For BMW enthusiasts, working on our own cars provides an enjoyable bonding experience. While it may be easier to have someone else do the work, being able to complete everything from simple jobs to complex projects at home provides a sense of independence and pride. It may not include everything, but our list highlights the best equipment to outfit your garage to do anything BMW enthusiasts could dream of. Companies like QuickJack and Schwaben make working at home on any BMW convenient and instill confidence that each maintenance service or performance upgrade are perfectly performed.
QuickJack is an all-inclusive, lightweight, and portable lifting system perfect for your BMW either at home or at the track. Their easily maneuverable three-part setup includes both a left and right lift and a hydraulic system with quick-release fittings for nearly instant assembly. The included riser blocks allow for raising any BMW safely from the factory jack points and can extend the total height range to 21” of ground clearance for easy access underneath the vehicle.
Since the QuickJack lifts are independent of each other, positioning the lifts underneath your BMW is fast and easy. They can also be used in conjunction with a four-post drive on style lifts to allow for work on wheels, suspension, and brakes traditionally not feasible with a drive on system. These lifts are perfect for that quick wheel change at the track to swap out your daily wheels for a set of lightweight APEX Wheels and racing tires, changing your suspension settings, and anything you can do with jacks and jack stands, but in a fraction of the time! Don’t forget to grab a wheel hangar for easy wheel installs and Schwaben Protective Wheel Lug Sockets to keep your nice wheels from being damaged during removal and installation.
Our existing guides can take you through the suspension and wheels we recommend for your BMW based on your driving requirements, but the QuickJack lifts make all that work easy and enjoyable to do wherever you work on your vehicle.
Along with the convenient lifting solutions offered by QuickJack, Schwaben specialty tools are a must for any dedicated BMW enthusiast interested in maintaining their car at home with professional equipment designed for private use. Schwaben offers a Fluid Extractor for easy and fast oil changes, a Pressure Brake Bleeder system perfect for brake service when you have no one to help bleed brakes, and their incredible Air Purge Tool that takes all the guesswork out of coolant bleeding.
The Schwaben Fluid Extractor gives BMW drivers one of the easiest oil changes ever. Without needing to even raise the car, this extractor threads down the dipstick tube of most BMWs and creates a vacuum which pulls the oil, sludge, and particulate contaminants from the engine more effectively than a traditional gravity drain. For top accessible oil filter engines, this extractor is the absolute best oil change method; for these reasons, many dealerships prefer to use similar methods instead of traditional gravity draining.
Following the same principles, the Schwaben Air Purge Tool is the most effective way to eliminate trapped air in your coolant system after a service or confirm leaks. The tool is connected to an air compressor, fit on the coolant reservoir, and creates a vacuum in the whole system. When the Venturi valve is closed, the vacuum pulls coolant straight from the jug and forces it into the coolant system for an air-free coolant refill. If there are leaks present, the air purge tool will not hold vacuum, indicating additional services will be required to complete the job. This is definitely preferable to putting everything back together only to find your BMW is still overheating!
Schwaben's Pressure Brake Bleeder tool allows for easy brake service that involves fluid bleeding to be performed solo. No need to have a friend over to pump the pedal means brake services are easier than ever. This system works similarly to the Fluid Extractor but pushes brake fluid down from the reservoir through the whole system. This forces the air to be pushed out the larger opening as it is displaced by fluid under pressure, and is actually the specified correct service method according to BMW. With a master cylinder, reservoir, caliper, or line replacement, there is no better tool. No more bench bleeding or needing a helping hand!
For all the difficult jobs that normally require a trip to the dealership, like VANOS service or other cylinder head work, Schwaben has you covered. The Schwaben Camshaft Alignment Tool Kits allow you to perform services confidently from the comfort of your own workspace. These specialty BMW tools are must-haves for home garages, especially for aging BMWs.
With all these fantastic tools in an at-home shop, any DIYer has professional abilities nearly instantly. In order to see what you are doing, however, proper lighting is paramount. Creating an atmosphere in your garage or providing light at the race track is simple with Schwaben shop lighting. Magnetic strips allow mechanics to place the light where it does the most service without potentially damaging paint or swinging around and becoming a nuisance. Portable lighting makes seeing those nooks and crannies inside engine bays or underneath cars easy whether you are on the track or in your garage.
If you have a set of winter wheels or a dedicated APEX wheel and tire track setup, you will want a place to store them that is safe but out of the way. Shop space is something every tool, workbench, and car fights over. Garages never seem big enough. Schwaben's Wall Mounted Wheel Rack gives you the space you need to store those APEX wheels up on the wall and out of harm’s way. Proper storage ensures your tires will not be affected adversely by storage conditions and that your new wheels will stay free of chips and scrapes!
With our recommendations for lifting solutions, purging tools, bleeder tools, and convenience items around your shop, the ultimate BMW garage is born. Saving time safely means you are behind the wheel more than under the car, and all these tools give you the shortest job times with the most complete and effective results for at-home work. Make your own ultimate BMW garage with QuickJack, Schwaben, and Turner Motorsport.
