Suburban Garage 20x20 by 9eight7

9eight7 · Feb 17, 2021

This past year I got a little restless and decided to do some house projects to make the home more comfortable. I started my search on Google for how-to guides and tools to complete the tasks. Tool reviews brought me to Garage Journal and another car forum brought me to this sub-forum (Garage Gallery). This site has been a wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and a terrible influence for my wallet :willy_nil

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Everyone needs a place to store their tools and toys so the garage is the next place I make my own. I'll be updating this first post as I move along my journey.

Before Pics:

I wish I took better before pics when I first moved or before moving things around. There was 1 warm light bulb that illuminated nothing makes it difficult to work on the toys.

In Progress...

9eight7 · Feb 17, 2021

Contents will be updated with new posts

Shelving
Flooring
Lights
Tool Box/Work Bench

9eight7 · Feb 17, 2021

Shelves

We wanted to clear as much floor space as possible to remove clutter and so that I have room to work on the cars. I sold off the Ducati, bicycle, tricycle, and wanted to move my car parts over head. Costco was running a sale on these ceiling mounted shelves so we bought 3 pairs to test them out. I drew out several configurations and decided 5 would be the best.

First shelf up
3x - Clearing space feels good
5 Shelves

9eight7 · Feb 17, 2021

Floor

I ordered some samples from Swisstrax to see if I like tiles.

9eight7 · Feb 17, 2021

Lights

I took a look through the lighting sub-forum and am still working out my design on this.

Before:

There was only 1 dim bulb for the entire garage. I would constantly hit the garage openers for their additional light and using portable lights for all my work.

A few months in, my dad recommended this LED light. It's a direct plug/play and gives me 3-4x the brightness, however it's still not enough.

Before:

New Bulb

9eight7 · Feb 17, 2021

Tool Box/Work Bench

I'd like to add something to store my tools and to give me a surface to work on, but I'm having a hard time. I was really eyeing this one as it gives a little extra height and ample storage but I can't find it anywhere!

milwaukee 48-22-8553
https://milwaukeetool.com/Products/Storage-Solutions/Steel-Storage/48-22-8553

53PontiacSD · Feb 17, 2021

Sorry, but the pictures aren't showing up.

Billy

9eight7 · Feb 18, 2021

53PontiacSD said:
Sorry, but the pictures aren't showing up.

Billy

Thanks for letting me know. I'll just upload them through the site instead.

kyle@hcb · Feb 19, 2021

Sweet vehicles!

9eight7 · Feb 19, 2021

kyle@hcb said:
Sweet vehicles!

Thank you!

If there's any interest, I may post up pictures of my track days and some DIY.

9eight7 · Feb 24, 2021

With the pandemic going on last year, the home office commute became the norm and the car became a nice paper weight. I noticed oil on the driveway, some really sloppy liquid gasket around the oil pan, more oil/dirt everywhere, tons of nuts/droppings left by squirrels, and dried up pink coolant all over. I decided enough is enough so time to wrench...

My A4 (B8) seems to be taking all my spare time in '21 so far with small repairs like thermostat (Code P2181), hood cable slipping, and an oil pan replacement. Here are a few pictures I took between the cursing, driving to/from the store a million times, and talking myself out of giving up for a few hours.

In the first picture, you can see the seeping oil and sloppy gasket install. Whoever did this work had a heavy hand when squeezing the tube making this a triple stuffed Oreo. The Tekton T-30 is 1/4" which is very short in length which will come in handy, too bad I stripped it on the first screw

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16 of the 19 screws came out no problem with my new Torx socket my wife picked up on the way home from the grocery store :rocker:

. Went to the store to buy a ratcheting 1/4" wrench to hold a T-30 bit (I've only had metric motorcycles and cars) then removed 2 more screws.

The last one has the lowest clearance and is directly above the subframe, which I did not want to remove after researching online. I don't have an engine holder, lent my floor jack to my dad earlier this week, and was only meters away from the finish line... or so I thought. I stripped the snot out of the torx screw then went to the store again to buy more tools. Off to the store for a 20mm socket to lower the steering box and 3x square sockets, returned because I actually needed 21mm instead, HD this time for a screw extractor (recommended by an employee over Dremel), back again for a Dremel because it didn't work, then another trip because I don't have an extra wide screw driver. :eyecrazy:

At this point I said I give up :tantrum2:

however my better half said (I'm summarizing here), don't give up, here's a beer, grind that sucker out.

After wasting over half a day on one damn screw, I ground that SOB :bigun2:

and hoped that I had enough thread sticking out to remove. Luckily enough it worked! The rest was easy peasy and finished the next hour including dinner and cleanup.

9eight7 · Mar 1, 2021

While painting the interior of the house this weekend, a sweet surprise arrived. I switched gears from painting and decided to install my new Swisstrax.

Step 1: Play Tetris and move everything off the floor to the driveway or side yard, forget the tools you need and squeeze through every time you need it in the future... Exacto knife, mallet, gloves, and something to cut tiles.

Step 2: Do a time lapse of you installing all the tiles before cutting. It took me 1 hr to install 90% of the tiles.

Step 3: Curse yourself for using a Dremel to cut the boarder squares (2 sides only)

I should have borrowed my dad's circular saw or jigsaw to make this go by faster.

These are the before pictures. The epoxy was installed years ago, before I moved in, and has been deteriorating for quite some time. We decided to go with plastic tiles because we figured it's the cheapest route to a good looking garage with easy upkeep or replacement.

9eight7 · Mar 1, 2021

I'm not complete and have another 15 or so tiles to cut however this captures the gist of it. We're very pleased with the Swisstrax tiles as they exceeded our expectations even after playing with the samples. A sea of tiles really makes a difference once it comes together.

Painting the garage gets added to the list now, but after lighting. As an early birthday present, I ordered a workbench/tool chest which should arrive this week. This should clean up the corner left of the gun safe.

9eight7 · Mar 3, 2021

Yessss my new toolbox/workbench finally arrived! It was a pain in the bit to move as I only had my 62 year old dad helping me. The whole time he kept saying, “this is how us old men do it” as we wiggled the 435 lb box up the driveway and into the garage. Fortunately enough for us the swisstrax had a high COE which makes sliding things VERY easy. Sliding the quick jack across the tiles is easier than epoxy.

After months of extensive research this seemed to be the best to fit my needs. Length, soft close, wood top, 19 ga, and most importantly adjustable height. I’m on the taller side so lifting the table top was a top priority for me.

Here’s some pics!

challenger5.7 · Mar 4, 2021

Good stuff!

atomic41 · Mar 4, 2021

keep going ! very nice

Do you work on your cars, wash your cars inside the garage ? 20 x 20 working on one car in it it is enough ?

komalakustoms · Mar 4, 2021

Looks like it is coming along nicely! Utilizing the space well. I dig it!

9eight7 · Mar 4, 2021

Thanks guys! I'm trying to do my best to keep the garage looking clean by moving my junk off of the floor.

atomic41 said:
keep going ! very nice

Do you work on your cars, wash your cars inside the garage ? 20 x 20 working on one car in it it is enough ?

Yes, I do all the maintenance on my track car to keep costs down. The Quickjack gives me enough clearance to do simple tasks like fluids, headers, exhaust, brakes, etc. I don't think I'd ever pull an engine or transmission.

I wash my cars on the driveway and detail in the garage (paint correction, ceramic, etc.).

9eight7 · Mar 8, 2021

Private track days are the best! Here are a few of the cars that were there :drool:

At home, I decided that I liked the Swisstrax so much that I wanted it on my drive way too.

Just kidding... I'm just a lazy idiot who stores his full oil pan vertically instead of emptying it at the store right away. Why does this matter? Well I accidentally knocked the cap loose while squeezing it between my new workbench and wall which leaked 2+ liters of oil from the back of the garage to the front. :tantrum2:

For those of you who are wondering how it looks, ease of cleaning, etc. it took me 3 hours to remove 4 rows of track, soak up all the oil, remove soaked up oil, mop/dry the garage, power wash/soap/scrub the tiles, and then put them back. The tiles are not too slippery when wet on an incline (more traction than a wet storm grate) and were easy to snap back in place.

The end of an oil trail

One row removed. I was too angry at myself to take more pictures but these are some that my wife took for me as I cleaned up the mess.

Half gone, half soaking baking soda

It really looks like turds

Luckily the epoxy creates a barrier to keep the oil out of the concrete and is easily cleaned.

A few more positives that I learned.

I can easily slide my workbench across the tiles
Tiles clean up easily
Liquid flows under the tiles easily
We need more baking soda for baking (and cleaning)

9eight7 · Mar 25, 2021

Lately the commuters demand more work than the fun car so I decided I needed some new tools to make it easier. I searched for brake caliper spreaders and these were the top 2 contenders. I actually bought the ratchet (Lang) and my friend told me that it was trash and to get the squeezing kind (Lisle), so I bought it to compare.

Lang Tools 279-5420 279 Brake Caliper Press (black & orange ratcheting wrench style). It takes 15-16 ratchets with slightly over 180* swing to fully open or close the spreader. Depending on car/clearance it could take more if you can't swing the handle as far.

Lisle 29100 Quick Quad Pad Spreader (grey squeezing). It takes 6 squeezes (5.5 really) to go from fully closed to open. Pinch the release and push to close in 1 swipe.

Comparing the minimum spread to ease of use, I chose to keep the Lisle and return the Lang. I should have taken measurements but I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Minimum

Maximum

I appreciate the tiles a little more every time I do something in the garage. Sliding the quickjack is significantly easier, I'm clean after rolling on the ground, and it's easy on the eyes.

I bought the SUV/truck kit for the car and let the car sit over night as a test. The 5000SLX barely meets the length for the lift points. I used the highest extension on the kit and raised the car to the lowest lock setting.

9eight7 · Mar 29, 2021

After a few nights with the SUV on the QuickJack, the tiles were left unscathed. I miss ordered the caliper bolts so I will have to finish this at a later date... 2 more on the way.

In the mean time I tried my hand at restoring old trim and an old hammer my dad gave me. This thing has been rusting for over 10 years.

50/50 shot of the trim

Soak and scrub

Dremel the rust away. It’s good enough for me so I hit it with some oil then back into storage. If anyone has suggestions on coatings/finishes then let me know.

Ak Jim · Mar 30, 2021

The TW-200 is a fun bike!

9eight7 · Apr 3, 2021

Ak Jim said:
The TW-200 is a fun bike!

Thanks, it is a hoot to ride!

When I rush, I make mistakes. I misread the brake kit, ordered 2 caliper bolts instead of 2 pairs, and picked up a larger set of triple square sockets.

Changing the rotors and pads was super messy, I probably should have washed the wheels and well beforehand...

Front passenger was easy peasy.

Lots of pad left but I had parts so I did it anyways. (One of the brake sensors wore down so I assumed it was the front.)

The front driver side got really messy with pb blaster and several other tools to knock the rotor off. This one rotor probably took me an hour to hammer loose.

This Foxwell NT530 has paid for itself over and over.

With all the dirt, rust, and over spray, I’m surprised how relatively clean the garage looks. Obviously the cardboard took most of the beating.

wasfast · Apr 3, 2021

The rear brakes are a bit odd as you have to manually move the E brake. Took me quite a bit and several YouTube videos to finally get it.

9eight7 · Apr 3, 2021

wasfast said:
The rear brakes are a bit odd as you have to manually move the E brake. Took me quite a bit and several YouTube videos to finally get it.

I just used my tool to set it to installation mode so nothing manual on my end.

On with the honey-do list. Tint the right window and a couple more.

I did the left window some time last year but ran out of film for the right. Finally got around to grabbing another roll to finish this room. It basically feels like wearing polarized sun glasses vs nothing.

Right side complete.

9eight7 · Apr 7, 2021

Lights are on the to-do list but so is updating my tools... and the other half too.

My wife asked me the other day if she could buy a multiple bit tool set from the MOMA store to do things around the house. She wanted her own tool set to avoid going through my tool box. I happened to be drinking at the time and just started laughing, opened my big mouth, said that I read Koken is quality stuff and that she shouldn’t buy junk. Quality was enough for her to say, “okay show me what it looks like” and the red box was enough for her to 1-click buy. She even urged me to get a new ratchet/socket set as I’ve been eying a few things, which we ordered later that night.

The Attack Driver arrived today and boy were we shocked! We didn’t read the description and thought it was much smaller judging by the picture. “Dang its heavy duty. The quality is insane” were first to come out of her mouth. We talked about returning it until she tightened a few of her pot/pan handles. It’s a keeper (the wife too).

9eight7 · Apr 19, 2021

FINALLY! My 1/2” set arrived which complements the other half’s Attack Driver :bounce:

. This is my first time buying premium tools and I will say it’s freakin’ awesome. The, fit, finish, feel, clicking, simply outshines my Stanley, Craftsman, Husky, Power Torque, and Tekton hand tools. For many years, I’ve been piecing random tools together as projects demanded it and now I have a proper full set that even comes with a 10mm socket. :bowdown:

Enough with the words, pics!

To add... Honey-do list (paint + new lights)

Before (I cleared out the room)

After

I forgot to post this last time, here’s my new personal best at Sonoma Raceway (-1.5s).

9eight7 · Apr 30, 2021

Mmmm more yummy Koken goodness!

Our his n hers 1/2” set was a bit aggressive so we grabbed a 1/4” set to accommodate the random house needs and so that I’d have a complete 1/4” socket set. I opted for the zeal set as I’ve read great things in the tool section. Everything they rant and rave about is true. Super thin walls, shallow sockets, and of course the high quality all around. All I need is the 3/8” set to match, down the road, maybe... and some flex heads. And. And...

Notable differences

The regular series has a springy feel, fewer teeth, with medium back drag (much lighter/better than my husky, Stanley, craftsman, and power torque). It comes with hard plastic trays which are okay.

The zeal series has a weighted black handle, higher tooth count?, super light drag, and is buttery smooth. It is similar to my Felo 1/4” bit ratchet but slightly smoother. The foam tray is nice but could get real dirty with greasy/fingers so remove the needed tools before getting dirty and clean before storage.

9eight7 · Aug 18, 2021

Apparently my cars all needed brake changes this past year, so here’s another one. I’ll save some details but here are a few pics of the Audi A4’s rear. Retracting the rear piston was a huge pain in the ****.

I used a wire brush and removed a little rust here to show the contrast.

I’m a bit embarrassed to say I waited this long to swap the rotors/pads, but life has been busy! Yes, the backing plate is even worn down…

Old rotor was really losing metal.

This piston took forever to a while to retract as slow and steady wins the race. Any time I tried twisting it faster, my 3 pronged socket would slip.

9eight7 · Aug 18, 2021

Another hobby I have is shooting. My wife and father-in-law specializes with shotguns, ***** shooting to be exact. He’s designed his own shotgun stocks which significantly improves ergonomics and reduces recoil. Here’s some one of his latest.

High quality wood with beautiful grain.

4 stage recoil system to reduce fatigue, recoil, and improve accuracy.

Beautifully hand finished.

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