Advice Needed: New Metric Wrench Set In Anticipation of Work On 2nd Gen Tacoma

Gear heads,

My Tacoma is more than two years old and I'm starting to plan some DIY mods and maintenance. I've become a pro at the basic maintenance stuff -- oil change, front and rear diff, transfer case, tire rotation, etc... -- stuff requiring just a socket set, a ratchet, breaker bar, and torque wrench. But I'm hoping to do some suspension work and take my DIY work to the next level.
I have a hodge podge collection of SAE and metric wrenches, but I'm in the market for a new metric set in anticipation of this work. Initially I was intrigued by Gearwrench's ratcheting wrenches with the flex head. Of course they're made in China. So, the patriot in me wants to invest in a complete set of NOS USA Craftsman combo wrenches. But, they neither ratchet nor flex. I'm looking for some advice and feedback from some of you gear heads as to whether you think work on the Tacoma will ever put me in a situation requiring use of a ratcheting flex-head wrench. The made in China Gearwrench set is about the same price as NOS made in USA Craftsman sets.

Much appreciated.

-- Matt

 

Deep sockets help out with doing a lift. A torque wrench is needed too. If you don't have an impact wrench you might think of getting one also. I bought a Milwaukee cordless impact because I already had the batteries, love it. Use the torque wrench when doing your lugs before someone flames me.

 

Harbor freight.... buy what you need when you need it, lifetime warranty on almost all tools.

 

I applaud that you want to buy American, but just remember, we are a world, wide economy.

I do lots of wrenching and you can't beat the price of HF tools and quality.

For suspension work, get an impact socket set in SAE and metric from HF.

 

A lot of new Craftsman stuff is from China. If you have time to check yard sales or EBay for older American stuff. I always try to buy the best tools that I can afford.

 

Half of it is, actually.

Craftsman Professional is still made in the USA and can be bought today at any store.

 

Great stuff as usual, gentlemen -- everyone but especially you, DK.

 

On sockets I would get 6 point and not 12 point. I have had a few occasions where 12 points work better but 6 points fit the bolt head or nut more securely.

 

I'm all set on sockets. For ratchets I have Gearwrench's 120XP in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2, with their impact rated deep sockets (I spent the extra $5 per socket set on the impact rated ones just in case I ever upgraded to an impact ratchet). The deep sockets worked great when removing the front inset bolts of the rear TRD skid plate covering the front diff.

 

Craftsman aren't bottom of the barrel. They're decent midgrade tools for a DIYer. Bottom of the barrel would be HF stuff. Nothing wrong with HF stuff for the most part, but I'd take a craftsman set over HF any day. I got a set of standard and deep socket metric sets of SnapOn for my birthday one year. 6 point set. I use it the most and love them. The only thing that I would stay away from are craftsman or HF torque wrenches. Check out CDI torque wrenches. They're a subsidiary of SnapOn. Each one comes with an inspection sheet with the measured tolerances specific to the wrench you receive. iirc, they're serialized. Made in the USA.

$209 CDI 1/2" Drive Adjustable Click Torque Wrench, Range 30-250 Ft Lbs / 47-332 Nm (2503MFRMH)

http://www.amazon.com/CDI-Torque-25...=1462988144&sr=8-2&keywords=cdi+torque+wrench

I've been using gearwrench products since they first came out over a decade ago. I still use the original set that I bought that long ago. Nothing wrong with them either.

My advice, get a reversible set of ratcheting wrenches. They come in pretty handy. I actually have an unused set of those flex-head gearwrench/craftsman wrenches in metric if you're interested. I bought them for a rainy day.

Also, June is right around the corner. Hold off for father's day as tools always go on sale.

 

To touch on DKs post.. Sears does not replace the USA made Craftsman Professional tools under warranty with the Chinese made standard Craftsman tool line item.

They're entirely separate product lines.

 

I'm actually in favor of Craftsman as well, unfortunately, Sears is circling the drain. Gonna be hard to find a place that sells craftsman tools pretty soon.

 

I could definitely be confusing the names of the product lines, but we agree on the closest equivalent of replacement IF that line isn't being produced any more. But, generally - you get what you bring in. You won't walk in with a tool worth 5x more than what you leave with, so far as I have known.

 

The garagejournal is a dangerous place.

 

Good job on going for the impact rated. They server double duty as both standard and impact, so why not be one-and-done, after all?

For torque wrench, you may find yourself wanting to remove the CV axle. The hub axle nut on the 4x4 is 173 ft-lbs, so you'll want something that goes a little above your garden variety torque wrench. I bought a

$249 Torq Wr 1/2 Dr Split-Beam Click Style 250Ft Lbs

Precision Instruments C3FR250F, and I really enjoy it. Be mindful that most torque wrenches need to be zeroed-out when storing them. The upside to my PI is that it does not need zeroing, but my scale is not probably as precise as the CDI (it goes in about 5 lbs increments, and you can fudge the in-between). The downside of the CDI is that it would need to be zeroed for storage. Never NEVER use your torque wrench as a general purpose wrench, nor use it as a breaker bar. It has a specific purpose. It is a specialty tool.

The hub axle nut is either a 35mm or 36mm, I don't remember. You will probably have to special order this unless you have a specialty tool store in your area, and it's probably rare for them to even carry one. I bought mine for about $9 I think locally.

I'd get one or two breaker bars from HF. They are basic tools, and you will break one in your lifetime, no matter who made it. I've busted a 1970s Craftsman and a HF so far.

If you haven't gotten it already, you will probably want some extensions as well.


I am also a big believer in Permatex anti-sieze. I put it on any bolt or nut that I would ever consider needing to remove later in life. I never have rusted on bolts, and my vehicle is much easier to work on as a result. One rule, of course: A bolt either deserves anti-sieze or loctite, never both, and sometimes nothing at all. Use good judgment, there's no need to be stupid with it.
The

$14 Permatex 09128 Copper Anti-Seize Lubricant, 8 oz.

copper 09128 is the good stuff, but nickel is also good. An 8oz bottle will probably last half your life.

 

I already have anti-seize, except I use it for long-term storage of my guns (I put some on the metal-to-metal contacts along the slides on my Sigs (P238, P938, M11) and Glocks (G19, G43).

 

Get a few extra 10mm sockets, too.

 

It is. But the quality has dropped too. They deserve to die at this point.

I've got a used tool shop nearby where I will go to dig trough bins once in a while for certain old Craftsman wrenches, especially the larger ones.

OP...

Regarding gear wrenches, some good point have been made. I've found few places where they are really necessary on the truck, and if they are needed/beneficial, it is generally in tight spaces where a ratchets/socket have insufficient clearance. That said, and based on my aircraft experience, they great are for working off (and on) tedious/snug locknuts/nylocks or bolts with long run down in difficult to access areas, but not for tightening. Look for the finest gearing and smallest head you can, which helps in areas of limited swing. I recommend the stubby combo gear head/open-end (both ends same size); run it down with the gear end, then tighten with open-end. Even then, you likely need crowsfeet to properly torque in such circumstances. Leave everything else to standard length non-gear wrenches or sockets, and 6-point sockets (and/or box-end wrenches) where possible or necessary for critical/low profile nuts and bolt heads (like drain fill plugs).

Which brings up breaker bars. Get some for that ^^^ and for suspension work in general.

And on that note, invest in 3 good torque wrenches: 1/2 inch, 3/8 inch, and a small 3/8 in inch-lb. They are most accurate in the middle of their range (for example, bell curve: a 150 lb torque wrench is best between 50-130ish lbs).

I've found long and short handled prybars to be basic tools for suspension.

 

Which reminds me, another harp on Craftsman.

A few years ago I bought a nifty 50-odd piece Craftsman dedicated to the truck, and it has SAE and metric, as a basic road (not offroad) kit. It has extra space where I could cram in a few of my other basic go-to tools. And it fit perfectly under my 1st gen driver seat. Everything is sunshine and motherfucking lollipops, right?

So one day, when fortunately I am just at work on break and decide to dick around with something on the truck, I come to discover that the sockets go 10, 11, 13...WAIT WHAT?

9, 10, 11, 13.

FUCK ME AND FUCK YOU CRAFTSMAN! No 12mm socket in the set! I had to go buy one and stick it in the 11mm slot.

So another reason Sears/Craftsman should go fuck themselves.