How To Make The Most Of Your Garage This Winter
The benefit winter offers, for those of us who live in colder climates, is that it awards us an opportunity to undertake large projects without worry that we’re missing track days, car shows, or any good driving weather. Winter projects are a staple in the DIY community and where much of the work the rest of the world sees in the following spring and summer happens. If you’re like me, then you’re already prepping your garage and taking the steps to put your summer BMWs away for a long season of wrenching. With those ambitions in mind, now is the right time to grab a few things to make your life, and your projects, much easier. These are just a few of the essential garage fixtures we recommend you add to your collection before you dig into those winter adventures. | | | | Schwaben Fluid Extractor
This is a must-have all year but becomes especially handy in winter. The Schwaben Fluid Extractor makes short work of oil changes and other fluid services with no mess or fuss. I’ve personally tested the fluid extractor against traditional draining methods and found the extractor is more effective at removing all of the oil in your engine for the most complete service than even traditional draining, as it draws a vacuum on the oil system rather than allowing the oil to pool in the crevices and valleys of the pan, which can trap more oil than you think. This extractor is a no-brainer for any DIYer and will help keep your garage nice and clean while you are able to remove fluids easily without ever crawling under your car to do so. | | | | | | | Schwaben European Brake Pressure Bleeder Kit
Along the same lines of convenience, our brake bleeder kit is essential no matter the time of year. It’s important to flush and replace your brake fluid every two years or so, and any time you remove calipers, lines, or anything with fluid running through it. I have some cleaning up to do with my current brake line setup in the engine bay that I will handle with the engine out, which means I’ll need to bleed my brakes. Unfortunately, I know I won’t be able to convince my girlfriend to join me in the garage while it’s cold to help me bleed the brakes, so having a pressure bleeder is my only option unless I want to bribe someone. This kit allows you to perform the brake bleeding procedure alone and more effectively than the usual two-person pedal-pumping method. It’s cleaner, it’s easier, and it’s something every garage should have anyway. | | | | | | | Schwaben Fluid Suction/Fill Pump
Last, on our list of fluid service convenience tools, our fill/suction pump is just what you need to do transmission and differential services from the comfort of your home. This is pretty simple, there’s no special gimmick, it’s just a good pump is all. It’s graduated, which means you can precisely measure out the correct amount of fluid you intend to fill in your gearboxes and makes these services a breeze. You know you’re probably going to do your diff and trans service, especially with the help of some of the tools we’re mentioning next. You might as well do it yourself with our handy kits and this pump. | | | | | | | Schwaben Low-Profile High-Lift Floor Jack
Working on lowered BMWs is excruciating without the proper tools. Ordinarily, a system of wooden planks, ramps, and wheel chocks are required to lift your BMW safely. In my case, I like to lift from the front subframe and rear differential. Unfortunately, few jacks are able to reach under the car and do this without first driving up onto my definitely not sketchy homemade wooden ramps. While there are purpose-built ramps, I still have to remove my front lip, which always breaks those little plastic clips when I do, and still involves a bunch of maneuvering. Our new Long-Reach Low-Profile High-Lift (lots of adjectives there) floor jack is the perfect solution for me and anyone else who lives the low life. This jack is both slim enough to fit under even the most aggressively lowered cars and long enough to reach the easiest jack points for the fewest trips around the car to raise it in the air. Naturally, with its length, it also lifts high enough that you can establish a comfortable working height under the car for taller jack stands. | | | | | | | 3-Ton Wide Base Jack Stands
That brings us to the safety side of things when lifting your BMW in the air for large projects. Jack stands are important if you, you know, value your life. Of course, no one likes to crawl under their car when it’s barely off the ground, and that makes using a creeper basically impossible. You need something tall enough to give you clearance that’s also safe enough to trust your life with when you’re under the car. Our 3-Ton Wide Base Jack Stands are perfect for stabilizing your BMW and hoisting it high enough to make your project convenient. As I get older, the need for a padded creeper is critical, which means I absolutely need to have my BMW in the air tall enough to allow the use of one. These jack stands paired with the high lift jack make that possible. | | | | | | | Padded Reclining Creeper
As I mentioned, my back just ain’t what it used to be. Years of believing I was invincible and laying on cold, hard, concrete working under my cars has absolutely ruined me and now I dread clambering under the car without something comfortable and easy. Our Schwaben Padded Reclining Creeper is the cushiest way to knock out anything you need to handle under the car in style. No more scooching around on a piece of cardboard or rolling over a rock that you keep finding with your shoulder blade. Just make your life easier and those next DIYs more comfortable with our creeper. It even has an adjustable headrest so you can have maximum laziness while you take on that project. | | | | | | | Schwaben Padded Creeper Stool
Now, for beside the car, the same can be said for my knees as can be said for my back. They’re just plain shot at this point (insert inappropriate joke.) The best way to simplify your wheel changes, brake services, suspension replacements, and other projects that happen on the outside of your BMW is with our padded creeper stool. Why walk around, squat, and make your legs fall asleep when you can roll around in style? It also has a handy tray underneath to store all the tools you need for each job so you don’t have to get up until you’re finished. I’ve always said, hire a lazy man for the job because he’ll find the fastest and easiest way to get it done. Now, you can have that luxury with our creeper stool and laugh when you effortlessly take care of maintenance that otherwise can be a complete pain. | | | | | | | Schwaben European Trim Tool Kit
Speaking of complete pains, I’ll be finishing my interior restoration in my E30 this winter, which means removing all the little clips that hold the door cards, rear quarter interior panels, and other bits of trim in place. Yes, it can be done with a flathead screwdriver, but you and I both know we’re lying to ourselves when we say we aren’t going to break a bunch of clips or gouge the leather in the process. Just spring for our trim tool kit. It’s only a matter of time before you have to replace, clean, or refresh something in your interior. This kit is designed to safely remove all those bits and pieces. Not only is it the correct way, but it’s also the easiest. We’re all about making DIY jobs accessible here at Turner Motorsport, and this kit is one you can’t pass up if you plan on doing anything to your interior in the future. | | | | | | | Schwaben Automatic Battery Tender
Whether you’re working on your BMW or just storing it, this is something we’ve touted as a must-have for years now. The last thing you want to happen is for your battery to die while your BMW sits or the battery sits out of your car while it waits for you to reinstall it post-project. When you come back to drive your car in the spring, you have two options: keep your battery charged all winter and simply start it up, or don’t and have fun trying to jump it with your daily or a jump box. It’s a pretty clear choice, if you ask me, to pick the battery tender. | | | | | | | Schwaben Deluxe Engine Support Bar
If you have anything planned that involves removing the front subframe, running gear, or engine mounts, this is absolutely essential. If you have an engine crane, you probably have been postponing purchasing an engine support bar. I know I did. Why would I need both? Well, the engine crane is large, unwieldy, and makes crawling under the car nearly impossible thanks to the support legs. Not only that, but it’s easy to misalign the engine, and then you have to fight it back into place, especially if you have polyurethane or solid mounts. Our engine support bar holds the engine in place safely, doesn’t take up the space of a small car in your garage, and won’t shift around on you so you can easily reinstall everything. If you love your engine crane as much as I love mine, then you’ll be ecstatic when you have a chance to use this support bar. We also have a ‘basic’ version that’s about half the price and offers many of the same features if the price is an objection. | | | | | | | Schwaben Wall-Mounted Wheel & Tire Storage Racks
Finally, the last big-ticket item that will make your winter garage sessions much less painful is our wall-mounted wheel storage rack. Between my two cars, my motorcycle, and my girlfriend’s car, I have more sets of wheels than I know what to do with. Spare tires, summer wheels, winter wheels, spare wheels, and more take up valuable floor space that could be better used for workbenches, more equipment, or just empty workspace. Using the vertical space in your shop is the perfect solution for maximizing the storage volume your garage has to offer. Our wall-mounted storage racks are specifically designed to keep your wheels and tires out of your hair and off the ground for simple and effective storage. No risk of damage to your wheels, no flat spots on your tires, and no tripping over multiple sets of wheels that have no business being lazily tossed about your garage. | | | | | Wrapping Up
Of course, there are far more tools, pieces of equipment, and garage fixtures that can make your home services easier. This list is effectively what I came up with based on my needs for frequent jobs I take on in my garage. By my logic, if I need them, then it’s likely that plenty of you do too. If you don’t see some of your favorite DIY tools on this list that you think every BMW owner and DIYer should own, let us know! We can’t think of everything. Reach out to [email protected] and you may find yourself in a future edition of Turner Motorsport Weekly.
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