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Shop Profile: DeLorean Midwest

As a Gen Xer, I have a soft spot for the “Back to the Future” movies and, of course, the DMC DeLorean used in those movies. Then I learned of DeLorean Midwest, a shop based outside Chicago that specializes in—you guessed it—DeLoreans. Watch this video profile of...

Watch this video on the four stages of grief for mechanics

You’ve likely heard of the psychological model called the five stages of grief. It’s used to describe the various emotions people might experience when dealing with a significant loss, and the the five stages of grief are commonly defined as denial, anger, bargaining,...

The first step I now take in vehicle diagnostics

The following four vehicles (which certainly are varied) all came to me for repair and I did not identify the root of their problems immediately. And that’s because I was staying stuck in my ways and not adapting to changing vehicles. Let’s examine. Situation One: A...

PSA: Stop throwing away brake rotor screws

Hello. My name is Lemmy, and I am guilty of throwing away brake rotor screws. At least I was guilty. I no longer commit this sin. You know the pieces I’m talking about. They’re the little screws with the huge heads that get boogered up when you try to remove them...

What tools do you keep in your road box for car repair? (VIDEO)

Description Do you have a toolbox ready to go for repairs on the road? What do you keep in it? Lemmy and Nick discuss the essential tools and supplies you’ll need to handle breakdowns, quick fixes, and other jobs miles away from your shop space.

Best of Shop Press 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, the Shop Press team assembled some of the most notable articles, videos, and more of the year. Our goal all along has been to provide a unique voice on a mix of topics that speaks to mechanics and the mechanically inclined like no other...

Fronting & facing and staging orders: the fast track to the wholesale parts counter

Most people in the auto parts industry look at putting parts on shelves or taking them off as busywork; something to be avoided. Goofing off or smoking a cigarette seems preferable. During my time slingin’ parts, however, I felt differently and still do. I asked a few...

Watch how magnetizer/demagnetizer tools work in this excellent video

During some recent work on an older SUV, I was absolutely fed up. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had just finished a fair bit of grinding and filing, and when I reached for my screwdriver to start installing some parts, I saw that the tool’s tip looked like the Wooly...

In The Bay

The TPMS tool that pays for itself

by Shop Press Staff | May 9, 2024

2 Comments

If you’re a regular Shop Press reader, you’ve met Chris before. (He’s hilariously identified some dash lights and also is better at identifying auto parts by feel than anyone else I know.) I’ve worked here for a while, but his tenure bests mine. The other day we were chatting and he introduced me to a Dorman tool that I didn’t even know we made. And I think it’s a home run for any shop that does an appreciable amount of tire work: a valve core driver, our 974-500.

I’m sure you’re unimpressed because every tire shop on the planet has a pile of valve core tools. However, the 974-500 has a neat party trick: it’s got a preset torque limiter built in. At 3.9 pounds, it clicks just like your torque wrench. I tested it. It’s right on the money.

This is a no-brainer to me. Toss one or two on the tire machine. They only cost a few bucks each, and if you break one, buy another. If it saves literally just one TPMS valve stem from premature (read: shop-funded!) replacement, it paid for itself.

I also intend to kiss one of these with an endmill and see if I can’t make a nice low-torque flathead screwdriver for myself. In any event, it’s a helpful little tool and even though I have worked here for a few years, I didn’t know we offered it. My bet is that you didn’t either.

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