Detailed Vehicle tool kit list

A useful list of tools for working on most small cars up to about half ton pickup trucks without taking up a ton of space.

There are multiple ways you could organize the list of tools here, I just use four tool rolls, one pouch style tool roll and a large tool bag for the awkward stuff.

It fits just fine even in tiny cars like my little mx-5 and has really saved me and others on a few occasions. I’ve replaced the alternator in my car at 22:00 in an AutoZone parking lot using the contents of this kit allowing me to get right back on the road the next morning, as well as dug out countless stuck cars and trucks over the years with the little shovel.

The gorilla tape can be used in a pinch to hold radiator hoses together long enough to get to a parts store, especially if you run the system unpressurized.

The list of pliers might be a bit excessive for some, but I’ve found them all to be useful on various occasions, enough so that I’ve not eliminated any over the years.

The telescoping magnets are cheap, fishing for dropped nuts and bolts can be a real pain, don’t put together a kit without them.

If it’s raining, you can keep yourself mostly dry by cutting a hole in the contractor’s bags and using them as a poncho.

If the car you’re driving hasn’t seen tons of salt spray and rust, you can probably get by without a 24” ratchet / breaker bar. Still, I like having the extra leverage.

Large Misc tools:

Pliers:

Misc:

Adjustable Wrenches:

Wrenches:

1⁄4” Shallow Sockets:

1⁄4” Deep Sockets:

3⁄8” Shallow Sockets:

3⁄8” Deep Sockets:

3⁄8” Extensions:

1⁄4” Extensions:

Ratchets:

Phillips Screwdrivers:

Blade Screwdrivers: