Torque Wrenches JUST for Car Wheels

 Check this out...

Thanks to Amazon its algorithm which knows that I own a Nissan, I found out that KTC (Kyoto Tool Company) makes and sells torque wrenches that are pre-set to the wheel lug nut torques for various JDM car manufacturers.

From Amazon

For example, the blue one torques at 85N-m for Suzukis and Nissan kei-cars; the black one at 103N-m for Toyota and Daihatsu cars, and the red one at 108N-m for Nissans and Hondas.

Naturally I sprang for the  Nissan specific one as it was heavily marked down during the recent Amazon Prime day sale. Thanks Amazon!

Made In Japan, of course!

Truth be told, I already have an old Husky brand adjustable torque wrench I think I borrowed from my father many years ago, and never returned.  I found out however that with such manually adjustable torque wrenches you are always supposed to return the setting to zero after every use, otherwise the internal springs start to stretch and this can throw off the accuracy of the wrench.  And to be honest, I think I never did that, preferring to leave it on the last used setting (which was usually for the GT-R's wheel nuts anyway...)  But if the wrench is NOT adjustable, then this is not an issue. 

I wasn't expecting a case but this is a nice touch!

For something that retails at around $100 USD, it goes without saying that it better be accurate! But yes there is this Certificate of Calibration showing within 0.5%.

Love how there is a Certificate of Calibration

Of course I finally broke out my Ko-ken plastic sleeved car lug nut sockets, which I had bought a couple of years ago.  Why the plastic sleeves? To prevent the accidental scratch of course! 

Blue band is 17mm for Nissan, Yellow is 21mm for the Lexus

Love how Ko-ken has these knurled extension bars.

So of course once this wrench arrived I had to go and "check" all the wheels. 

Everything was tight, except for one nut on the front right wheel. Nice! As for removal, I had previously bought a Ko-Ken ZEAL series cross series lug nut wrench. 

From https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Ko-ken-4711XZ-Free-Turn-Wrench-12-7mm/dp/B08GL5PY49

I have a breaker bar somewhere too. So in summary, now I have all the specific tools to perfectly remove and re-mount my wheels.  If I ever have a need to do so (with carbon ceramics, the wheels don't get brake dust dirty anymore...)

Anyway, yes it is sad that I am so busy these days that I can only post this kind of stuff. I actually have a few things that have accumulated in my garage I need to get done soon. Hmm...

New Japanese Tools for the Marine Day Tinkering

So for years I have done my tinkering with relatively cheap tools - some not so bad ones like an old Craftsman standard/metric socket set I "borrowed" from my dad, but others from a random assortment of tools that I collected over the years - basically I would buy something when I needed it, without thinking much beyond that.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, however, that all changed.  I realized that now was the perfect time for me to build up my tools to high quality ones.  Working for Nissan, I also wanted to make sure that everything I bought was Made in Japan as well - hey gotta support Japan industry. If not Made in Japan, then at least a Japanese brand.  After all, both my cars are Japanese, so I figured why not get tools that match?

So over the past few months I have been doing my research and collecting when I can, certain tools.  A couple of these popped up on this blog previously. 

But only recently did I decide to go all out. For example, I discovered that Kyoto Tool Company ("KTC") specializes or at least is known for automotive repair related tools.  KTC is Japan's most popular brand and because I like supporting the underdog I wasn't automatically going to buy anything KTC so I did a lot of research.

But then I discovered that KTC and Nissan have a long standing relationship - KTC still makes tool kits for Nissan, for example, and in the past even supplied its Mirror Polish (now their super premium NEPROS brand) tools in Infiniti tool kits! 

In fact right now NEPROS are providing this tool kit for Nissan's Autech brand:

From https://ajcollection.theshop.jp/items/56720955

Anyway, this lead me to purchase a nice rolling tool cabinet - KTC offers several models but this is the only one fully Made in Japan.  It comes in silver, black, white or red so of course I got silver to match my car and the garage cabinets.

From https://ktc.jp/catalog/index-category/category-list/ekw-1005__1005bk

I also got the tool inserts designed for this tool cabinet - yes perfect for my OCD but in actuality really useful as it was easy to grab the right tool quickly, and also it made cleaning up so much more efficient too.

And yes perfect for my OCD...

However despite the cut outs for the KTC sockets and KTC socket wrench, you will note that even though I ended up filling up the socket holes with regular KTC sockets, I still went with another Japanese brand for more specialist sockets (not shown here) and a superlative socket wrench, Ko-Ken. 

Check out the difference between a KTC NEPROS 3/8inch socket wrench (bottom) and the Ko-Ken ZEAL 3/8 socket wrench (top).

Yep, the NEPROS wrench has a leather wrapped handle!

This company's wrenches are definitely superior to even the NEPROS socket wrench in terms of feel, balance and the ratchet resistance. With such light resistance, it really makes it easy to spin it by hand as well as return the wrench to the initial position.  The additional spinner wheel helps, as well as the cross hatch pattern on the extension bars, which Koken offers but KTC did not.

Note the cross hatch patterns on the socket extensions 

So everything other than what is circled is KTC

While I did order a set of KTC screwdrivers that fit nicely into the cutouts (and I had previously picked up the set of 3 KTC wrenches on sale), I still continue to rely heavily on this lifesaver, a rechargeable motorized screwdriver by Vessell, acknowledged as the premier screwdriver specialist in Japan. By using the motorized feature, much less tiring than spinning a screwdriver by hand, although of course for delicate work you can simply use as a regular screwdriver.  With the built in LED light, this kind of tool is particularly useful for doing work in dark places like the underside of the steering wheel.

Talking about dark places and lighting - I relied heavily on this LED headband as well as this magnetized COB LED work light by GENTOS - 1100 lumens, and a 10,000 mAh battery which lasts for 12 hours (if not more) easily on one charge.  Proper lighting is KEY when working under the dash.

But perhaps the SUPERSTAR of my recent project on Marine Day is this tool - can anyone guess what this does?

Merry HS175C Coupling Tool by Muromoto Tekko - btw I paid less than half retail on Amazon...

That's right it is a special tool designed specifically to quickly and easily remove those very annoying multi-pin automotive electrical connectors.  Made by Muromoto Tekko as part of their automotive speciality tools lineup and of course Made In Japan.  In the past, I had always struggled with those white electrical connectors - for example those that connect the power window switches to the main harness, or all those that connect the buttons on the main surround to the harness behind it.  Using this means my fingernails are no longer cracked, fingers are no longer sore, and since the tool makes disconnecting the connectors easy, it helps prevent damage to whatever interior piece that needs removal. Especially true as those plastics have all hardened with age and so require more force to disconnect than might be expected. 

I found this graphic which makes it easier to understand what I am saying...

Please check out the website where I found this graphic - tremendously helpful! Plus videos too!

In the same way, I also used this other tool a couple times for smaller connectors - it slips onto your thumb and gives you a built in plastic tip that you can press down on those small little disconnect tabs on the couplers.

It's called the Amon 2381 Music Project Harness Coupler Remover

So here is the rolling tool cabinet in action. Maybe in a future post I can show you how it arrived and how I had to unpack and put the wheels and side handle on, but in a word, it was super heavy! 74kg empty!!

Not sure about sticker tuning, frankly. Although I am tempted as I now have a large canvas for all those stickers I've collected from the parts I've installed on the GT-R.

There were several other tools I found and purchased in order to round out what I might need - except they were not need this time round. Like this 1/4 inch ratchet and socket set from Ko-Ken. Same super smooth low resistance ratchet as the 3/8 size.  And yes I do have the Ko-Ken Nut Grip Sockets, separate from this set and in both 1/4 and 3/8 sizes.

Not sure when I will be able to start really using these tools, but I feel pretty prepared for just about anything now, short of an engine or transmission removal!

Ok next post - back to more car stuff. Stay tuned and thanks for letting me talk about these tools. 

Japanese Tools for Japanese Cars!

So friends, yes I have not posted for awhile, but it does not mean I have not done anything car related in that time.  

Now that I have a decent garage, I started thinking about what kind of tools I will need going forward in order to properly support a "Garage Life" - not just display my car, or even my other hobby of washing/detailing my cars - as this blog has shown, since purchasing my GT-R I have always spent time tinkering with it, making it "mine."

But I have recently come to realize that while the Craftsman tools I inherited from my dad are decent, they are nowhere near as good as some stuff the Japanese make.  And as I get older and clumsier, anything that helps make it easier to work on my car(s) in my home garage, is most welcome. But good tools are expensive, right? Well, not if you live in Japan AND you buy Japanese tools - imported tools from the US, Germany, etc., ARE expensive however.  So I decided to start by focusing on Japanese tool manufacturers.

So far, I have discovered that Ko-ken Tools seems to be THE socket specialist - and they have an automotive specific line up, their Z-EAL line (basically making things as compact as possible to get into tight situations); KTC (Kyoto Tool Company) is known also for their comprehensive line-up, but are also known for their auto-specific tools (and their super premium NEPROS series!); TONE (pronounced "to-neh") is also a comprehensive tool manufacturer with some interesting stuff and some racing pedigree;  ENGINEER seems to be really into cutting tools, like wire cutters/strippers (I actually bought one during the stereo install) and pliers; VESSEL seems to be the king of screwdrivers (I bought their compact motorized one - saves my wrist!); and others such as ANEX and Asahi Tools  - and yes, many more - I am just beginning this new obsession!  And yes, I try to buy the "Made in Japan" products these manufacturers sell - not only do I find the Japanese craftsmanship superior, even to the items made in Taiwan (which are very close, admittedly) but it's my way of supporting my local economy (even some Japanese brands have things made in China and other countries, so sticking to Made in Japan is not just relying on the brand name)!

Anyway - let me show you why I got so excited about these tools. For example:

Ko-ken wheel nut sockets with protector

Simple idea, but really genius.  I have had to use electrical tape on the sockets I used on wheel nuts, but always felt there had to be a better way.  On these sockets, the thin plastic housing protects against inadvertent scratches on the wheel. On the inside, there is a small plastic circle at top to prevent scratching those chrome bolts too!

Or how about this - ever try to use a hex wrench, but in a location that was too small for your hands to manually start the bolt? So you either hope that you the screw is steel so that the magnetized hex wrench holds the screw just long enough to get started, or you use some something sticky to hold the screw on the wrench... well no more!

Why Good Design award? Check out the tips in this close-up:

That's right - the ends have spring loaded steel balls that hold the hex bolt head in place!

Well that's great for hex head bolts but what about regular bolts? Not to worry, Ko-ken has something for that too.

Same concept - the Ko-ken Nut Grip sockets have this black wire spring on the outside of the sockets that then hold two very small balls in place against the incoming bolt (blue arrows).

Speaking of Ko-ken - check out these socket wrench extensions with the built in knurling - useful for when you want to manually spin that bolt into place!

I mentioned VESSEL above - I am simply in love with their rechargeable powered "Ballgrip" screwdriver with changeable tips.

Rechargable via USB. Has a built in LED lamp too, so perfect accessing hard to see and reach screws from underneath, especially in the interior!

Finally, check out this TONE swivel head ratchet.

Now I know that Snap-On and other companies have swivel head ratchets, but what impressed me was the low price - around 6000 yen - plus the superb craftsmanship (made in Japan, yes!) - the handle is hollowed out so super light and superbly balanced! Have not had a chance to use this yet however...

Anyway - as I continue to buy and collect various tools, I will probably set up a PAGE on this blog dedicated to these tools. Most of them of course will be used to work on the GT-R, so yes this is all R33 GT-R related!

Oh, and yes, upcoming post very soon on the latest on the car itself, so please stay tuned!