[Hylke]

x2 on the hand and eye protection, especially with wire wheels on an anglegrinder. A welder like mentioned above, a tap and die set. A set of torx wrenches and a set of allen wrenches to replace the torx screws.
Steering wheel puller, bearing puller, which you might want to rent or borrow. Axle stands.
Did I mention a wheelbarrow filled with money?

[Mark4883]

Your first purchase should definitely be a quality TORX set. If there is one thing that you are going to want to splurge on a little more this is it. With cheaper sets the TORX bits will bend and then strip out your bolt making both useless. Since this is your first set of tools you will also need a set of sockets, I recommend you get deep well to start since you need them quite a bit. Other than that, a set of box end wrenches, pb blaster, and some eye protection will let you get to the point where working on your jeep is possible. Additional tools you need will become quite apparent as you work on more complex projects.

[Olrev]

Hmmm, must have...I don't see duct tape, or JB Weld in the mix but when all else fails.

Screwdrivers; flat and phillips, all sizes
Standard socket set; 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" drive sets
Channel locks
Vice Grips
Adjustable wrenches
Box end wrench set; std.
Pliers; all varieties
Side Cutters/Dykes (is that politically correct?)
Torx set; from really small up to like 45 I think
Allen wrench set
Pipe wrench
Hammer; big 'un
A GOOD tire tool and jack; stock is crap.
Small/large pry bar
Punch and/or scratch
Drum brake adjuster

That's what's in my bag...plus a bunch of nuts/bolts/hose clamps/etc....

[Roadymi]

A lot of good advice so far.......when it comes to hand tools........buy quality tools, cry once.....buy cheap junk, cry forever. There is some flexibility with this rule. Some seldom used tools you can get by with cheap...then there are some tools you should never by cheap....For example I have never seen a pair of cheap vise grips worth a darn.

[justjeeps]

There are several tool manufacturers who offer a lifetime warranty on their hand tools. IMO for the money you can't go wrong with Craftsman tools and with Christmas around the corner, you should be able to get some good deals on a tool set. They have several sets at different prices based on the number of tools you need/want. I believe a good basic set use to run under $200. For someone who is just starting out trying to learn, I do not recommend spending your money on a welder. You can pay someone with experience to do what you need unless you are really interested in learning that trade. I also would suggest the plumbers torch and PB Blaster as these really are necessary to break loose rusty bolts. Last, as mentioned before, spend the money on a quality set of torx sockets. They can be a real nightmare when rusted. After that, buy tools on a as needed basis.

[cj7ole]

A floor jack and jackstands. I got a $100 Delco aluminum mini racing jack and it works fine, probably the same one you see at HF. Never get under your rig on a jack without jackstands.

A decent compressor with an impact wrench.

[billymac4511]

Originally Posted by Olrev

Side Cutters/Dykes (is that politically correct?)

Off topic, not flaming and just sharing info as a side-note...

Dykes is NOT politically correct...
Dikes is. Dykes are what made you question if what you were saying was right or not (or is also a large barrier used to restrict water flow, such as in Holland or New Orleans... it's spelling varies depending on the area of the country you are in.)

Dikes is a portmanteau for two words. Diagonal Cutters as the angle of the cutting head is diagonal at different degrees, depending on the style of cutters.

I heard this tidbit on the radio the other morning and thought it was well worth sharing... that way, when your politically-correct neighbor cusses you out for calling your cutters "Dikes" (or Dykes...) you can send his pompous attitude right back at em with this little factoid.

Okie... derail-off! Thank you!

[billymac4511]

Ok, so for some of the tools mentioned:

Air compressor and impact gun: INVALUABLE...
when you borrow a joint compressor from autozone (they charge a MASSIVE deposit, usually double the price to buy one of the same tools) you're going to want an impact gun to do the dirty work or you will end up with DIESEL shoulders/arms...

A welder: I picked up my little mini-mig that runs off 110 house current (and actually works with my giant power inverter on my rig!) for less than 175 off ebay. If you do get a welder (I do reccomend... just learning the basics of how to tack stuff back together is SO helpful!) make sure to get a nice set of leather welding gloves... again, only 10 or 15 bucks off ebay... maybe less at a local discount store.... and spend the extra 20 bucks for an AUTO-Darkening welding hood. The frustration you will save by having the solar-cell darken the hood for you when you start to weld is amazing. I will never go back to a standard hood, unless I absolutely must (emergency trail fix or something.)

If you're going to go the welder route... the mig is nice and cheap, but if you can take a class on oxy-acetylene welding/cutting, you will kill several birds with one stone. A gas-torch will work for heating bolts, cutting off stubborn things/blowing out bolt holes that are siezed shut, welding, brazing... the list is pretty long. You'll spend about $300 for the Port-A-Torch kit, which is as far as I've seen, the smallest "complete" kit you can get... you will want to get a bigger o2 bottle though and save the 20CuFt one that comes with it as an emergency backup... when cutting you blast through that 20CuFt bottle in about 30 minutes.

I know VIP in this area (new england) was running a special on floor-jacks and jackstands... a 4ton jack and 2 4ton stands for 50 bucks. That's a smoking good deal... A few discount stores around here have had a similar sale but I believe it was for 2-ton equipment and was only a few bucks less.

A NICE set of leather gloves and Safety glasses. Do NOT skimp on this stuff. If the gloves suck, you won't wear them.... which defeats their purpose. Same with the glasses. Plus, TAKE CARE OF THEM. You won't want to put on safety glasses that are all scratched and fubar. Plus, if you spend a few extra bucks on em, you're more likely to put them back in the case when you're done instead of throwing them on the work bench.... which brings me to the next thing on the list...

A work bench with a good-sized anvil/vice. It's hard to work on parts, when they keep moving around or you have to kneel on the ground to work on em! A nice workbench can be built for fairly cheap... especially if you have some scrap 2X4's laying around.

Throw a good, thick 1/2" plywood surface on it (or thicker!) then near the edge, bolt down VERY securely, a 20-50LB anvil/vice. The more secure you bolt the thing down, the less cursing you will do in the future when you're trying to break free that one last bolt that's between you and your repair!

[jtpaintball70]

One bolt with a standard head for each Torx that you pull out of the Jeep... just to make your life easier

[weride]

all of them....................... you'll know when you need a tool by researching the repair and buy it then. don't skim on tools, you wont only need it this one time.

[jkoch8819]

I cant believe nobody mentioned this, but he will also need another CJ7 for Donor parts. And another car to get you back and forth to the parts store...

Welcome to the Jeep world Just remember Jeep stands for... Just Empty Every Pocket.......
And you will enjoy every minute of it

[weride]

true we did leave that tidbit out; we don't want him to second guess the stroke of genious he ha when he entered the club.

[weride]

and remember if you use the pb blaster (or yeild if you can get it) with the torch, flames and smoke are bad.

[daltonw]

Originally Posted by jkoch8819

I cant believe nobody mentioned this, but he will also need another CJ7 for Donor parts. And another car to get you back and forth to the parts store...

Welcome to the Jeep world Just remember Jeep stands for... Just Empty Every Pocket.......
And you will enjoy every minute of it

So true so true! I have 2 jeeps at school. One is missing a gas tank and my DD is usually being worked on in the driveway so I have to have my dodge here too to run to Oreillys about 2-3 times a day.
Sorry for going off on a tangent

[21usmc47]

Please keep the responses civil; but a Land Rover Discovery is the greatest tool to have when the CJ just wont go. Save it; I have both and those Rovers are a BEAST off road. But I still can't get rid of my CJ, love it and wheel it.