Tools to work on a subaru
Asked by Brittany Oct 08, 2019 at 11:55 PM about the 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Question type: General
Hello,
I have a friend who is wanting to make his sti into a drift car. He is getting all
the parts to do so, but I would like to get him a tool set to work on the car. I
have been doing a little bit of research, but this person is pretty picky so I
want to make sure I am in the right direction. Ive looked at the dewalt sets
and the mastercraft, but I am not sure if these are good or I should be
looking somewhere else? Also sorry for the very limited info on the car, as I
am not much a car person.
7 Answers
I have no idea what your budget is but Craftsman has all sorts of sets from small to giant.
Just look for sales on metric stuff at your local parts store. They are all made in China- have warranties on most. What's going to help is the "type" of tool. Pneumatic ratchet, ratcheting wrenches etc. are some of the best to use on a Subaru. Want some good subaru advice? Check out Mighty Car Mods on YouTube.
I wouldn't necessarily get full sets of tools unless they're metric, of course. Specifically, Subarus require 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, and 19mm sockets. Your friend is maybe apt to need a larger axle nut socket, and those less-frequently needed big'uns, as well a cheap electric impact wrench, can be found at Harbor Freight. I like short and medium length 3/8" and 1/2" flex-head wrenches, as well a long 1/2" swivel-head breaker bar for wheel lugs. A couple of deep sockets (esp 8 and 10mm) can come in handy, as well a set of 3/8 and 1/2" extensions, of course. The 2.5 ton aluminum jack that goes on sale at $60 at HF is actually very portable, and a great deal. The bigger brother is much more, but will allow working UNDER the chassis. (The Sti has low clearance, so that's important in a jack spec too.) Screwdrivers with BIG comfy handles are cheap in sets everywhere. Torx head drivers are rarely used, so don't bother. A set of pliers is always useful, as well a trio of adjustable wrenches. Note that although all tools are not equal, there's usually not a good reason to equate price with performance. Many "wrenches" will swear by their Snap-On et al tools, but that's because they dearly overpaid for them from that buddy in the truck who stretches their coffee breaks with high profitability!
When buying a car jack do not forget the jack stands!
Yeah...I know. But always use either two or three jacks and after 35 years under them I've never had one collapse. Maybe because I check verticality just to be sure?
I trust my jack too but this being a public forum I try to promote safety and good practices.
The Quickjack looks attractive to me. I don't have the ceiling height for a full on lift.
