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Thread: Recommend me a good tool kit / socket set for a D1 300Tdi

  1. #1
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    Recommend me a good tool kit / socket set for a D1 300Tdi

    Can someone recommend me a good tool kit or socket set to have with me on the road and also for working on her at home. Just a good range of sizes I guess and brands, different tools, etc.

    All I've got is a nice little modest socket Sidchrome set which is okay but there is nothing big in there and I don't really have any spanners either. Basically I want to make a good tool kit which will be great for most things, a start of a tool kit anyway, then I'll just build from there.

    What do you guys mostly use?
    '97 Tdi 300
    5sp manual w/ D-gas, Maxi Drive rear, 245/75/16 rubber, dual batteries, other stuff.

  2. #2
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    Just to kick this off, the first thing I'd say is buy as good quality as your budget allows. Avoid kits that have a million bits, as you won't use 90% of them ( when was the last time somebody used a 3/16" socket?), and the quality is usually rubbish. Buy less, and buy better. It's hard to know what brands to get these days, as they change. Sidchrome aren't what they used to be, but are still ok. Kinchrome seem ok as well. I have some Gearwrench ratchet spanners which are great, really handy in hard to get to places. I also like to have some deep impact sockets, as they are single hex, good for really tight mongrel nuts.

    You could consider using two kits. I like to have a set of tools for the road, with the main sizes covered, the main screwdriver sizes and some test lights etc in a small kit. If I took all the tools that I own there would be no room for anything else, and the car would probably not move!

    I also carry my cordless stuff, well, some of it. The 18 volt rattle gun is brilliant, even if only for changing a wheel.
    ​JayTee

    Nullus Anxietus

    ​Getting involved in discussions is the best way to learn.

    2000 D2 TD5 Auto: Tins
    1994 D1 300TDi Manual: Dave
    1980 SIII Petrol Tray: Doris
    OKApotamus #74
    Nanocom, D2 TD5 only.

  3. #3
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    Although Not high spec or professional quality the tool kits from 4WD Supercheap are pretty good and have a good variety of different tools in them.
    At about $100 these are pretty good value and if you add a TORX set to it should cover most jobs on a D1

    Adventure Kings Ultimate Bush Mechanic Toolkit | Heavy Duty Tool Bag , 4WD & Outdoor Products - Australia
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  4. #4
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    Ditto what trout recommended for intermittent use.

    I bought a mix of SuperCrap and Repco stuff in Alice Springs as my personal gear (old school Sidchrome/Snap On/Knipex/Bahco/Wiha) wasn't forwarded to me when I picked up the D2 and I wasn't going bush without some tools. (Freight forwarder **** up)
    In other words I'm used to using very good quality tools. They are used every day.
    Being a D2 the cheapies were needed and worked fine.
    They stay in the car now, and I just throw my tool bag in when I travel.

  5. #5
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    One took set I can highly recommend now after a lot of use is the Kingchrome 'LockOn' variety of sockets.
    I got a 3/8th drive set.
    Had a rounded bolt head, and none of the shops had those fancy sockets that grab rounded heads.
    I tried Bursons and he recommended this LockOn variety, and actually gave me a 10mm socket to try(I live around the corner).
    Ripper tool and saved my day .. so I rushed back and bought the small metric 3/8 drive set.

    But for general tools and stuff to have:
    Like trout said, set of spanners from Supercheap are as good as any for domestic use.
    I've had my SuperTool sockets and spanners for about 20 years now, after some scum stole my toolbox, insurer only replaced with tools from Bunnings to a set value, and that meant SuperTool, not Sidchrome or Stahle Willie like I used to have.

    One specific tool that's handy to have is a 1 1/16th socket.
    Fits the wheel nuts AND the harmonic balancer bolt.

    Other socket sizes of importance can be:
    15mm mainly for the serpentine tensioner(add a longish bar to make it easy for one handed movement)
    10mm bolt abound on the TDi .. so make sure you have a good selection of drive sizes for that. That is, in some situations a 1/2 drive 10mm just won't fit, and a 1/4 drive may not allow you enough torque to overcome years of sitting there.

    eg. a 1/2 drive 10mm on some of the bolt heads on the water pump is harder to use due to lack of room. 1/4 drive is just too weak to allow removal on some of the really rusted bolts.
    3/8 drive with just the fixed socket handle(ie. non ratchety one) in the Kingchrome set, and for added torque I use an aluminium pushbike handlebar.

    I don't think you'd need many 'large' sized tools for general tooling around type stuff.
    About the only few things I can think of that need large sized tools would be suspension related bolts and nuts(eg. trailing arm leading nut, and front radius nuts and bolts).

    If you plan on doing a lot of maintenance stuff(eg. timing belt) and or injector seals or whatnot. a couple of different torque wrenches will be handy.
    Because of the good experience with the Kingchrome sockets above, I also got a set of flare nut (partially open) spanners, for doing/undoing the injector pipe joints and some brake lines.
    I don't like open ended spanners on stuff like that as one slip and rounding off one of them could be a bad long term experience.

    Do you have a fan spanner?

    You won't need torx tools on a D1 ... D2 yes, but not D1. In fact there's not many allen key fittings on a D1 either(maybe the door strikers/latches).

    For screwdrivers, I've yet to use any that beat SnapOn. More expensive than even Landrover parts! .. so their price won't come as much as a shock. But their handles are so much better to use than almost all other that I've been through.

    As for the rattle gun .. I used to think 'what a waste' till I recently got one myself too.
    Was going to use it to help do/undo the harmonic balancer as a last resort. I have a Ryobi One+ cordless set, so it made sense to go with a Ryobi for the rattle gun too.
    I do have an air gun, but a right pain to set it all up and all that bizzo.
    Used it to do the brakes on brothers D2 too.. I guess it's more of a handy thing to have rather than vital.

    Long breaker bar.
    About $50ish gets you a 600mm long 1/2 drive ratchet breaker. More for maintenance than travelling with, but I travel with mine all the time now. Have done for about 20ish years.
    On a nice long drive to Ayers Rock, on the way home I must have driven over a roos remains, and got a bone in my driver side rear tyre.
    I reckon the long drive and heat may have done it, but the wheel nuts were locked solid. LR wheel nut tool was spaghetti against the wheel nuts.
    I broke the torque wrench too using my favourite 1 1/16" socket.
    Now stuck with no way to remove nuts and no instant repair kit(useless anyhow as they were tubed tyres) .. but a cop car stopped and they had no tools to help either.
    So I made the decision to destroy my sidchrome socket handle, and remove the black bakelite grip. Not an easy thing to do either.. had to use a few rocks on rocks and eventually it started to crack.
    I had my piddly little 1 ton trolley jack and the now handleless sidchrome socket handle. A bit of encouragement of the trolley jack handle had it over the socket tool and I made myself an instant breaker bar. No way I could get the handle off tho, so to lower the trolley jack I had to use a large screwdriver to undo the screw to release the valve on it.
    I swore I'd never be without a breaker bar of any type as a backup wheel nut tool again .. I now have about 4. Some good quality extendible types around too ... but don't quite extend to 600mm tho. Still useful.

    if you're ever in the Altona area, may be handy to check out Nightingales warehouse on Gordon Luck drive(near the large car auction mob .. I think called Manheims now .. old Fowles).
    Arthur.

    '99 D1 300Tdi Auto
    '03 D2 Td5 Auto

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by AK83 View Post


    Do you have a fan spanner?

    You won't need torx tools on a D1 ... D2 yes, but not D1. In fact there's not many allen key fittings on a D1 either(maybe the door strikers/latches).

    For screwdrivers, I've yet to use any that beat SnapOn. More expensive than even Landrover parts! .. so their price won't come as much as a shock. But their handles are so much better to use than almost all other that I've been through.

    As for the rattle gun .. I used to think 'what a waste' till I recently got one myself too.
    Was going to use it to help do/undo the harmonic balancer as a last resort. I have a Ryobi One+ cordless set, so it made sense to go with a Ryobi for the rattle gun too.
    I do have an air gun, but a right pain to set it all up and all that bizzo.
    Used it to do the brakes on brothers D2 too.. I guess it's more of a handy thing to have rather than vital.

    Long breaker bar.
    Yep. As for the rattler, I went through three different tools and methods trying to undo the front pulley bolt on the 300. Nothing touched it. I went and spent ( gulp ) $700 on a Milwauke 18Volt 3/4 drive rattler and it undid it in about a second. One thing I like it for, if I pop a tyre in a precarious situation I don't need to be jumping up and down on a breaker bar trying to undo wheel nuts. The rattler has the wheel off in ten seconds. $700 hurt lots when I spent it, but I have absolutely no regrets now, the thing is fantastic. Of course, you need 3/4 drive sockets, or an adaptor, but they also do a 1/2 inch model. Sure, it's not vital to have one, and I got by for decades without one, but I'm 64, have crook knees, back and shoulder from being an idiot when I was younger, so to me it is a godsend.
    ​JayTee

    Nullus Anxietus

    ​Getting involved in discussions is the best way to learn.

    2000 D2 TD5 Auto: Tins
    1994 D1 300TDi Manual: Dave
    1980 SIII Petrol Tray: Doris
    OKApotamus #74
    Nanocom, D2 TD5 only.

  7. #7
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    Wink

    Quote Originally Posted by AK83 View Post
    ....


    You won't need torx tools on a D1 ... D2 yes, but not D1. In fact there's not many allen key fittings on a D1 either(maybe the door strikers/latches).

    ....
    ?

    Possibly correct in the mechanicals BUT you will need torx if you are doing stuff in the cab area

    (ask me how I know)

    As far as a tool kit to carry, I try to travel as light as possible and only have spanners/sockets for the hex/bolt head sizes that are likely to be needed "on the side of the road".

    Mostly it can be stowed a good tool roll together with the standbys of gaffer and electrical tape and some soft wire and this will suffice.

    IMHE experience a carefully driven well maintained vehicle will need little attention on a trip.

  8. #8
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    All good advice and I’ll echo it. Buy what you can afford to start with, some of the cheaper spanner sets will get you out of trouble to start with and build up from there.

    Personally in the mid range stuff I find SP to be better finished that Kinchrome for similar money. I’ve got all sorts though from cheap stuff through to snap on, all built up over the years.

    A reasonable 3/8” drive socket set is what you’ll find you’ll use the most, but a 1/2” set up to 24mm is also handy. Spanner set from 8 to 19mm, ring open end combo will keep you out of trouble for most things.

    Something like a Stanley screwdriver kit (these were on sale for $25 at Bunnings last week) and you’ll keep yourself out of trouble for quite a while. 👍
    If you need to contact me please email homestarrunnerau@gmail.com - thanks - Gav.

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    Re screwdrivers, a couple of my workmates swear by Aldi electrical screwdrivers rather than the Wiha ($$) the rest of us tend to use.

  10. #10
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    I have a Bacho set that includes 1/2 and 3/8 drives. It has sockets that are only six sided so they fit the whole nut not just the edges. The kit has a range of torx, screw, phillips head and a few other bits. Socket range from 4mm to 8mm in .5mm increments then 1mm all the way to 23mm. Flat Racket spanners with open ender at the other end from 8mm to 22mm. Multigrips, Wire cutters and pointy nose plyers. There is no BS or AF or Whiteworth spanners. It all fits into a plastic opening "bag" and cost about $200 5 years ago. I guard it with my life and make sure all spanners are there before I close it up. Other than say a wire stripper, vice grips,and a hammer, I have never needed anything else whilst out in the bush, and not much more for work when I am home.
    2016.5 TDV6 Graphite D4,Corris Grey,APT sliders,Goe air comp plate,UHF & HF radio,Airflow snorkel,Discrete Winch,Compo rims with 265/65/18 KO, LLAMs,Traxide dual battery with winch set up,EAS emergency kit,Mitch Hitch EGR blank & delete,ECU remap

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