What are the little life savers in your tool bag?

[YotaAtieToo]

I k ow we've had a couple trail tool threads, but I'm talking about the little things that can be the difference between a long ass day and/or night and driving out. I see a lot of guys carrying a spare drive shaft or axle shafts. Which I can understand, but usually, you can limp out in 2wd or 3wd. The things I'm talking about, are to help with the failures that will leave you stranded.

The part that reminded me of this is the Colby valve, a valve stem you can install externally. My buddy recently showed me these, and I immediately went out, bout 4 and put them in every vehicle I own (that runs ) they aren't cheap, but as most of us know, changing a valve stem on the trail or side of the road can be a huge pain in the ass.

Colby Valve

Our Patented Colby Valves are hands down the STRONGEST, MOST CONVENIENT and BEST vehicle tire valves on the planet. INSTALL in less than 1 minute.

www.colbyvalve.com

I also recently saw a stick of gas tank repair putty, so a tube of that went in each trail rig. Hopefully it works as advertised.

I always try to carry a few driveline bolts, or u bolts for domestic stuff.

Some type of leaf spring clamp. Either 2 pieces of flatbar or a short square ubolt and plate.

Spare tre's or the bolt for hiems. I once lost a nut for the bolt that held my tie rod on, I would have been fucked had I not happened to do it at an abandoned mine and was lucky enough to rob a nut off an old power wagon

Tire plugs, obviously. But I'd like to get some of these types of patches

https://sidewallslug.com/

GlueTread

GlueTread

www.gluetread.com

Jb weld is good to have, although I've never had to use it.

A spare battery clamp has saved me once

I usually try to double up hose clamps under the hood on my trail rigs, extras are good to have, and they don't get kinked and fucked up in the bottom of the tool bag.

Similar thing with power steering, fuel line, heater hose. Run them long and/or tuck the extra somewhere.

I always throw the accessory belt I replaced somewhere in the rig, even if it's cracked, it should get you off the trail if a stick sneaks up in the engine bay.

What else?

 

[rockdog57]

Bought the whole gluetread patch kit. It’s going in the bag.

 

[speed bump]

Less trail rig but the number of times that a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter and torque has got me home is up there.

 

[Joeyf]

Tie wire. By far the most used emergency quick fix in my tool box. Used it in replace of nuts, hose clamps, pinching off soft brake lines, holding a broken main leaf in place, a fuse once.

 

[PAE]

Anyone still make the fire Vulcaniz tire patch kit with the screw clamp etc ?

 

[WESTOF7]

10" knipex cobras and pliers wrench.

Q bond.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Speaking of break lines, I like to carry a variety of fitting that can be used for plugs or caps. Saves you from having to pinch off a good hard line.

A drill and bolt to go through your fan clutch is a good one too. I've also seen guys use long drill screws.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Less trail rig but the number of times that a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter and torque has got me home is up there.

Gtfo with your new fangled technology

Not a bad idea though, with how many ob2 rigs are on the trail.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

I like to carry a propane torch with the built in igniter. Can be helpful to get a fire going when things are damp, or to thaw something out like a blown bead that sat for a few hours, iced up valve stem, ect.

I've also seen guys carry a length of small dryer type ducting that they can slip on the exhaust.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Harbor Freight flaring kit with a close quarters tubing cutter and an assortment of unions, flare nuts and compression unions in the sizes the vehicle uses jammed into the empty space in the case.

3/4 pex union can be used to bypass leaks in 5/8 or 1/2 heater hose. It's worth keeping one and two hose clamps in the glove box.

 

[TrailTamer]

This is a must have.

a short section of wire with straight blades on both ends stashed in the fuse block to jump relay. And a spool of wire with a handful of wire butt connectors (or wire nuts….)

A bolt and nut of right size with extra copper washers on it in the glovebox to bolt a brake hose shut.

Always carry throwaway ratchet straps!

 

[TrailTamer]

I had to bolt the brake hose shut when I lost a caliper bolt and had to remove it.

Carry spare caliper bolt! Especially if it’s something uncommon thread size and or pitch like I found out the hard way with WJ calipers.

For guys who’s running unit bearings… don’t forget to carry the big socket to take the big nut off lol and carry spare unit bearings along with spare lug nuts preinstalled and spare unit bearing mounting bolts.

 

[rockdog57]

Hell some of you guys sound like me in the rig in my avatar!🥴 I carried so much shit the thing was carrying another spare truck. On board welder, on board air, two drivelines. I was the go to when shit broke on others rig. With the buggy I’ve tried to par it down to one tool bag.

 

[white-rhino]

I've been laughed at for years for all the shit I carry. But it's amazing how many people have needed something I have. I had the room in the back of my Jeep so I figured "if I might need it, I may as well carry it". Now that I have a buggy, space is more limited and I've started saying "is this something that needs to go on the trip but can stay in the trailer?". I started sorting things out in 3 piles.
This is based on a hardcore trail ride, not screwing around at the local ORV park.

-Must have
-Would be nice to have
-Can wait till we get back to the trailer

Lots of good comments above that I won't repeat. Just looking for something others may have overlooked (or I didn't read)

Must have;
Ready welder
Jumper wires to hotwire ignition and starter. (fancy new panels can fail and you can't troubleshoot)
Plug in winch controller in case in-cab switches fail
One complete set of lug nuts for one wheel (5 or 8 as needed)
Thread die for studs. (ever had lug nuts come loose and fuck up the studs?)
Bug spray and sun screen (damn near as important as any tool)
Brake cleaner and towels
Funnel if your trans dipstick is hard to reach
Serpentine belt
Drive flange (I run Yukon lockouts - which have never failed in 10 years but.....)


The one item I really wish I had room to carry but can't find a good location is my Hi-Lift jack. It's been used on the trail as much as almost any tool I have.

 

[Poke]

Ratchet straps have saved me the most. I’ll put 3 on my spare.

I’ve made a suspension out of them good enough get home maybe 6 times. With broken links, Heims, center pins, brackets that ripped off, etc

 

[Weasel]

radiator cap
small metal files
waterweld

 

[TrailTamer]

The one item I really wish I had room to carry but can't find a good location is my Hi-Lift jack. It's been used on the trail as much as almost any tool I have.

I have hi-lift but I start to make a habit to wheel without it for same reason, no good place to store/mount it.

But, so far I never wished I packed it? What did you use it for? I carry floor and bottle jacks as they’re more compact and I’ve found they’re far more useful (and safer) than hi-lift jack.

 

[Weasel]

Same the only part of a Highlift I have anymore is the main bar cause it's bolted to the roll cage out of the way.

 

[white-rhino]

I have hi-lift but I start to make a habit to wheel without it for same reason, no good place to store/mount it.

But, so far I never wished I packed it? What did you use it for? I carry floor and bottle jacks as they’re more compact and I’ve found they’re far more useful (and safer) than hi-lift jack.

So many people criticize Hi-Lifts because they say that they are dangerous and suck for changing tires. I agree. That's the least reason I would carry one, primarily because I don't carry a spare anyway. LOL And if used carefully, can be quite safe. (keep your head out of the way of the handle) Some things I have used it for.

• yes, changing tires, plugging tires, popping tires back on a rim.
• I had a leaky Schrader valve on an air shock - needed to extend the shock to put air in it. (only had 100 psi air supply)
• resetting bound up coil springs.
• used it several times to lift an axle or bumper when bound up in the rocks.
• opening up the suspension to do work under a broke rig. (I broke a link mount in Outer limits and had to crawl inside to weld it.

It's not that it gets used on every trip, but like any tool, it's useless when you don't need it but it's priceless when you do.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Some of you are missing the point.

I'm talking about stuff that can be tucked in the door, or at the bottom of an ammo can, which can make the difference between you getting home or not.

Harbor Freight flaring kit with a close quarters tubing cutter and an assortment of unions, flare nuts and compression unions in the sizes the vehicle uses jammed into the empty space in the case.

3/4 pex union can be used to bypass leaks in 5/8 or 1/2 heater hose. It's worth keeping one and two hose clamps in the glove box.

Good idea, I try to carry a few double ended 5/16 or 3/8 hose barbs for repairing fuel, power steering or air lines.

 

[white-rhino]

Some of you are missing the point.

I'm talking about stuff that can be tucked in the door, or at the bottom of an ammo can, which can make the difference between you getting home or not.



Good idea, I try to carry a few double ended 5/16 or 3/8 hose barbs for repairing fuel, power steering or air lines.

These don't count?
Jumper wires to hotwire ignition and starter. (fancy new panels can fail and you can't troubleshoot)
One complete set of lug nuts for one wheel (5 or 8 as needed)
Thread die for studs. (ever had lug nuts come loose and fuck up the studs?)

 

[YotaAtieToo]

These don't count?
Jumper wires to hotwire ignition and starter. (fancy new panels can fail and you can't troubleshoot)
One complete set of lug nuts for one wheel (5 or 8 as needed)
Thread die for studs. (ever had lug nuts come loose and fuck up the studs?)

Some of you,

Those are all good

 

[Slander]

Anytime I change a radiator hose or vaccume line in my wheeler, or any car of mine, I throw it in my toolbox on my wheeler. I have bailed out a bunch of people with those over the years. I had a near miss this weekend where the flange bolts came off my front driveshaft and the shaft wedged itself between the floor and the fuel filter. If it had punctured the filter that would have sucked, adding one of those to my spare parts.

 

[white-rhino]

Anytime I change a radiator hose or vaccume line in my wheeler, or any car of mine, I throw it in my toolbox on my wheeler. I have bailed out a bunch of people with those over the years. I had a near miss this weekend where the flange bolts came off my front driveshaft and the shaft wedged itself between the floor and the fuel filter. If it had punctured the filter that would have sucked, adding one of those to my spare parts.

I have witnessed 2 oil filters get punctured over the years so that was one of the items I always carried. My recent downsizing (see post #14) relegated the oil filter to "in the trailer status".

 

[TrailTamer]

Some of you,

do you wheel, bro?

 

[TrikeKid]

Alternative to those fancy valve stems

AME 51025 QVC Quick Valve Change Tool

A tool used to easily install rubber valve stems onto wheels without demounting the tire. Valve tools for repair, replacement, core removal, and more. Everything you need in order.

www.alltiresupply.com

 

[Aisin]

You gotta be smarter than the actual hi lift. Run a chain or strap over the frame and under the axle so you don’t have to max the jack out to get the wheel off the ground.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

 

[blakes]

Alternative to those fancy valve stems

AME 51025 QVC Quick Valve Change Tool

A tool used to easily install rubber valve stems onto wheels without demounting the tire. Valve tools for repair, replacement, core removal, and more. Everything you need in order.

www.alltiresupply.com

looks pretty nifty

anyone on here actually use one?

seems like there is a decent chance you would end up losing the valve stem inside the wheel if you messed up. I dunno...

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

seems like there is a decent chance you would end up losing the valve stem inside the wheel if you messed up. I dunno...

.....and?

Stems are dirt cheap so carry lots!

Edit: I think the T handle thing threads into the stem just like the core, so you wouldn't lose the stem in the tire. Dunno. Should watch a video. Watched video, the insertion tool threads onto the stem like a cap. Embedded video below.

Edit edit: There's a beer bottle in the pic.