By Seth Hensler of Red Eye Garage – Visit the Tools Category on the Kaiser Willys Website

So, you bought an old Willys Jeep! Congratulations! Now the real fun begins! The beauty of a vintage Jeep is that they are nothing like a modern car. That includes aesthetics, ride quality, cost, and unfortunately reliability. Sooner or later, you will need to fix, repair or replace something. Having the right tool for the job can be the difference between an enjoyable Saturday afternoon project and a costly nightmare.

Let’s chat about a few of the basic tools that every Vintage Jeep owner should have on hand. The beauty of the Willys Jeep is that it was a bare bones wartime vehicle. It was designed to be quickly repaired in the field with minimal tools. Soldiers with basic mechanical training repaired Jeeps out on the battlefield more than the mechanics back at the motor pool. This is good news for us!
Before you get your hands dirty, we recommend calling us to find out what factory service manuals are available for your Jeep. Our manuals cover every procedure you could imagine. The diagrams and schematics are wonderful resources to have on hand while working on your Jeep. You should also have a fire extinguisher in your shop and in your vehicle. It would be a shame to have all your hard work go “up in smoke”. PPE also known as “Personal Protective equipment” is a must have. You cannot take care of your Jeep if you don’t take care of yourself. Eye protection, ear protection and a good respirator are critical! We also recommend you always keep a properly stocked first aid kit nearby. Make sure your tetanus shots are up to date! Old Jeeps are rusty, dirty and full of critters. A rabies shot, wasp spray and snake bite kit could be useful too. Reviving 70+ year old Jeeps is not for the faint of heart!

Let’s work from the bottom up! Changing a tire may seem like an elementary task, but it’s an extremely important one. Keeping a good hydraulic jack in your shop is the way to go. We recommend a good 5 or 6-ton quick lift jack. The style that has the attached handle that twists to release is the way to go. You will also want to keep an original Willys style jack #999536, bottle jack, scissor jack or a farmer’s jack in your jeep for tire changes on the road/trail. A good set of four jack stands is also recommended. Please make note of your vehicle weight when selecting these items. Each stand/jack manufacturer will specify the safe working load limit.

You will want to keep a lug wrench in your rig that fits the lug nut size of your Jeep. Most are ¾ or 13/16th. #M5502 & TIRON (don’t forget if your wheel studs are original, the driver’s side will be “left hand thread”) If you’re removing wheels back in the shop you will save a lot of time and sweat by keeping an impact gun on hand. There are many great options out there. Both battery and pneumatic powered guns are suitable for this task. All the major tool companies will have what you need. We recommend ½” drive for lug nuts and a 3/8” drive for smaller fasteners on your jeep. Always use sockets that are rated for impact use on your impact gun. Always perform the final torquing of the lug nuts with a properly calibrated torque wrench. Don’t forget, the type of wheels you have on your Jeep dictate the torque spec.

Now that your wheels are off, it’s time to check and/or replace those crusty old brakes! Unlike a modern vehicle with disc brakes or slip on drums, your Willys will require you to remove the entire hub and drum. This was very common with all makes of vehicles from this era. This is one area most new Jeep owners make a mistake… “I don’t need a special tool for this” Trust us… your want the right tool for this job. Good original hubs and drums are getting hard to find and suitable...

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