A basic RC toolkit covers hex drivers and screwdrivers in the sizes your car uses, a nut driver for the wheel nuts, and a set of pliers. From there you can add shock tools, setup tools and a full tool set as you take on bigger jobs.

A nut driver is a tool with a socket-shaped tip that turns nuts, most often the wheel nuts on an RC car. It works like a screwdriver but grips the nut, so you can loosen and tighten wheels quickly and cleanly.

A hex driver has a six-sided tip that fits the hex-head screws used across most RC cars. Having the right sizes (such as 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mm) lets you work on the whole car without stripping screw heads.

A turnbuckle wrench grips the flats on a turnbuckle so you can adjust it without twisting the rod ends. It’s used to set toe and camber links quickly and precisely when tuning the suspension.

They’re not essential when you start out, but shock tools make rebuilding and bleeding shocks much easier and cleaner. If you rebuild shocks often or race, they save time and give more consistent results.