Just starting out
Discussion
Evening, I have three cars now, including an E93 convertible with some brake discs that are very heavily worn.
I'm pretty practical, but never on cars, thinking about getting some gear to do the discs myself. Will I save much, garage wanted around 750 for front and rear discs and pads with brembo's. I am keen to keep original, so thinking of getting bits from local BMW parts counter and having a bash myself.
Where is good to buy both tools and BMW/Ford original bits?
Need a jack, some basics sockets and wheel wrench, guessing too some axel stands.
Thoughts, seen the SGS jacks that look good.
I'm pretty practical, but never on cars, thinking about getting some gear to do the discs myself. Will I save much, garage wanted around 750 for front and rear discs and pads with brembo's. I am keen to keep original, so thinking of getting bits from local BMW parts counter and having a bash myself.
Where is good to buy both tools and BMW/Ford original bits?
Need a jack, some basics sockets and wheel wrench, guessing too some axel stands.
Thoughts, seen the SGS jacks that look good.
You will save £ for sure.
On the tools make sure you get the professional series (if Halfords) lifetime warranty on the tools.
For a Jack Costco do a superb 2/3tonne one the blue one is the one to go for red is lower weight.
Axle stands are a good safety measure - but you should always put the spare wheel under the car in the corner your working on if jack fails car can only drop to the width of be wheel. If your under there you’ll have a bump for sure but weight of the car help up for the wheel.
Naturally you have a axle stand too but my old man always put the wheel there and I’ve replicated.
On the tools make sure you get the professional series (if Halfords) lifetime warranty on the tools.
For a Jack Costco do a superb 2/3tonne one the blue one is the one to go for red is lower weight.
Axle stands are a good safety measure - but you should always put the spare wheel under the car in the corner your working on if jack fails car can only drop to the width of be wheel. If your under there you’ll have a bump for sure but weight of the car help up for the wheel.
Naturally you have a axle stand too but my old man always put the wheel there and I’ve replicated.
Machine Mart and Halfords are great for tools. At the very least you should get a toolset from Halfords for £100/£150. If one of them breaks you can bring it back and they'll replace it free of charge. I've never had to do this though as none of them have broke.
You need a good floor jack, and axle stands are a must. You won't ever hear or notice a floor jack fail until it's too late. It happened to me once as I had the car in the air doing a quick job, had my back turned, and when I came back I couldn't understand why the car was so low to the ground. The jack had failed. So when the car is jacked up you must put an axle stand underneath it.
As for tools, only buy tools when you need them. It's too tempting to go out and buy everything, but it's expensive and you'll never use them. In the early days it can be a pain when you go to do a task but you don't have the tool to hand, but after that you'll have these tools and they'll only be the tools you need.
You need a good floor jack, and axle stands are a must. You won't ever hear or notice a floor jack fail until it's too late. It happened to me once as I had the car in the air doing a quick job, had my back turned, and when I came back I couldn't understand why the car was so low to the ground. The jack had failed. So when the car is jacked up you must put an axle stand underneath it.
As for tools, only buy tools when you need them. It's too tempting to go out and buy everything, but it's expensive and you'll never use them. In the early days it can be a pain when you go to do a task but you don't have the tool to hand, but after that you'll have these tools and they'll only be the tools you need.
the_g_ster said:
Cheers guys.
Euro Car Parts have a 50% sale on, so got front discs for £90, cheers for the spot there. They are Ate brand which I think are original fitment.
Top tip about ECP, they have an eBay store that sells all their stuff at the sale price they advertise on the emails etc. Quite often the discount code only works over the weekend, then during the week it'll be full price. BUT, on eBay they just sell them at the discounted rate.Euro Car Parts have a 50% sale on, so got front discs for £90, cheers for the spot there. They are Ate brand which I think are original fitment.
You can also try Autodoc, they're german and it'll take a week for the stuff to get to you, but they're cheap for branded parts.
I would echo the axle stands point. Appreciate it's a truism & boring to restate, but never get under a car held up with just a jack, always use stands & preferably a wheel under the car too. Plenty of dead people who thought a jack alone would be ok.
Now enjoy the skinned knuckles, rounded bolts & stripped threads like the rest of us!
Now enjoy the skinned knuckles, rounded bolts & stripped threads like the rest of us!
Cal_0 said:
Get a good set of 6 point sockets.
Might just be me but I find the 12 points round bolts too easily. Had cheap ones break too.
Additionally get a breaker bar and torque wrench.
I think you’ll accumulate things as you go other than that.
Black 6 point sockets are fantastic. You can hit them with a hammer and they won't shatter, and they won't round the heads off. Might just be me but I find the 12 points round bolts too easily. Had cheap ones break too.
Additionally get a breaker bar and torque wrench.
I think you’ll accumulate things as you go other than that.
OP, I'm in a similar position to you. Just starting out.
I bought the following recently:.
2 tonne jack
Axle stands
Halfords socket set
Some bits off machine mart (more axle stands, metal ramps and a big torque wrench
Some very thick plywood as I will be working on a shallow gravel drive
I'm still getting bits and bobs.
I'm learning on a MK1 Focus soon. It will be after my last required journey is done in the car next week (just in case I break anything).
Good luck.
I bought the following recently:.
2 tonne jack
Axle stands
Halfords socket set
Some bits off machine mart (more axle stands, metal ramps and a big torque wrench
Some very thick plywood as I will be working on a shallow gravel drive
I'm still getting bits and bobs.
I'm learning on a MK1 Focus soon. It will be after my last required journey is done in the car next week (just in case I break anything).
Good luck.
the_g_ster said:
Cheers guys.
Euro Car Parts have a 50% sale on, so got front discs for £90, cheers for the spot there. They are Ate brand which I think are original fitment.
As you get more and more into home mechanics then I think you will find tha ECP *always* have a sale on, it's an in joke on here. They are the DFS of the car world! good service though, and as ong as you catch the never-ending discounts right then you'll generally get a good deal. For the record, I have noticed no difference whatsoever with their pattern front discscompared to OEM originals on my E46 M3. Euro Car Parts have a 50% sale on, so got front discs for £90, cheers for the spot there. They are Ate brand which I think are original fitment.
It sounds obvious, but YouTube is a great resource for many jobs, you will probably find someone on there who has done the same as you and filmed it. I had a fuel injection MiL issue on my VFR800 motorbike yesterday and needed to reset the error codes, some Aussie bloke had put a detailed how-to up on how to do it. Saved me loads of time and money.
Not wanting to state the obvious but do read up and watch lots of youtube videos before you start.
Make sure you feel confident. Its not rocket science, but its very important.
Mate once had a go, he wasn't mechanically minded. He's driveway was on a slope in High Wycombe, and when he finished and tried to test them on the drive. They failed and his car rolled backwards out onto the A40, somehow missing the passing vehicles. I don't know what he did wrong but he got a spanner man to fix it in the end.
Get some brake cleaner and copper slip
Make sure you feel confident. Its not rocket science, but its very important.
Mate once had a go, he wasn't mechanically minded. He's driveway was on a slope in High Wycombe, and when he finished and tried to test them on the drive. They failed and his car rolled backwards out onto the A40, somehow missing the passing vehicles. I don't know what he did wrong but he got a spanner man to fix it in the end.
Get some brake cleaner and copper slip
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