Your 2019 RAM 1500 DT platform is one of the most capable home-garage builds you can anchor a tool collection around — it's accessible, well-documented, and rewards a methodical wrench. The jump to coil rear suspension on the 5th-gen means you're not wrestling with leaf spring hardware anymore, but you've got a more complex 5-link rear that needs the right tools when it's time for bushing or spring work. If you're running the 5.7L HEMI, the exhaust manifold bolt failure is a matter of when, not if — I'm putting bolt extractors in Tier 3 specifically because you need them before you need them, not at 9pm when you're already three bolts deep. With $2,000 and no existing tools, you're walking out of this with a full professional-grade starter kit that handles everything from oil changes to suspension refreshes.
5th-gen DT platform switched from leaf to coil rear suspension — a huge upgrade mechanically but more involved to service with a 5-link setup. The 5.7L HEMI is notorious for exhaust manifold bolt shearing causing the 'HEMI tick' exhaust leak; this is endemic by 80K-100K miles. eTorque mild hybrid (48V belt-starter-generator) equipped on some 2019 models — requires special precautions during belt and electrical work near that system.
Brand: Arcan | Category: Lifting | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
The ALJ3T is the definitive home-garage floor jack, full stop. Three tons handles the RAM 1500 comfortably, and the 3.5" minimum height means this same jack works on anything from a sports car to a truck — you'll never need a second jack if you change vehicles. Aluminum construction keeps it under 30 lbs, which matters when you're pulling it out at 6am on a cold garage floor. The long handle gives you real leverage on the pump without awkward body positioning under the truck.
Alternative: Budget alt: Pittsburgh 3-Ton Low-Profile Steel Jack at Harbor Freight ~$90 — works fine, but at 60 lbs you'll feel it every time
Brand: ICON | Category: Lifting | Store: Harbor Freight | Priority: CRITICAL
The 6-ton ICON stands are legitimately excellent for a Harbor Freight product — wide base, solid ratcheting pin lock, and rated well above what you'll ever put on them. The RAM 1500 runs 4,800-5,200 lbs loaded; you want stands with serious overhead margin. Consider picking up a second pair ($60 more) if you ever want to do full-vehicle lifts for driveshaft, differential, or exhaust work.
Brand: Reese Towpower | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
A 5,000-lb truck creeping off a jack stand is not survivable. These go under the wheels every single time without exception. Non-negotiable.
Brand: Amerex | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Amerex is what fire departments use — not the $19 Kidde from the hardware store display. Mount it on the wall within arm's reach of where you work, not buried behind a shelf. The first time a fuel line drips onto a hot HEMI exhaust manifold, you'll be glad you didn't buy the cheap one. Check the pressure gauge every 6 months.
Brand: 3M | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Buy a handful and leave them everywhere — workbench, truck cab, toolbox lid. You'll actually wear them if they're always there. The rust and debris that falls off RAM 1500 suspension components will change your religion about eye protection.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Sockets | Store: Tekton.com | Priority: CRITICAL
Your RAM 1500 needs both SAE and metric — body and frame fasteners run SAE, engine and drivetrain are largely metric. This 99-piece master set covers all three drive sizes in one purchase, and Tekton's 6-point sockets grip the flats of the fastener rather than the corners — critical on corroded suspension hardware where a 12-point socket will round a bolt that's been soaking in road salt for six years. Lifetime warranty and no retail markup buying direct from Tekton.
Alternative: Budget alt: Husky 1/4, 3/8, 1/2" Drive Master Set at Home Depot ~$100 — more pieces but cheaper steel and 12-point geometry
Brand: Tekton | Category: Sockets | Store: Tekton.com | Priority: CRITICAL
You're going to meet your first corroded RAM suspension bolt and be grateful for 18 inches of leverage. This is also how you properly break lug nuts loose before you use the impact — don't abuse the torque wrench for loosening. Simple tool, irreplaceable when you need it.
Brand: GearWrench | Category: Wrenches | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
The 120XP series has a 5-degree swing arc and the smoothest ratchet mechanism available at this price — these are the best ratcheting wrenches you can buy without spending Snap-on money. On the RAM 1500, SAE wrenches get serious use: cab mount bolts, driveshaft U-joint straps, fuel system fittings, and body hardware are all SAE. The full 5/16" through 1-1/4" coverage means you're never hunting for the right size in a tight spot.
Alternative: Budget alt: Tekton 15-piece combination wrench set ~$60 — open-end only, no ratcheting, but excellent steel
Brand: GearWrench | Category: Wrenches | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Same 120XP ratchet mechanism covering 8mm through 24mm. The RAM's engine, transmission, and differential are largely metric — 10mm, 13mm, 15mm, and 18mm get used constantly. The 24mm handles the rear differential drain plug and select suspension fasteners. Don't skip either the SAE or metric set on this truck — you genuinely need both.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Torque Wrenches | Store: Tekton.com | Priority: HIGH
Lug nuts on the RAM are 130 ft-lbs. Wheel bearing hub bolts, caliper bracket bolts, and driveshaft flange bolts all have critical specs that directly affect safety. Tekton's ±4% accuracy is fully adequate for home use and the click is positive and clear — you feel it in your hand even with thick gloves on. The 10-150 ft-lbs range covers the vast majority of fasteners you'll torque on this truck.
Alternative: Budget alt: Pittsburgh 1/2" Drive Torque Wrench at Harbor Freight ~$40 — accurate out of the box but loses calibration faster with regular use
Brand: Wera | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Wera's Lasertip technology grips screws at the tip, not just the sides — on a RAM's plastic interior panels and underbody clips where Phillips heads are already wallowed out from the factory, this is the difference between driving a screw and destroying it. The Kraftform handle shape reduces grip fatigue on stubborn fasteners, and the Chiseldriver versions absorb hammer strikes for breaking loose frozen flat-head exhaust components without the handle shattering.
Alternative: Budget alt: Klein 85078 6-piece set ~$35 — solid American-made but lacks the Lasertip grip advantage
Brand: Knipex | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
The 7" Cobra is the best hand tool ever made — I'm not being hyperbolic. Push-button one-handed adjustment, 25 grip positions, and it never slips on a fitting no matter the angle or the force applied. Oil filter housings, coolant hose clamps, fuel line connections, O2 sensor housing grip — this plier handles all of it without rounding anything. You will throw away every Channellock you own within a week.
Brand: Knipex | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Bigger version for larger fittings and heavier work — radiator hoses, transmission cooling lines, larger hose clamps, and anything on the cooling system that the 7" can't quite grip. These two Cobras together cover every plier job on the RAM. The pair replaces an entire drawer of Channelock and plier variants you'd otherwise accumulate.
Brand: Knipex | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
German needle-nose that makes the Stanley version feel like a cheap toy. Fuel injector retaining clips, dropped fasteners in a deep engine bay, bending brake line end fittings, fishing wiring harness clips off inaccessible brackets — the precision here is worth every dollar over the hardware store alternative. Buy it once.
Brand: Launch | Category: Diagnostic | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
The CRP129E is the break point between a useless code reader and a real diagnostic tool. It covers all four major modules — engine, transmission, ABS, and SRS — which is exactly what you need on a RAM 1500 with its ZF transmission, electronic parking brake, and FCAU modules. Real-time data streams are how you diagnose intermittent issues that throw no codes, and the transmission live data is how you catch the 8HP75 shift adaptation going sideways before it becomes a transmission replacement.
Alternative: Budget alt: Innova 3160g ~$80 — covers engine/ABS/SRS but weaker transmission coverage on the ZF 8-speed
Brand: Various | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
PB Blaster on every suspension fastener before you touch it — minimum 20-minute soak, overnight if you have time. The RAM sits in salt and road grime; treat every underbody fastener as corroded until proven otherwise. Anti-seize on O2 sensor threads and exhaust manifold bolt replacements every time you reinstall — this is how you avoid the next HEMI tick. Nitrile gloves mean you stay in the garage working instead of going inside to wash between every task.
Brand: Milwaukee | Category: Power Tools | Store: Home Depot | Priority: HIGH
For a RAM 1500, get the high-torque 2767 — not the mid-torque 2962. The 2767 does 1,000+ ft-lbs of breakaway torque, which means it will crack the most stubborn lug nuts, the front axle nut (torqued to 185 ft-lbs from the factory), and corroded suspension bolts without hesitation. The mid-torque model would leave you frustrated the first time you meet a seized caliper bracket bolt. The kit bundles the 5.0Ah battery and charger — it's actually $25 cheaper than buying them separate and gets you into the M18 platform, which pays dividends when you add the work light and eventually a drill.
Alternative: Budget alt: DeWalt DCF899P1 20V MAX High Torque Impact Kit ~$380 — comparable breakaway torque, slightly bulkier head
Brand: Milwaukee | Category: Lighting | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Uses the M18 battery you already have from the impact kit — this is essentially a $65 add-on with no additional battery investment. 1,250 lumens, pivoting head, can hang or stand freestanding. Working under a truck without adequate lighting leads to missed bolts, crossed threads, and skinned knuckles from blindly reaching into shadows. With an M18 battery, this runs 3-4 hours of continuous use.
Alternative: Budget alt: Husky 1,500-lumen rechargeable LED work light at Home Depot ~$45 if you prefer standalone lighting
Brand: Klein Tools | Category: Diagnostic | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
The RAM 1500 has a sprawling electrical system — trailer wiring, parking sensor modules, the FCAU, battery management, and the 48V eTorque system on equipped trucks. You cannot do serious electrical diagnosis without a quality multimeter. The MM600's True-RMS matters here: the eTorque BSG produces non-sinusoidal waveforms that average-reading meters misreport. Klein is what electricians trust; this is the automotive-appropriate version of that lineage.
Alternative: Upgrade: Fluke 117 ~$100 — the gold standard for automotive electrical work, worth the extra $35 if you do any serious wiring
Brand: Tekton | Category: Torque Wrenches | Store: Tekton.com | Priority: MEDIUM
Your 1/2" torque wrench lives in the bottom 10% of its range for spark plugs (20 ft-lbs on the HEMI), oil drain plugs, and sensor threads — and torque wrenches are most accurate in the middle third of their range, not the bottom. A dedicated 3/8" wrench for lower-torque fasteners is the difference between proper torque and guessing. Critical specifically for the HEMI's plastic intake manifold bolts, which strip at around 11 ft-lbs if you go past spec.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Sockets | Store: Tekton.com | Priority: MEDIUM
The 1/2" drive socket set doesn't come with extensions and you'll need them immediately — the differential drain plug, driveshaft bolts, and deep frame hardware all require reach that a bare socket can't provide. The 10" extension is the specific tool that makes driveshaft work from below manageable.
Brand: Tekton | Category: RAM Specialty | Store: Tekton.com | Priority: MEDIUM
The RAM 1500 uses Torx fasteners throughout — brake caliper guide pin caps are T40/T45, interior trim and door panels are loaded with T27 and T30, running board attachment bolts are Torx, and various underbody plastic panel clips use Torx drive. The external E-Torx sockets handle any aftermarket hardware and some front suspension fasteners. Do not attempt Torx fasteners with a hex bit — you'll round the recess and turn a 5-minute job into an extraction project.
Brand: Lisle | Category: Engine | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
If your RAM 1500 is equipped with the 3.6L Pentastar V6, the oil filter is a cartridge type housed in a plastic tower — not a spin-on can. You need this 74mm cap wrench to remove it without cracking the housing. Using pliers turns a $30 oil change into a $150 housing replacement. If you're running the 5.7L HEMI, the filter is a standard spin-on and a 3-jaw filter wrench handles it; if you have the EcoDiesel, it's also a cartridge with a different cap size — confirm your specific engine before purchasing.
Brand: Motive Products | Category: Brakes | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
One-man brake bleeding on the RAM with its electronic parking brake (EPB) requires pushing fluid through in the right sequence without a helper pumping the pedal. The Motive pressure bleeder feeds clean fluid from the top while you open bleeder screws at each corner — no air contamination, no helper needed. Also the correct method for bleeding the ABS modulator after you've ever let the fluid go critically low. This is the standard tool for brake work on any modern truck.
Alternative: Budget alt: Vacuum-type one-man bleeder ~$20 — works but creates micro-bubbles more easily at bleeder valves
Brand: Irwin | Category: Engine | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
The 5.7L HEMI exhaust manifold bolt failure is endemic — the bolts shear flush into the aluminum head and the stubs corrode in place. Irwin's spiral flute extractors are the professional standard: they grip harder as you turn, unlike the 6-flute designs that tend to spin out. Pair these with a left-hand drill bit set (AutoZone loan program) for the actual extraction. Buy this before you need it. You will need it.
Brand: OTC | Category: Engine | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
The HEMI's head bolts, connecting rod bolts, and main bearing caps all use torque-to-yield specifications that combine an initial torque value with a required degree-of-rotation. You physically cannot complete serious engine work on this motor without a torque angle gauge — the degree-of-rotation step is how the factory achieves consistent clamping load, and skipping it or guessing means the fasteners are either under-clamped (leaks, movement) or yielded past spec (stretch failure). This is the tool that separates a real engine build from a gamble.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Suspension/Brakes | Store: Tekton.com | Priority: MEDIUM
CV axle shaft service and rear coil spring perch work on the DT platform both involve snap rings under load. Using a flat screwdriver or needle-nose on a snap ring under spring tension is how you send a hardened steel ring across the garage at eye level. This is a $25 tool that earns its spot the first time you need it — and you will need it on the axles within the first major suspension job.