My Range rover had a cronic problem with those comming loose on the axle flange. I could feel it in the steering. I had to stop and buy a wrench on several occasions to tighten it because I din't have my tools with me.

I now have a collection of 14mm box ends, some ratchet some don't, some with offset head some without. If I only had that matco wrench with me ... o laaa laa.

 

[john]

I agree with john lee the 3/8 ratchet will be the one that is most often in your hand, get a comfortable one.

BTW, I'm absolutely loving my new 3/8" ratchet:

It's a 1/4" ratchet, but Snap-on sells a 3/8" anvil rebuild kit for its 1/4" ratchets, so I installed the 3/8" anvil rebuild kit on this ratchet. This ratchet is so small and light that it's a sheer pleasure to use. The flex head is really handy in tight spots, and the soft-grip handle is really comfy. The head is really small and is about the same diameter as a 13mm socket. This ratchet is also about as long as a standard 3/8" ratchet, so there's plenty of leverage for smaller jobs.

This is now the ratchet I use more than any other.

 

[rover12]

@johnlee

Nice! Are Snap-on's soft-grip handle's replaceable should they become worn over time? Do you happen to have links or parts #'s to components of that ratchet?

 

[marc olivares]

only problem i have with your fancy new ratchet John, is that after repeated use, the soft grip starts to get gummy and sticky. i've got a couple and they are a real pain to keep the grips clean.
but then again, i work on some really nasty diesel shit.

 

[john]

Hmmm, I've never had that problem on any of the soft-grip tools we have, from our screwdrivers to our palm ratchet to our ratchets and so on. I remember your saying that the maple butcher block tops didn't last in your shop as well. I think our work environment isn't as caustic as yours?

 

[marc olivares]

I think our work environment isn't as caustic as yours?

that would explaine why i go through a pair of steel toes in 10 months. F-in' Jet-A

sorry no more hi jack

 

[Roverlady]

This thread is the exact reason why I love D-web....I must be the only girl in my age bracket that knows what a thin-profile ratchet is!!!!!!

I have to admit, I'm learning the difference between cheap tools and good ones as well. I've had a car tool kit since I was in high school, one of those 64-piece deals that my dad bought me for my old Diesel Mercedes. It didn't get much use until I got a Rover, and my husband has already broken 3 sockets in it......everything on the Rover is TIGHT and rusted by mud, etc. It's amazing.


Rock on tool wizards, I'm soaking up the info. And by the way, I want to know if John cleans his tools after each use....how do they stay so SHINY?!