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If you’ve got gearhead tendencies flowing through your veins, chances are you’ve thought about modifying your car, truck, or SUV. It’s only natural, after all, to want to stand out from the crowd while enhancing your vehicle’s performance. However, everyone has to start somewhere. Don’t be daunted if you’re a complete novice who doesn’t know a socket wrench from a starter. We’ve all been at that stage. If you find yourself asking, “What do I need to modify a car?” keep reading.
Basic Tools You'll Need
If you want to do any degree of modification to your car, you’ll need a set of tools. You might think that your car’s tool set is adequate. Sadly, that’s not the case anymore. Modern-day cars come with the tools you need to change a tire, and that’s it. You don’t get anything close to comprehensive in terms of what’s needed for modification activities.
What about your home tool set? Well, you could use some of the items in it, such as screwdrivers. But it’s best to keep your automotive tools separate, in your garage. You see, that way, you won’t have to run into the house every now and then to get something. Plus, your house tools can remain clean and separate – automotive tools can get greasy and grimy, after all.
Speaking of grease and grime, always clean your tools after use. That might sound cliche, but it’s true. Because the last thing you want when you grab a tool is to find it dirty and grubby, or worse, transfer that gunk onto the component that you’re working on.
Screwdriver Set
It goes without saying, screwdrivers are the first thing that you must have in your toolkit. Get yourself an array of flat, Philips and hex screwdrivers of various sizes. Plus, it’s always great to have a flexible screwdriver with a variety of tips. You’ll realize this fact when you start working on cars, as automakers don’t always make things straightforward and easy to access.
Breaker Bar
This one is really helpful to remove those stubborn nuts and bolts that have gotten frozen, rusted, or otherwise become so tight that you need extra leverage. Don’t skimp on it either – a good quality breaker bar is an investment rather than an expense.
Socket Wrench Set
The staple of auto maintenance and repairs, this is another item that you shouldn’t buy budget. Oh, and get yourself a few extra 10mm sockets, since they seem to be the easiest to lose, as meme culture has taught us.
Torque Wrench
Certain components on your vehicle need to be torqued to specific amounts. This is where a torque wrench is a necessity. Also, you must know that torque wrenches need periodic calibration, so it’s not exactly a buy-and-forget item.
Jacks And Jack Stands
Now this is where your life is literally at stake, depending on the quality of the jack and jack stands that you purchase. You need a sturdy jack to lift your vehicle, and jack stands to keep it up. Never ever crawl under a vehicle that’s held up by a jack alone because the jack can potentially fail, and that’s not a place you want to imagine being. Instead, ensure that you use a strong set of jack stands before venturing beneath.
Pliers And Snips
A variety of pliers and snips is crucial. You’ll want a range of small and medium-sized pliers, plus some tin snips, and even a wire cutting tool if you’re venturing into electrical repairs and modifications.
Automotive Work Lamp
Unless you’ve got 360-degree lighting in your garage or workspace, you’re going to need an automotive work lamp. You can find these quite easily, and they helpfully hook onto your vehicle’s battery terminals. Some come with their own power pack, too. Oh, and we’d also recommend buying a headlamp, so that you can have both hands free when required.
Specialized Tools
Now that you’ve got a taste of the basics, there are some specialized tools that you would want to add to your arsenal. We’re not going to go into these in detail, because we don’t want to scare you off. If you’re feeling brave, this is the list.
- Air compressor and pneumatic tools
- Power tools such as a drill, angle grinder, etc.
Safety First!
It goes without saying that safety is key when working on your car. You’ve got an unholy combination of heavy, sharp, dangerous and hot objects that will often be in incredibly close proximity to your soft, fleshy, human body. So, don’t skimp on safety. Here’s what you should be having, and wearing when working on your car.
- A good pair of work gloves. Choose a set that gives you a great blend of flexibility and protection. And don’t just buy one set. Keep several, so that in the event of damage, you can quickly switch and continue working.
- Safety shoes. Don’t work on your car in your flip flops, especially when getting involved with heavy or oily bits. Remember, your car easily weighs a few thousand pounds, and you don’t want even a quarter of that coming down on your foot!
- Goggles. When you’re doing tasks such as drilling, cutting, grinding, or dealing with liquids or chemicals that are hot or toxic, you want your eyes to be protected as much as possible.
- Overalls. For the serious DIY tinkerer, a pair of overalls will keep your body safe, as well as give you pockets for storage. No more running to the toolbox every five seconds, then.
JEGS: Your Car Modification Partner For Life
Feeling daunted about embarking on your first car mod? Well, we’re here for you. At JEGS, we cater to everyone, from first-time modders to seasoned pros. We’ve got all the tools and equipment you’ll need, and the expert advice you’ll want to hear. Our array of excellent products hails from the best manufacturers across the world, so you know that it’s quality stuff. Then, we offer all applicable warranties, and after-sales support whenever you need it. So choose JEGS, and you’ll never need to hunt for parts again.
