whats in your truck/car tool box?

[maxmax]

I am putting together a tool box for each of my cars. As they get older its just a matter of time till i have to put a starter or something in one of them in a parking lot. What all do you keep in yours. Also what is it in( box bag?) ect.....

 

[lowendrider]

Mostly orphan tools.

3/8 ratchet
3/8 to 1/4 adapter
whatever sockets I could round up..both 3/8 and 1/4..metric and sae
slip joint pliers
needle nose pliers
adjustable wrench
locking pliers
ratcheting screwdriver and bits
electrical tape
wire ties

Not the most complete set but I add to it from time to time when I find deals.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

visa card and cellphone to call tow truck

 

[bobbar]

AAA and fix the problem when i get home

 

[ietech]

visa card and cellphone to call tow truck

AMEN to that!!!!!

In reality I carry all the basics and a torque multiplier for lug nut removal. I hate it when I have to break lug nuts by hand and all of the bones in my hand seem to CRASH together when the nuts decide to give up resistance, Soory Lord but that HURTS. LOL

 

[maxmax]

What do you gentleman keep in your garage? A phone and the number to 1800 handyman?

 

[fr0mastaj]

I thought I was the only one who never understood the need for a roadbox... it's 2012, help is a phone call away.

However, I do have a first aid kit, 10in1 screwdriver, a small plier, flashlight, and knife in the trunk for random things - not a breakdown on the side of the road. But never understood the need for sockets, wrenches, and the whole nine yards in a personal car.

 

[ietech]

I thought I was the only one who never understood the need for a roadbox... it's 2012, help is a phone call away.

However, I do have a first aid kit, 10in1 screwdriver, a small plier, flashlight, and knife in the trunk for random things - not a breakdown on the side of the road. But never understood the need for sockets, wrenches, and the whole nine yards in a personal car.

One day I had to borrow my MILs car 'cause I loaned my truck to my Bil --- about half way home from work (10pm) the car had a blowout and guess what the same BIL had borrowed her jack --- don't ask me why.

Called a tow and waited 1 hour and 40 mins for the arrival. Well at least the spare was there. Not a common occurance I'm sure but I ain't waitin' for a tow truck at any time in my life unless it absolutely necessary. Waiting is not my strong point --- I want it done and I want it NOW.

 

[greasemonkey44]

cheap wrenchs from 8 to 18
northern sockets from 8 to 19
1/2 bar, 7/8 socket
heavy jumper cables
ratchets, pliers and screw drivers and a few adjustable wrenches and a leatherman
that leatherman has saved me more money...keep one in every car
i use it for changing batteries and once to jumper the clutch interlock on my truck
havent had to wait for a tow truck yet; and im not planning on it either
i also keep a qt of oil and 1/2 gallon of antifreeze and 1 gal of water in the truck
and if im going a long way ill bring an impact and a jumper box

 

[IMCA38]

Well, my truck and my wife's SUV are vastly different creatures in that regard.
I have a cross-bed box in my truck, and that thing is TOO full.
I have a decent sized poly carry box pretty full of hand tools, mostly from HF or auction scores. I have a standard/metric end wrench set in a roll pouch, a couple of Cresents, some screwdrivers, assorted pliers and some other odds and ends. In addition, I have a small HF 1/4 / 3/8 / 1/2 socket set in it's own thin box. My main purpose for carrying these is not so much for a breakdown, bot just to have them with me at all times. I've used these tools at work, at relatives/friends houses, at church, etc. Also, I go to a lot of auctions, and I sometimes need to dismantle my purchases for hauling home.
In addition to the hand tools, I have a 12V air compressor, which I have used on the truck!, a pair of jumper cables, a large pry bar, a BFH, another hammer which is kind of a rescue tool, a fire extinguisher, warning triangles, a tow chain and axle strap, a shovel, a couple of old large towels (these work for clean up, something to put on the ground if you have to kneel/lay down, or for padding/protection when hauling something), a blue tarp, some plastic bags, duct tape and electrical tape, lan wrap, assorted ratchet and bungee straps, a cargo bar, and a couple of inserts for my receiver hitch. I've probably forgotten a couple of things, but that should be most of it.
My wife on the other hand MAY have a set of jumper cables. But her name is on the AAA card and it's in her purse, along with her i-phone. Plus, she never goes to auctions!

 

[Outlawmws]

Don't listen to the AAA cell phone comments, you are on the right track. (contrary to popular belief, cell phones do not work everywhere...)

I started with a 90 pc Craftsman set (Sockets, ratchets, 1 set of combo wrenches, and a set of Allen keys mostly) in a blow mold case that also ahd compartment with room for more stuff. To that I added:

3/8" Hex driver "sockets"
2nd Combo wrench set
GearWrench ratchet wrenches, 10,12,& 14
Ignition Wrench set
SAE Combos, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16,
1/2-3/8 Ratchet Adaptor
1" ext. 3/8 drive
1/4" x 6" ext.
3/8 universal/flex
Snap-On SSOMR4B Ratcheting driver (recent addition)
Nut drivers - 1/4 3/8 7/16
#1, #2, #2 Phillips
#2 Stubby Phillips
Torx Bit driver set
1/8 flat blade Screwdriver
3/16 flat blade Screwdriver
1/4 Stubby
Fence Pliers
8" Slip Joints,
6" Lineman's
6" Needlenose
Hi-Tech Snap ring set
Razor blade
6" hack saw and blades

It's now a 140 pc tool set, and I used it exclusively when I did an engine swap, (not R&R, Swap....) in my 4x4 rig. so I would know I had everything I needed for that rig. For your rig(s) YMMV, and you may want one "big" setup like mine for long trips, camping etc, and something more basic for the daily driving.

I also have an old SK set of basic metric wrenches and 3/8 sockets, and I added a multi bit driver, a pair of pliers and a crescent wrench to that. It is in the van all the time...

I also carry a tire inflater in every rig, and a puncture repair kit in each rig. (no its not ideal, but in a jam...)

Other things:

Leather work gloves
Coveralls
latex gloves
1/2 roll of Paper towels
first aid kit
jumper cables
road flairs (for starting a fire in case of emergency not necessarily for signaling)
LED flashlight with Lithium batteries in the glove box.

 

[wreckerman5357]

I carry my cell phone, tow truck keys, and shop keys. I use the phone to call a buddy to give me a ride to get the tow truck, the keys for the tow truck so I can fire it up, and the keys to the shop so I can back the rig inside and get to my tools.

If I take a longer trip or go hunting, I throw in some sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers. Anything else I need I will get at the parts store when buying parts.

 

[wreckerman5357]

One day I had to borrow my MILs car 'cause I loaned my truck to my Bil --- about half way home from work (10pm) the car had a blowout and guess what the same BIL had borrowed her jack --- don't ask me why.

Called a tow and waited 1 hour and 40 mins for the arrival. Well at least the spare was there. Not a common occurance I'm sure but I ain't waitin' for a tow truck at any time in my life unless it absolutely necessary. Waiting is not my strong point --- I want it done and I want it NOW.

Sounds like you are pretty typical of my customers. People expect the tow truck to be no more than 15 minutes out even at 2am. Try to cut the drivers a break. When someone calls me after hours I'm either at home with my wife, eating dinner, in the shower, at the grocery store, in bed, or on another call. Just be happy there is someone around to come help you.

 

[JDS968]

Obviously if you have a spare tire, you should have a jack, breaker bar with appropriate socket, and maybe a wheel chock in the car at all times. If no spare tire, then a plug kit including a few plugs, something to cut them with, a 12v compressor, and maybe a can of some kind of tire sealant. And of course a good set of jumper cables.

Also you should have something like a SOG Powerassist (like a Leatherman all grown up). Preferably one in each vehicle, one to keep around the house, and one to put in your pocket whenever you leave the house. Yes, they are that useful.

If you want a little more mechanical capability in your vehicle, maybe add something like a Gearwrench 8925 1/4" drive GearRatchet set. It will allow you to do things like tightening loose battery cables or brackets, remove or tighten panels and brackets things that are fastened with hex head fasteners (whereas the SOG will take care of the Phillips and even flat head fasteners), and generally get you out of minor trouble. There's not a lot of work I'd tackle out on the side of the road unless we're talking about taking some kind of expedition-prepared truck into the middle of nowhere with a toolbox installed, with the expectation of major repairs.

 

[ietech]

Sounds like you are pretty typical of my customers. People expect the tow truck to be no more than 15 minutes out even at 2am. Try to cut the drivers a break. When someone calls me after hours I'm either at home with my wife, eating dinner, in the shower, at the grocery store, in bed, or on another call. Just be happy there is someone around to come help you.

I appreciate the help if I need it and the assistance of a qualified tow.

It seems that AAA is to cheap to fund a 24hour service. Where I work on automated conveyor systems we work 24/7 three shifts -- antiipating any problems. My issue was at 10 PM not really late are there any tows available without waking folks up --- prolly not as all insurance companies are thieves and get really good bucks to do their best at theiving. A full days support for tow support is not lot to ask for the cost of the premiums.

A call at 10 in the middle of a major city with traffic all night is a no brainer shouldn't take 1 hour and 40 mins to get a response.

I could understand that If I was on Hwy 58 going to phoenix from any where in CA but in the middle of a city with all night traffic --- come on give me a break

You are lucky that your job offers you the convenience to go to the store, spend time with your family, sleep, etc. I don't know anyone who expects a 15 min response. but close to two hours in a city that can be driven across in 20 minutes is a little much (barring unusual driving conditions such as a major accident or a flood or------) my respect goes out to tow drivers they are also victims of their employers and the insurance companies and then must listen to disgruntled customers. NOT your fault dude it's the way of all theivig companies these days .

 

[Deception]

2 wrenches, 1 socket & a ratchet.. just enough to adjust the belt on my supercharger.. when I had a turbo kit I carried around half my toolbox in the trunk haha

 

[adamsredlines]

I started with a 154 piece Craftsman kit and went from there, add pliers, adapters, more ratchets, extensions, swivels, speeder, screwdrivers, hammer, ratchet wrenches, etc etc etc.
I keep it all in a 3-drawer middle chest in the back of my car.
I have yet to use it for MYSELF, but being friends with car guys, it has come in handy more than I would have imagined. Ya just never know, and its nice to be able to leave from where you are and be prepared, instead of having to go home end dig through your normal boxes.

 

[shoturtle]

proxxon 1/4 ratchet set

 

[ears]

Way more tools than I need in my truck, like to have them if needed for other things. The only thing I really use are the tire plugs. Scrapyard is carpeted in nails.

 

[mscribellito]

Here is mine. It has served me pretty well. All the tools are husky.

 

[waterboy12]

200 piece craftsman tool set with a few other odds and ends. Has served me well

 

[Mercy]

Tow straps, heavy duty jacks for 3+ton trucks, jumper cables, flares, flashlight, and massive first aid/trauma kit. FJ still has it's factory tool kit as well. We tend to help much more than we need to be helped.

 

[mdnelson86]

I actually just went through this myself. We tend to do a lot of long distance driving to see family several times a year and our main car is starting to get up there in mileage. So I figured I should probably start carrying some stuff with just in case.

I ended up just buying the 301 pc. mechanics tool kit from harbor freight to carry in the car when we travel any distance. I hate trying to do a roadside repair with a vicegrip and pliers, although I can if needed. I always like to have the right tool for the job if at all possible. Particularly with some of these newer cars where access to most anything is very limited.

aside from that we always have a basic emergency kit that ford threw in when we bought the car (jumper cables, flares, flashlight, inflater, etc). also I've gotten to the point where I always carry a 3lb fire extinguisher in every vehicle I own. It's never happened to me on a car (it has on a couple tractors) but several people I know have had a car burn on the side of the road and the phrase is always something along the lines of "if I just had more than my water bottle, I would have gotten it out right away." One of those things I hope I never need, but always want to have with.

 

[maxmax]

Thanks guys! I like the fire extinguisher idea. I somehow forgot to throw in a big hammer. Other than that I think i am set.

 

[astrodoggie3000]

Don't listen to the AAA cell phone comments, you are on the right track. (contrary to popular belief, cell phones do not work everywhere...)

I started with a 90 pc Craftsman set (Sockets, ratchets, 1 set of combo wrenches, and a set of Allen keys mostly) in a blow mold case that also ahd compartment with room for more stuff. To that I added:

3/8" Hex driver "sockets"
2nd Combo wrench set
GearWrench ratchet wrenches, 10,12,& 14
Ignition Wrench set
SAE Combos, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16,
1/2-3/8 Ratchet Adaptor
1" ext. 3/8 drive
1/4" x 6" ext.
3/8 universal/flex
Snap-On SSOMR4B Ratcheting driver (recent addition)
Nut drivers - 1/4 3/8 7/16
#1, #2, #2 Phillips
#2 Stubby Phillips
Torx Bit driver set
1/8 flat blade Screwdriver
3/16 flat blade Screwdriver
1/4 Stubby
Fence Pliers
8" Slip Joints,
6" Lineman's
6" Needlenose
Hi-Tech Snap ring set
Razor blade
6" hack saw and blades

It's now a 140 pc tool set, and I used it exclusively when I did an engine swap, (not R&R, Swap....) in my 4x4 rig. so I would know I had everything I needed for that rig. For your rig(s) YMMV, and you may want one "big" setup like mine for long trips, camping etc, and something more basic for the daily driving.

I also have an old SK set of basic metric wrenches and 3/8 sockets, and I added a multi bit driver, a pair of pliers and a crescent wrench to that. It is in the van all the time...

I also carry a tire inflater in every rig, and a puncture repair kit in each rig. (no its not ideal, but in a jam...)

Other things:

Leather work gloves
Coveralls
latex gloves
1/2 roll of Paper towels
first aid kit
jumper cables
road flairs (for starting a fire in case of emergency not necessarily for signaling)
LED flashlight with Lithium batteries in the glove box.

What are the fence pliers used for?

 

[Outlawmws]

When in the mountains, a good pair is just about the ultimate heavy multi tool. There is almost always old barbed or fence wire around (I'm talking about the abandoned and semi fallen fences the ranchers should have been required to remove when they stopped using the Nat. Forests, not someone's operational fence here...), and you can use them to recover staples and make a supporting structure in camp if needed.

Old fence wire can also be used to jury rig repairs of all sorts, but first you have to be able to cut it, and then bend, stretch and twist it. They are hammers in a pinch, and the pick end has uses also...

 

[astrodoggie3000]

I guess i've never seen a pair of them up close, let alone used them. Might have to Google them... might come in handy when camping.

 

[astrodoggie3000]

Do you have pics of this 90 piece C-man tool kit you stocked up Outlaw? I'm trying to imagine how that would all fit in that small case. I have the 154 piece kit and all it has is some space for 2 screwdrivers and maybe 2 pairs of pliers.

 

[Outlawmws]

Do you have pics of this 90 piece C-man tool kit you stocked up Outlaw? I'm trying to imagine how that would all fit in that small case. I have the 154 piece kit and all it has is some space for 2 screwdrivers and maybe 2 pairs of pliers.

Sure, I just recently adjusted a few pieces, as I have been going through my tools inventory, and also got some recent additions to the collection (replaced t2 or 3 of the **** ratchets that came with it, the ones with the plastic toggles...) The whole thing weighs about 25 lbs., so not too onerous on the weight. A steel box would certainly weigh more with the same tools;

The "loose" side. there is a molded in rack you can't hardly see for all the rest of it, for the set of combos that came with it. a second set (also in the factory rack) is in there, as well as most of the rest of the pieces I mentioned. There is a snap in cover so you can close the thing without everything falling out, and I pad the tools "in place" so they stay better. I do the same on the opposite side.

Part of the trick to getting it al to fit is working with the spaces betwen the molded in wrenches. Drivers of different sizes go where they make the best use of space, so it's mostly "a place for everything and everything in it's place", or the snap in panel wont close...

The molded side has all the sockets and ratchets, and I added a few of the add-on's here.

The pads in place, and the 6" hack saw, and the razor blade, so I know where it is... There is enough weight in the pop in panel on the loose side I have to hold it in place while closing (and opening) or it might pop out in the process... What is nice about the padding is it also minimizes, if not eliminates a lot of rattling tools...

 

[astrodoggie3000]

That's awsome That all seems pretty well thought out... and you answered my question if a round head C-man ratchet will fit in the pear head shape. Too bad they don't make those cases anymore, the new ones seem pretty weak and have very little space for extras.

 

[Outlawmws]

Maybe watch for one at a yard sale, or C-List?

 

[twincam00]

[deleted]

 

[astrodoggie3000]

I never thought of using a speeder for a jack. Might have to go out and look at mine.