Completing a 100,000 Mile Maintenance Using Just One Tool Set

Here's a challenge for you: can you perform the 100,000-mile service on your vehicle using only one tool set? 

Of course it depends on the vehicle and the tool set. If you happen to have a 2010 Jeep Wrangler and the Powerbuilt 200 Piece Master Mechanic's Service Tool Set - the answer is "Yes you can!" .

That's what our staffer Greg discovered when he challenged himself to complete the necessary 100,000-mile maintenance along with a couple other minor fixes on his Wrangler.

Here are the jobs he attempted to complete using only the Powerbuilt 200 piece set:

1. Remove and replace wheels and spacers
2. Remove and replace calipers and brackets
3. Replace rotors and pads
4. Bleed brakes
5. Replace oil, air and fuel filters
6. Replace spark plugs
7. Replace serpentine belt, tensioner and idler pulley
8. Replace EVAP canister
9. Replace soft top
10. Replace passenger side mirror

Four hours and a couple beers later, he successfully completed the challenge, using just the toolset and a pair of Powerbuilt 3 Ton Unijacks

The Unijack eliminates the need for jackstands 

Greg offered the following comments about the challenge:

Removing Lug Nuts

The set had the 1/2" drive 3/4" deep socket I needed to remove the lug nuts on the Jeep as well as most other passenger vehicles on the road. The set includes 17mm, 19mm, 21mm, 13/16" and 7/8" deep sockets (among others).

The sockets are chrome, so using an impact gun isn't an option. I admit I was tempted to use a cheater bar, but that would have been...cheating. Loosening the lug nuts using the 1/2" drive ratchet was tough, but the ratchet held up fine.

I held up OK too, since the 90 tooth ratchets in the set have with wide comfortable flat handles. That made applying all that torque more comfortable than using a round handle ratchet. Nevertheless, as I recall, a beer was consumed sometime during the wheel removal part of the challenge.  

The set includes new 90T ratchets with wide comfortable handles

Servicing Brakes

This wouldn't be possible if the set didn't include a wide range of hex bit and Torx bits and Torx bit sockets. The set includes Torx bits and sockets from T-10 to T-55 and a wide range of SAE and metric hex bits and sockets. I also used the Torx bits to remove and replace the soft top and side mirror.  

I avoided the need for a brake bleeding kit by using the gravity method to bleed the brakes. 

Changing Oil

Pretty straightforward, mostly because I was able to spin the old filter off by hand. Got lucky on that one!

Replacing Spark Plugs

Easy to do using the 5/8" spark plug socket. The set has a 13/16" plug socket as well. It's nice that the set has a couple wobble-end extension bars. Those come in handy when trying to reach those deeper spark plugs. 

Changing Serpentine Belt

Got lucky here too. I just used the 1/2" drive ratchet and a socket to lever the tensioner out of the way so the belt would go slack. I changed the tensioner and idler pulley, then reversed the procedure to seat the new belt. 

 Challenge Met! Beers Consumed! World Conquered!