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Trail tool kits

77fixer said:
I have a set that use a push button to adjust, I love them (found behind my mom's washer).
They also make a set with a ¾ moon shape that fits in round notches. Its more of a PIA because it will start between notches and lockup.
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he's talking about these clunky things

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Lots of good tool ideas here.Throw in an expendable handle 3/8 x 1/2" ratchet for simplicity. In addition to the tools. I carry a length of 3 wire extension cord and wire nuts (yep). A pocket knife and wire nuts is stupid simple to get the connection made. You can sometimes may an overlay / bypass harness faster than troubleshooting. Time on the trail is very valuable.

This damn thing is a hammer too!

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RustyC said:
Lots of good tool ideas here.Throw in an expendable handle 3/8 x 1/2" ratchet for simplicity. In addition to the tools. I carry a length of 3 wire extension cord and wire nuts (yep). A pocket knife and wire nuts is stupid simple to get the connection made. You can sometimes may an overlay / bypass harness faster than troubleshooting. Time on the trail is very valuable.

This damn thing is a hammer too!

1698678009263.png
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They make a spud handled version of that. I don't carry it anymore but I used to because the tapered handle means that any size pipe is an extension and the spud comes in handy for aligning shit sometimes.

The ratchet end is nowhere near as good as a real one though.
 
Stingray said:
I know guys love these, but channel locks are my go to, not any knock offs, the real deal channel locks, I've used a short section of pipe as leverage no issues
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Channellocks are more like the Cobra's than the Pliers Wrench though.
 
My situation: I keep all of the tools I have ever used to work on old Fords in a large husky tool bag, and I have a old Craftsman toolset in one of those blow-molded cases with ratchets and sockets.

The tool bag has three smaller bags:
Red: wrenches up to 1 1/8" or something (two of each up to 3/4", and a set of flare wrenches)
Blue: screwdrivers and picks
Yellow: plier-like things (wire-cutters, crimpers, needle-nose, channel locks, snap-ring, etc)

In the tool bag's pockets: multimeter, terminals, wire, tape, hub socket, zip-ties, just a lot of common miscellaneous stuff I tend to use when working on vehicles.


Its heavy. BUT, it's super convenient. I don't own one of those big metal toolboxes with drawers. When I work on shit I have the tool bag and/or socket set right next to me on a table or under the truck. If I go on a trip, I pretty much have all of my hand tools with me in the bag/case and stick them in my truck's bed-toolbox. Probably just me but when I've worked on my stuff at other people's shops/houses I prefer to just bring my tools rather than having to get up and walk to their toolbox and dig around.
 
No, No, No.

You have to pack so many tools that you break because all of the extra weight. Do you guys even Wheel?:homer::flipoff2:

Edit: We once sat at the bottom of walker hill on the con for a few hours asking anyone who went by if they had a brake line flaring tool and nobody did. They would stop and offer beer, welders, all kinds of shit but no brake line tools. The drive back down ice house road was a bit wild on 2 drum brakes and a broken frame.:homer:
 
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^^ Those are the alligator ones, not the cobra...they still sell both.
 
77fixer said:
No.

The two on the right are push button. The new ones have finer adjustments. The one on the left are the ones that are more of a pain to adjust and keep where you want them as you move around
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I know what you are talking about. Have both kinds of those and use them every day:laughing:

What you quoted me talking about was the plier wrench things
 
RustyC said:
Lots of good tool ideas here.Throw in an expendable handle 3/8 x 1/2" ratchet for simplicity. In addition to the tools. I carry a length of 3 wire extension cord and wire nuts (yep). A pocket knife and wire nuts is stupid simple to get the connection made. You can sometimes may an overlay / bypass harness faster than troubleshooting. Time on the trail is very valuable.

This damn thing is a hammer too!

1698678009263.png
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That's badass. I'm ordering one of those for damn sure.
 
If we're taking minimal tools, wouldn't a pair of vise grips do just the same?
 
I don't think you will need all those flare nut wrenches. Just throw the one on that fits you break lines.

Breaker bar is useful.

I don't know what you are driving but you might need a larger socket for a half shaft/axle nut.

tire plugs

I like to pack a roll of rebar tie wire. Quite usefull in a pinch.

Tube of RTV and JB Weld 2 part putty.

Keep track when doing repairs and add to the bag as you go. I needed to add 2x 18mm & 21mm deep socks.

I also pack some fluids. Oil, trans etc.
 
MigGunslinger said:
No, No, No.

You have to pack so many tools that you break because all of the extra weight. Do you guys even Wheel?:homer::flipoff2:

Edit: We once sat at the bottom of walker hill on the con for a few hours asking anyone who went by if they had a brake line flaring tool and nobody did. They would stop and offer beer, welders, all kinds of shit but no brake line tools. The drive back down ice house road was a bit wild on 2 drum brakes and a broken frame.:homer:
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/sidetrack/

Zip tie the rubber hose and drive very slow?

If the frame was broke could you weld it back a little bit?
/endsidetrack/
 
Tech Tim said:
Get a Clamptite tool and a small spool of SS wire. Very handy for radiator hoses, PS hoses, even brake hoses.

Shop – Clamptite Tools

clamptitetools.com clamptitetools.com

Clamptight_1.png

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Agreed! This thing got me out of the woods once from a split radiator hose. The hose split right at the tank connection and we took a busted motorcycle tube and some RTV, wrapped the barb, slid the split hose over that, wrapped it again with more tube, and a mix of RTV and cinched the shit out of it with the clam-tite and I made it like 9 miles back out of Harlan / Black Mountain to Putney Trail Head.

I've also found that a small roll of Monel wire is better for emergency stuff where you are in a hurry, that way you aren't fighting the spring back of the stainless wire. These in conjunction with a pair of safety pliers (nice ones) and some various gauges of wire, can get you out of a lot of places. I actually used this to make a lot of the hose clamp connections on my Carryall for the intake tubes at the silicone elbows. Giant hose clamps looked dumb and modern so these give it a more field / aviation cobbled look. They are still nice and tight after a few years and about 4k miles.

Mike Honcho said:
A functioning retard with a pair of duckbills can do the same thing:flipoff2:
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No, no they can't; not on par of the cleanliness and tightness that this little tool gets things.

Weasel said:
I have one of the wire tie devices . It's pretty slick. Takes some practice but does work well. Need a bit of room to operate and practice helps.
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I've learned with mine that it helps to plan where you set the bend over and which direction the wire is going to draw the nose spade around. Agreed though, this is not a thing to learn how to use while you are on the trail.

Steve300xcw said:
Few shop rags and a lil bottle of gojo is always nice
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I have vacum sealed a fold of shop towels, few pairs of gloves, and some gojo so that it all stays dry, together, and the hand cleaner doesn't pop open and leak everywhere. I also vacuum sealed u-joints and would do the same for spare D60 wheel bearings... I also kept some stuff in my bag that I personally no longer needed but already owned due to previous versions, ie kept D44 parts with me for other folks wheeling with me.
 
And another one that isn't as much vehicle related, but I keep it for the camping part - a speedy sticher - Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl I've used it to fix backpack straps, scuba gear, ripped pants. Some of the repairs are still on there since it worked and the thread is super heavy duty.

Also like to keep a couple of the small tube of CA glue and a tube of shoe goo. The shoe goo rarely gets used on shoes.
 
RunningProblem said:
/sidetrack/

Zip tie the rubber hose and drive very slow?

If the frame was broke could you weld it back a little bit?
/endsidetrack/
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The hard line broke at the master cylinder, that was caused by the flex in the broken frame but we did not see that until we got it home. 4 wheel manual drum brakes. Luckily it was a manual rig so he just putted down the hills in 1st.

I was just surprised op had a flare tool in his fairly reasonable kit.
 
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