Being prepared for a junkyard trip is crucial to getting the parts you need.

The difference between getting what you need from a junkyard and getting frustrated is defined by preparedness. A surgeon who doesn�t have the necessary clamps, pumps or gauze is going to have a horrible success rate, right? Don�t blow a run to the junkyard � we�ve got a pretty solid prep list here of the tools you can use to keep a trip for what you need from turning into a trip up a creek.

Not Scary � Junkyards are a Smorgasbord.
Embrace the laws of the junkyard (salvage yard, recycling facilitator, partial automotive re-ownership broker) and you�ll understand your tool needs � accuracy and correct removal are important, but so are time and efficiency. Removing parts that want to be apart is the easy part, but when a bolt�s bent or frozen, or serious mechanical force is required to overcome something complicated, you need to be prepared with alternative measures for application of force.

Carry stuff right � we�re hooked on tool bags. Small pockets rock.

Keep in mind that some �yards pull the part for you. There�s more to pay but less to fear of the process. It�s not a bad way to get comfortable with the junkyard.

Pay close attention at the junkyard and you�ll learn a few things. Some cars are a fount of goodies for all sorts of other vehicles � Volvo 240s, for instance, and Japanese trucks. If you look at the ground, you�ll see that as many nuts and bolts as rocks and gravel make up the aggregate. A good junkyard cycles cars more often, but some smart smaller yards leverage a good carcass for longer periods of time by marketing them effectively.

Basics mean the necessary sockets, ratchets, extensions and adapters.

It doesn�t hurt to reconnoiter the junkyard for what you need � you can make an adventure of it, especially if you�re intimately familiar with your own mechanical needs. Don�t delay on getting back when you decide there�s something you want, though, because you�re not the only dude planning an R&R. Bring friends along to help with the recon, and those selfsame folks are great for hauling big stuff like axles and doors. Besides, everyone loves a junkyard.

Junkyard Theory � What�s Necessary
This brings us to the two-faced nature of what needs to be with you at the �yard. If you know the vehicle you�re parting, you�ll know most of what�s necessary. Figuring a few things out in advance is a good thing, and information is key. For instance, taking things off a Toyota means metric tools, with lots of 10mm this and 12mm that. If you know that you�re taking an axle off and FJ80, then you know that a quarter-inch drive anything is probably useless, but a 16mm deep-well on half-inch will be handy. Extensions, adapters, a wobble-head or two and a breaker-bar are useful. You can decipher what�s pointless to bring, keeping the baggage to a minimum.

Also necessary: crescent/adjustable, box, combo, flare and open wrenches.

Speaking of baggage, toolboxes are nice, but the new canvas tool bags are pretty comfortable too, and make a lot less noise. They�re also available used, all over the place, including at swap meets, pawnshops and on the Web.

Combination wrenches are essential, especially the ratcheting box-style that allow you to work a bolt or nut with limited access. Bring a few adjustable spanners. Flare wrenches are good if brake or fuel lines are involved. Bring a variety of screwdrivers (including the beat up one that you use for prying things apart), but a modular screwdriver would reduce baggage. Channel-lock pliers should be complimented by a set of dikes and needles, plus some Vise-Grips for their universal clamp-crush capacity.

Pliers and screwdrivers require every iteration so you�re not short-tooled.

Flipside (that�s a verb, folks) your correct mechanical process tools list and you have the hard way, the stuff you�ll want to have with you when the process turns into a big steamer. Your cordless reciprocating saw, for instance, with a few good demo and metal blades make short work of evil bolts and stubborn brackets (with eye protection), and a crowbar means good leverage. Bring at least one BFH (� big hammer), a punch of some sort, some sort of leveraged sharp for cutting big pieces of rubber or plastic, plus gloves, a hose cutter and snips.

Remember the leverage and oomph tools � don�t skimp on force.

Special treats that spark up junkyard success include a 12V tester � two deep-cycle 6-volt batteries wired in parallel with a set of leads. A flashlight and mirror help you figure out what�s hidden in funny, dark corners. A few metal hangers can support thing while you work. A pipe wrench peels back exhaust and large tubing (we�ve had luck with a strap wrench for that), and bring a can or plastic container for the nuts and bolts that come from the job (you can bring home a fine selection of spare bolts following work like this). Oh yeah, don�t forget a spray penetrant like Liquid Wrench.

Cutting and chopping when wrenches fail. Best tool ever.

Final Junkyarding Thoughts
Junkyards that will hunt down and remove a part for you (or communicate with other junkyards for the same purpose) are not a bad thing, but not only are you removing yourself from the learning and research process, you�re isolating yourself from the half of the wrenching. That might not matter to you, but you then have a part you�re not completely familiar with, and you can�t discover any details of the part�s history to be gleaned from the donor vehicle.

Bring the power to test electrical parts � two 6-volt batteries in parallel. Trans-Data makes these for themselves.

Another reason for having the right tools is that you don�t want to kill the donor. You�re not the only person hoping to put their bucket back together with those parts, so bring the right tools.

Be ready to see what you�re working upon, and have your sharps along.

Metal hangars or lengths of copper wire work equally well to hold stuff.

Strap wrenches and a good place to stash takeoff bolts and leftovers complete the junkyard ensemble, and all of it fits in the bag � honest.