You never know when maintenance or a minor repair may be necessary for your vehicle. When it’s possible to take these little projects on yourself, you may want to tackle them at home to save yourself money at the auto shop. If you’re one to DIY, you’ll want to make sure you have these tools on hand for the best results.

Vehicle Jack

This is one of the handiest and most important tools for automotive projects at home. A vehicle jack typically slides under the frame of your vehicle to gradually lift the vehicle off of the ground, allowing you access to otherwise hard-to-reach spots like the oil filter, transmission fluid pan, brakes, etc, as well as allowing for the tires to be removed without damaging other important parts.

Tire Pressure Gauge

Having a tire pressure gauge is essential, especially in times of extreme temperature changes like we’ve been experiencing lately. Tires that aren’t filled to the correct pressure can lead to limited control and extra, avoidable wear and tear on your vehicle. These gauges are small, cheap, and make it extremely easy to routinely check your tire pressure.

Tire Iron and Breaker Bar

Both tire irons and breaker bars help to remove large nuts and bolts from your vehicle. Tire irons are especially useful when changing a tire, helping you to remove and replace the lug nuts that keep the wheel on the vehicle, while the handy breaker bar gives you extra leverage to help loosen any rusted or seized connections.

Wheel Chocks

While your vehicle jack will lift your vehicle, it doesn’t ensure it will stay in place. Even with the parking brake on, vehicles are vulnerable to shifting and rolling during repair. These wheel chocks will keep you safe during repairs and maintenance. They simply slide under the back wheels to keep the car where it is and ensure your safety.

Personal Protective Equipment

No matter what DIY you’re facing with your vehicle, it’s important that you keep yourself safe. You might remember the phrase Personal Protective Equipment (or PPE) from the pandemic, but you also need PPE for your automotive work. From the all-too-familiar face masks and face shields to safety glasses, hearing protection, closed-toe shoes, long shirts and pants, and work gloves, there’s tons of equipment to keep every part of you safe.

These tools can make your life easier by providing you with the correct equipment for a project as well as keeping you safe, so even if your project is simple and easy, consider investing in the right tools for the job.