What tools should i buy to work on my LR4 at home?

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Socialseb83

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Gap Tool i know! For diagnosing purposes.

but as far as lifting the hood, or putting the car up in a jack and getting in there. What tools should i purchase and get familiar with. Granted, i’m aware that many jobs are simply best left to pros, and other jobs ONLY should be done by pros, but for the jobs that any joe schmoe like me could do with a little know-how, some patience, and the desire to learn.

keep in mind, i was not raised by a “car guy”, nor did i hang out with friends who worked on their own cars. I wasn’t blessed like that so i have to start from zero, but i’m a great learner. I love reading. I work with power tools at work and i’m not afraid to get dirty or scraped up. I can invest in tools if they are worthwhile. Ok, enough about me.

what tools do you suggest i start with, and for what jobs? and what tools should i eventually try to get and for what jobs?

bonus: what jobs should i rarely or never try to do on my own, even after i gain experience? Better left for trained pros
 

ktm525

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A large floor jack (3 ton)
heavy duty car ramps
two heavy duty jack stands
mityvac fluid evacuator (or eq)

source out bodsy's brake bible on the interwebs
source out service manual as well. (it is floating around)
 

Quijote

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Oof, that will be a long answer.

I'd start with:

1) a good set (6-point) metric sockets
2) high tooth number ratchets in 1/2, 3/8 inch at least
3) large set of metric combination wrenches
4) panel removal tools
5) Quality torque wrenches in 1/2" and 3/8" (having both helps both for size and torque ranges).
6) High quality (machined) Torx and hex socket bits (in metric)
7) Hose clamp removal tool
8) Universal joints and extensions for 1/2" and 3/8" drives
9) A good, large set of screw drivers
10) A good set of driver 1/4" bits (hex, phillips, torx, etc.)
11) pry bars
12) 5lb, shorty sledge hammer
13) A good drill with quality drill bits (I recommend cobalt bits for drilling metal)
14) penetrating fluid and anti-seize.
15) Mechanic's mirror
16) Tool magnet

That's a start, at least. It would be nice to have Snap-On everything but that would get expensive. Sadly, Craftsman tools suck now since they are not made in the US anymore. I like Wiha, GearWrench, and tools at that level of quality. I do recommend spending the money on CDI Torque torque wrenches. It will be worth it and they are not prohibitively expensive.

Also, at least an electric/battery (if not pneumatic), high torque impact driver would be good to have.

Start with oil changes, brake jobs, other fluid changes, spark plugs, timing belt changes. Get comfortable removing a bunch of parts (without breaking them or damaging nearby parts) and getting them all back on. Connectors can be tricky to undo.

SAFETY! Careful when dealing with lifting car, dealing with current/battery (and shorting expensive components).
 

Socialseb83

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Oof, that will be a long answer.

I'd start with:

1) a good set (6-point) metric sockets
2) high tooth number ratchets in 1/2, 3/8 inch at least
3) large set of metric combination wrenches
4) panel removal tools
5) Quality torque wrenches in 1/2" and 3/8" (having both helps both for size and torque ranges).
6) High quality (machined) Torx and hex socket bits (in metric)
7) Hose clamp removal tool
8) Universal joints and extensions for 1/2" and 3/8" drives
9) A good, large set of screw drivers
10) A good set of driver 1/4" bits (hex, phillips, torx, etc.)
11) pry bars
12) 5lb, shorty sledge hammer
13) A good drill with quality drill bits (I recommend cobalt bits for drilling metal)
14) penetrating fluid and anti-seize.
15) Mechanic's mirror
16) Tool magnet

That's a start, at least. It would be nice to have Snap-On everything but that would get expensive. Sadly, Craftsman tools suck now since they are not made in the US anymore. I like Wiha, GearWrench, and tools at that level of quality. I do recommend spending the money on CDI Torque torque wrenches. It will be worth it and they are not prohibitively expensive.

Also, at least an electric/battery (if not pneumatic), high torque impact driver would be good to have.

Start with oil changes, brake jobs, other fluid changes, spark plugs, timing belt changes. Get comfortable removing a bunch of parts (without breaking them or damaging nearby parts) and getting them all back on. Connectors can be tricky to undo.

SAFETY! Careful when dealing with lifting car, dealing with current/battery (and shorting expensive components).
I heard the spark plugs job is very difficult and time-consuming on these vehicles. Is that true? That won’t deter me. I’m just curious
 

Quijote

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I heard the spark plugs job is very difficult and time-consuming on these vehicles. Is that true? That won’t deter me. I’m just curious

I actually have not done it on this vehicle. It might be time-consuming and difficult in terms of getting access.
 

ryanjl

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I heard the spark plugs job is very difficult and time-consuming on these vehicles. Is that true? That won’t deter me. I’m just curious

There is a thread on here somewhere that discusses the spark plug job. Not to be harsh, but I recommend looking there for answers before you start a new thread on everything.

EDIT:

https://www.landroverworld.org/threads/lr4-v8-5-0l-spark-plug-diy.30637/#post-187565

https://www.landroverworld.org/threads/anyone-done-their-own-spark-plugs.26763/

I found those by typing "spark pug" into the search bar, then combing through the threads.
 

ArmyRover

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Lucky8 had it on sale for $488 shipped the other day
 

avslash

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I have done the spark plugs. it is not terrible. The driver's side closest to the firewall is the biggest issue. A couple of swivels will make short work of it though.

I'm lucky enough to have a full set of Snap-on, Matco, Cornwell, etc in my garage at home. That said, when I started down the LR4 rabbit hole, I wanted to carry all the tools I might need for a trail-side repair, but I was leery of packing thousands of dollars worth of tools into the truck to be stolen or inadvertently left on the side of a trail somewhere.

I ended up going to Harbor Freight and going on a spree and purchasing what I call my "throw down" tools. These tools live in a wheeled Pelican case that is always in the Rover. Individually, they are cheap enough that I'm not going to sweat losing them, breaking them, or covering them with a nice coat of rust from exposure. Most interestingly, after several years of use, I really don't have many complaints about the cheapies. They might not be want you want if you are working with your tools for your living, but I have been perfectly satisfied with the performance for the price. Harbor Freight also has a line with the lifetime guarantee similar to the old Craftsmans. Break it, and they will replace it. For $500.00 at Harbor Freight, you can walk out with a set that will allow you to do virtually anything on these trucks.
 

djkaosone

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Let me start by saying that I commend your willingness to learn to wrench with this truck. If you can wrench this truck, you can pretty much wrench anything out there.

For a beginner set, I'd recommend the following that won't break the bank. Just click on the hyperlinks, since the real links are too long.

Standard Phillips and flat head screw drivers.
Mechanic's tool set (found it cheaper than HD, and HD will lifetime replace without receipt): eBay link
Tite-Reach (socket extensions for hard to reach areas): Amazon link
Socket (wobble) extensions: HF link
Adjustable wrench (not used much, but good to have): HF link
Body panel removal tools (One with the red handle gets used a lot): Amazon link
HF 3 ton floor jack up to 24 inches: HF link
HF 6 ton jack stands: HF link
HF 3/8 and 1/2 Torque wrench: HF 3/8 link and HF 1/2 link
HF socket elbows: HF link
HF socket adapters: HF link
HF 1/2 breaker bar: HF link
Fluid extractor (can use a compressor or hand pump): Amazon link

With these tools, you'll be able to do the majority of everything on the vehicle.
 

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