Off road tool kit

[Dirtman]

Ok. I’ll be carrying a 4r44e with 3.0l bellhousing. Good luck to you.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Ok. I’ll be carrying a 4r44e with 3.0l bellhousing. Good luck to you.

Trail side automatic conversion? That sounds... festive.

I was going to say if you had R1 I could rob the hydraulics... but we have different connectors.

 

[2drxploder]

TOILET PAPER!

 

[Dirtman]

PINECONE!

 

[wildbill23c]

Why bother with all that, just carry your cell phone and AAA card jeez guys its the 21st century, you don't need all that repair gear for offroading, just a phone and your roadside recovery card.

I mean that's what you guys go all out to say to people when they say they want a bare bones truck without all the electronic nannies, you should apply the same principle to your offroading expeditions, also don't bring first aid kits just call 911 .

I don't really go that far offroad anymore so I don't carry much. Never carried anything when I had my 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee, never needed to do any repairs out on the trails. With my Bronco 2 I don't carry much other than extra oil and coolant. I do have an extra fan belt which for some reason works on the alternator or the power steering pump. I figured the 1 belt would be sufficient to at least get me back home. I don't need AC or power steering, but having a fan that spins and an alternator that alternates is far more important LOL. I carry the stock spare tire, and a good jack with a few boards to throw under the jack and block the wheels. If I recall my old 12V air compressor is in the box as well as a generic SAE/Metric socket set and a few wrenches and screwdrivers. Threw extra hose clamps and radiator hose and heater hose.

As far as major repairs you may as well get hauled to a shop because if you are offroading in deep snow/mud/sand, etc. you ain't doing a transmission swap, driveshaft U-Joint repairs, etc. in that crap. At least carry the tools to remove the offending driveshaft though so you can at least with help of another vehicle get off the trail. Other than that I wouldn't carry too much excess stuff, it just adds unnecessary weight and takes up what little space we do have to carry stuff, not to mention crap that's going to go flying out of the vehicle if you roll it so no need to pack the vehicle full of stuff you'll just have to spend hours picking up later when things go south, and the way some of you guys go flying down trails unless you can secure it all very well it becomes projectiles in wrecks, rollovers, and other emergencies.

If you are venturing out a first aid kit, shovel, fire starting equipment, toilet paper, generic hand tools, good jack, lug wrench, extra lug nuts, spare wheel studs, possibly a spare brake hardware kit, plugs to shove in leaking brake lines, duct tape, electrical tape, wire connector assortment, spare belts, spare hoses, extra locking hubs, u-joints, ignition coil, spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap & rotor, some sort of pad to lay on while performing work under your vehicle, extra fluids, tire chains, recovery gear (winch, come-a-long, tow strap, traction mats--floor mats will work in a pinch too), flashlight with good batteries (doesn't do any good if the batteries are dead), emergency beacon so you can be found, probably won't have cell phone service so having an emergency beacon/tracker is a great thing to have and have it so you can reach it in an emergency not buried in a box somewhere that you may not be able to get to after your truck flips over on a trail and you are stuck hanging upside down in it. Communications gear (2 way radio, CB, Ham Radio, GMRS, etc)...that fancy cell phone of yours probably won't do much good in the middle of nowhere, or after your truck has flipped over and the phone went flying to a different universe. A whistle to signal for help, water, food that is easily prepared or that requires no preparation, maps of the area you are in, alternate routes pre-planned, tell people where you are going, how long you'll be gone, and what routes you plan on taking.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

But i was told i needed on board air, a weldernator, 4 high lift jacks, floor jack, jack stands, metric and standard, sockets and, wrenches, a breaker bar, come along, a winch, 2 spare tires, extra axles, and u joints, soft shackle, recovery rope, some chain, tire chains, max tracks, and a toyota to go off roading.

 

[Dirtman]

But i was told i needed on board air, a weldernator, 4 high lift jacks, floor jack, jack stands, metric and standard, sockets and, wrenches, a breaker bar, come along, a winch, 2 spare tires, extra axles, and u joints, soft shackle, recovery rope, some chain, tire chains, max tracks, and a toyota to go off roading.

All that stuff is FOR the Toyota...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Why bother with all that, just carry your cell phone and AAA card jeez guys its the 21st century, you don't need all that repair gear for offroading, just a phone and your roadside recovery card.

I mean that's what you guys go all out to say to people when they say they want a bare bones truck without all the electronic nannies, you should apply the same principle to your offroading expeditions, also don't bring first aid kits just call 911 .

Not sure I get the connection there... and as far as electronics go my '85 is more digical than most.

As far as major repairs you may as well get hauled to a shop because if you are offroading in deep snow/mud/sand, etc. you ain't doing a transmission swap, driveshaft U-Joint repairs, etc. in that crap. At least carry the tools to remove the offending driveshaft though so you can at least with help of another vehicle get off the trail. Other than that I wouldn't carry too much excess stuff, it just adds unnecessary weight and takes up what little space we do have to carry stuff, not to mention crap that's going to go flying out of the vehicle if you roll it so no need to pack the vehicle full of stuff you'll just have to spend hours picking up later when things go south, and the way some of you guys go flying down trails unless you can secure it all very well it becomes projectiles in wrecks, rollovers, and other emergencies.

I probably should have thrown in the disclaimer that because my truck is simple and old and has a bodylift... it isn't that hard to pull the trans. Hardest part would probably be contending with the t-case (130lbs dry with no where to hold it) but for actual tools it really wouldn't take much.

If you are venturing out a first aid kit, shovel, fire starting equipment, toilet paper, generic hand tools, good jack, lug wrench, extra lug nuts, spare wheel studs, possibly a spare brake hardware kit, plugs to shove in leaking brake lines, duct tape, electrical tape, wire connector assortment, spare belts, spare hoses, extra locking hubs, u-joints, ignition coil, spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap & rotor, some sort of pad to lay on while performing work under your vehicle, extra fluids, tire chains, recovery gear (winch, come-a-long, tow strap, traction mats--floor mats will work in a pinch too), flashlight with good batteries (doesn't do any good if the batteries are dead), emergency beacon so you can be found, probably won't have cell phone service so having an emergency beacon/tracker is a great thing to have and have it so you can reach it in an emergency not buried in a box somewhere that you may not be able to get to after your truck flips over on a trail and you are stuck hanging upside down in it. Communications gear (2 way radio, CB, Ham Radio, GMRS, etc)...that fancy cell phone of yours probably won't do much good in the middle of nowhere, or after your truck has flipped over and the phone went flying to a different universe. A whistle to signal for help, water, food that is easily prepared or that requires no preparation, maps of the area you are in, alternate routes pre-planned, tell people where you are going, how long you'll be gone, and what routes you plan on taking.

I kind of inadvertently did a baseline update on my truck. The thing is old but all the hoses, belts, pulleys, alternator, ignition, wheel bearings/seals are pretty new and low miles... so I don't really feel the need to carry spares of those. I mainly carry easy to change mission kill ignition stuff and front wheel bearings/seals from water intrusion.

But i was told i needed on board air, a weldernator, 4 high lift jacks, floor jack, jack stands, metric and standard, sockets and, wrenches, a breaker bar, come along, a winch, 2 spare tires, extra axles, and u joints, soft shackle, recovery rope, some chain, tire chains, max tracks, and a toyota to go off roading.

Air compressor is nice. You can't use a tire plug kit or air tires up after airing down without one. I have a cheapie, it is a midsized one from Northern. Not a $700 ARB but it converts electrical power into noise, heat and moving air. Just plain handy to have, especially if you have Jeeps around...



Metric and standard... welcome to a first gen. It isn't a joke it is merely a fact of life. Wrenches are a given, breaker bar is too for front wheel bearing locknuts and anything else that gets in my way.

Two spares, not a horrible idea. If you are far from home and kill a tire (especially a non standard tire) you now don't have a spare and it will be a 2-3 day wait not counting weekends for a shop to order one in if you need it. I added a swingout tire carrier to my truck and toyed with reinstalling the underbed carrier since I do have two spares but a 31 won't fit in it.

Front axle shafts are not bad to carry spares of, especially if you have a front locker. Same goes for lockouts if applicable. Last year I left the axleshafts at home and just carries a lockout.

I carry a strap and screw type clevises. Two, because I don't know if anybody else will have one.

And due to the kind of experimental nature of my truck I do er on the side of caution and go a little heavy on tools. No shop will enjoy working on it while I know my way around it pretty well. I have been working on whittling down what I carry though.

At the end of the day it comes down to what your truck is (different eras have different idiosyncrasies), what you are doing with it, and your skill level at repairing your truck.

 

[Dirtman]

I bought a 30 dollar tire air compressor off amazon 5 years ago. It's digital and you set the pressure and it automatically shuts off when it hits that pressure. I didn't expect much from a cigarette lighter powered chinese amazon compressor, just bought it as a little emergency gizmo but the darn thing works great. It's accurate to one or two pounds compared to a few gauges. It'll take 15 minutes or more to fill a tire from flat but who cares. I use it all the time instead of dragging out the hose from my real air compressor.

https://www.amazon.com/EPAuto-Portable-Compressor-Digital-Inflator/dp/B01L9WSTEG/?tag=959media-20

I air down at the beach alot and it's great for filling back up instead of fighting over the one working line at the checkpoint.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

I was joking around a bit but, i actually take most of the tools i mentioned when i go off roading. A good socket set wrenches breaker bar, and i also have a compressor with battery clamps (harbor freight special) still works after 7 years!!! Recovery gear is also a must. As well as jumper cables , or jump box, should always have a spare tire, (which you actually keep aird up). I used to work roadside assistance, and id say 95%of spare tires are flat.and for hard core off road driving any prone to breakage parts.

 

[Curious Hound]

My kit varies depending on where I’m going and with whom.

My worst “stuck” was on a piece of land my parents bought o build a house on. I went in where the builder had cleared for the driveway. This was my 88 F150 4x4. After getting almost through an area of 12” deep wet muddy clay, a tree stump popped back up and ripped off my fuel filter. I was able to call the builder and he drug me back out to the gravel road with his bulldozer. A neighbor drive me to Autozone where I got a new filter, some fuel line and clamps. It would have been miserable fixing that laying in the fuel enriched mud where the engine quit.

 

[sgtsandman]

There are times when all the gear in the world won’t help you. The only thing that is going to save you is a buddy.

If you keep up on the preventative maintenance, the chances of getting stranded are remote.

There is also a fine balance between having what you need and just being over loaded with too much crap. The type of off roading and how far off the beaten path you are will dictate how much is enough and how much is too much.

Not everyone is 4XOverland or Ronny Dahl either.

 

[wildbill23c]

There are times when all the gear in the world won’t help you. The only thing that is going to save you is a buddy.

If you keep up on the preventative maintenance, the chances of getting stranded are remote.

There is also a fine balance between having what you need and just being over loaded with too much crap. The type of off roading and how far off the beaten path you are will dictate how much is enough and how much is too much.

Not everyone is 4XOverland or Ronny Dahl either.

The section I turned red is one of the biggest issues you'll run into. That's cute you pack around a spare engine/transmission/transfer case for example, but the likelihood of ever needing one on the trail and having the ability to swap it out while the vehicle is sitting on a boulder with 2 wheels in the air ain't gonna happen, and if you are going to have someone drag your toy back to camp you may as well have someone with a trailer haul it home for you so you can work on it without losing half the nuts, bolts, washers, bearings, etc. down in the dirt, mud, sand or whatever you decided to try venturing into. Most of the stuff I see where I'm at are rollovers, none of the crap you are packing around in the back of your truck, SUV, or car is gonna help you in that situation, other than well maybe knock you out as it goes flying through the vehicle during a rollover LOL.

I'd go with a jump pack over jumper cables, the jump packs typically have additional ports on them to charge other devices too, and you don't have to rely on having someone else nearby to use the jumper cables (this is also pointing towards just around town even people don't want to help others, and some of today's vehicles its kind of a risk to hookup jumper cables to them as picky as the electronics are). I have 1 no-name (wait I think all of them are) lithium jump pack. I used it to start a car last year that didn't have a battery in it that was running on maybe 2 cylinders, it worked good enough to get the car out of my field and into the driveway where the buyer could load it on a dolly easier. I don't think it would start a diesel but don't care I don't have a diesel. I jumped my Bronco 2 with it a couple months ago after not charging it for 8 months, surprised it still had a charge in it. That's the downfall of a jump pack, unless its charged its not going to be of any use. So probably carry jumper cables too, or have dual batteries in your rig with a switch so you can flip to the 2nd battery to start your rig if the main battery dies.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

For as light as they are and for as little room as they take I carry both cables and a jump pack.

 

[Rick W]

This is what I use, but it’s hard to fit it in the truck....