Tools of the Trade – Getting Started with your Willys Jeep

• By Seth Hensler of Red Eye Garage – Visit the Tools Category on the Kaiser Willys Website

So, you bought an old Willys Jeep! Congratulations! Now the real fun begins! The beauty of a vintage Jeep is that they are nothing like a modern car. That includes aesthetics, ride quality, cost, and unfortunately reliability. Sooner or later, you will need to fix, repair or replace something. Having the right tool for the job can be the difference between an enjoyable Saturday afternoon project and a costly nightmare.

Let’s chat about a few of the basic tools that every Vintage Jeep owner should have on hand. The beauty of the Willys Jeep is that it was a bare bones wartime vehicle. It was designed to be quickly repaired in the field with minimal tools. Soldiers with basic mechanical training repaired Jeeps out on the battlefield more than the mechanics back at the motor pool. This is good news for us!
Before you get your hands dirty, we recommend calling us to find out what factory service manuals are available for your Jeep. Our manuals cover every procedure you could imagine. The diagrams and schematics are wonderful resources to have on hand while working on your Jeep. You should also have a fire extinguisher in your shop and in your vehicle. It would be a shame to have all your hard work go “up in smoke”. PPE also known as “Personal Protective equipment” is a must have. You cannot take care of your Jeep if you don’t take care of yourself. Eye protection, ear protection and a good respirator are critical! We also recommend you always keep a properly stocked first aid kit nearby. Make sure your tetanus shots are up to date! Old Jeeps are rusty, dirty and full of critters. A rabies shot, wasp spray and snake bite kit could be useful too. Reviving 70+ year old Jeeps is not for the faint of heart!

Let’s work from the bottom up! Changing a tire may seem like an elementary task, but it’s an extremely important one. Keeping a good hydraulic jack in your shop is the way to go. We recommend a good 5 or 6-ton quick lift jack. The style that has the attached handle that twists to release is the way to go. You will also want to keep an original Willys style jack #999536, bottle jack, scissor jack or a farmer’s jack in your jeep for tire changes on the road/trail. A good set of four jack stands is also recommended. Please make note of your vehicle weight when selecting these items. Each stand/jack manufacturer will specify the safe working load limit.

You will want to keep a lug wrench in your rig that fits the lug nut size of your Jeep. Most are ¾ or 13/16th. #M5502 & TIRON (don’t forget if your wheel studs are original, the driver’s side will be “left hand thread”) If you’re removing wheels back in the shop you will save a lot of time and sweat by keeping an impact gun on hand. There are many great options out there. Both battery and pneumatic powered guns are suitable for this task. All the major tool companies will have what you need. We recommend ½” drive for lug nuts and a 3/8” drive for smaller fasteners on your jeep. Always use sockets that are rated for impact use on your impact gun. Always perform the final torquing of the lug nuts with a properly calibrated torque wrench. Don’t forget, the type of wheels you have on your Jeep dictate the torque spec.

Now that your wheels are off, it’s time to check and/or replace those crusty old brakes! Unlike a modern vehicle with disc brakes or slip on drums, your Willys will require you to remove the entire hub and drum. This was very common with all makes of vehicles from this era. This is one area most new Jeep owners make a mistake… “I don’t need a special tool for this” Trust us… your want the right tool for this job. Good original hubs and drums are getting hard to find and suitable replacements aren’t cheap. You WILL damage the hub/drum and possibly the axle if you don’t use the correct tool. Please Use # HP600 for this task. The HP600 puller will save you more time, money and frustration than you can ever imagine. The HP600 puller is for the rear axle. Up front you will need #A692-A. This is the spindle socket needed to remove the two large nuts behind the drive flange/hub. Resist the urge to borrow Bubba’s chisel and hammer. This $14.99 socket will last a lifetime, and your Jeep will thank you for it! Below is a list of other great tools Kaiser Willys offers for working on your brakes.

For the task of bleeding air from your brake system we highly recommend #M5525 vacuum brake bleeding kit. This turns a frustrating 2-man job into a solo breeze!

Moving to steering and suspension. Not many specialty tools are needed for this category. Having an impact gun on hand can be a great help. #668199 drag kink tool will make removing the drag link much easier. #WP300 is the only way to go if you want to remove your steering wheel without damaging your wheel or column shaft.

• Hand wrenches from ¼ to 1” (2 of each is ideal)
• Socket/rachet set. Deep and shallow in ½, 3/8, and ½” Drive. Sockets ¼” to 1-1/4” is ideal
  ½” and 3/8” SAE deep-well. Impact socket set.
• The crankshaft nut on a Willys engine is 1-3/8” You will want to keep that size on hand.
• Breaker bar
• Ball-peen hammer
• Vise grips
• 3–4-pound mechanic’s hammer
• Rubber mallet/dead-blow and brass head hammer
• Brass drift set
• Channel locks
• Needle nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Side cutters
• Allen Wrench set (SAE)
• Pry Bar set
• O-ring pic set

Now onto the engine bay. A basic selection of hand tools is all you will need for most repairs and maintenance. Below is a “bare minimum” list.

While this may seem like a lot of things, you don’t need to go out and buy it all at once. You may already have a lot of these things under the work bench in your garage. With the basic tools listed above you can perform almost any job your Willys may need!

Up next is a list of specialty tools that you won’t need every day but they would be great things to remember when someone asks what you want for your birthday/Christmas.

#M5547 Nut Splitter
#M5544 Broken Stud Remover

#M5523 Fuel Pump Removal Tool Kit
#C637 Rear Axle Shaft Puller Kit

#M5520 Carrier Bearing Puller Tool
#M5526 Spark Plug Wire Puller Tool

#M5539 Oil Seal Puller
#M5545 Tie Rod/Pitman Arm Puller

• Dial indicator (with magnetic base) This is used on the transfer case and differentials
• 6” Dial caliper
• A good slide hammer set
• 0-1” micrometer

Let’s get back to business! Tuning a Go-devil Willys engine is a great way to learn engine mechanics! They are simple and forgiving. They don’t require a lot of equipment, and there is a ton of information out there. You will want a good set of feeler gauges. #M5501.

These are used in several places. The most common being, Spark plug and point gap as well as valve tappet adjustment. A compression tester and vacuum gauge #M5536 are also great to have on hand to diagnose your engine. If you live in a cold climate we recommend keeping a coolant tester on hand. It’s a cheap and effective way to let you know at what temperature your coolant will freeze. This was covered in the “winterize your Jeep” section of our 2024 catalog.

One positive aspect of owning an antique vehicle is that they have a very basic electrical system. No computers, Bluetooth or microchips. Your Willys has just enough wires and components to make the engine run and illuminate a few light bulbs. Troubleshooting your Willys electrical system only requires a few simple devices. Please take note that Willys Jeeps depending on the model could be 6, 12 or 24 -volts. Let’s break it down!

• Multi-meter. These are invaluable for checking voltage/resistance and continuity.
• Test light. A quick and easy way to diagnose in the shop and on the trail.
• Jumper wires. These can help with diagnosis and can get you home in a pinch.
• Dwell meter. Old school and not something everyone needs but they are helpful.
• Power probe. (these are optional) quite expensive but can be handy for testing.
• Spark plug tester
• Dielectric grease. Great for weatherproofing connections.
• Jumper cables or jump pack. (for obvious reasons)

This article is a basic rundown of tools for working on common repairs and maintenance. Kaiser Willys carries many specialty tools designed for engine rebuilding and extensive overhauls. Please call or DM us with questions you may have about procedures not discussed here. Please perform all your mechanical tasks at your own discretion. We urge you to consult a professional anytime you are working on safety items such as, but not exclusively, wheels/tires/brakes/steering and suspension. Kaiser Willys is not responsible for any damages to persons or property as a result of you working on your Jeep. Be careful, have fun… keep the greasy side down. See you on the trails! – Kaiser Willys

Kaiser Willys Jeep Tech Article – by Seth Hensler

If you would like to share your Willys Jeep Story please send us a line. We’d love to meet your Jeep.

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