Breakdown Box

[TexasSpartan]

Longtime listener, first time caller.....

I've been reading GJ for a solid 6 months now... a buddy got me into it.... and I'm not going to lie, it's been by far the most expensive internet experience I've ever had.

What started off as a healthy interest in tools has turned into a full blown addiction.....

"Happy with Craftsman" has progressed to Wera and Felo screwdrivers, SnapOn, Proto, and SK ratchets, Knipex and Klein pliers/cutters... Gearwrench and Armstrong wrenches.... the list (and disposable income) goes on and on and on.... it's even a Cornwell cart I found on CL (the welded, not the bolted version) to hold them all, and it's now full..... so while I love the site, I hate you guys!!!!

Okay, anyways... on to the real point of my post....

I'm in the process of putting "breakdown boxes" together for mine and my girlfriends cars. My truck ('06 Nissan Titan) and her SUV ('00 Nissan Pathfinder) are both nearing 100k miles. It's time to have toolboxes in each in case of emergency.... Especially considering we're expecting our first child in September, and she doesn't want a new car (yeah.... I know.... she's a keeper ) Her family is about 2 hours away, and she'll be doing that drive a bit, so I want to make sure she's fully equipped for anything that might happen.... Not that she's going to be the one to fix it, but if her family, or me, or whoever, drives to wherever she is, I want to make sure anything they may need is on hand.

So, here's my question:

What do y'all have in a toolbox in your ride? Not the toolbox you use to work, but the box you have in case of emergency? I'm not horribly worried about whether they're expensive tools or not... as I'd rather take the risk of a couple pricey items in there then not having the right tools at the right time.... and I do have a reasonable amount of duplicates, so I should be able to come up with whatever seems reasonable.

 

[ryan_289]

3/8" ratchet with a set of metric sockets.
wrenches up to 19mm.
1 or 2 adjustable wrenches.
screwdrivers.
pliers.
electrical tape.
Duct tape.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

triple a card

 

[wmartin]

I'll jump in and make the obligatory "Visa card and a cell phone" comment.

Just as an alternative to the lists, check out those Williams/Blue Point all-in-one toollkits when they come up on eBay. I bought one for $50 a while back, and that plus a prybar, a hammer, and a little bag of junk like wire/tie wraps/tape would get you a long way.

To be fair, breakdowns on the road (especially ones you can fix), like flat tires, seem to be pretty rare anymore. Probably what people should always have that they usually don't is some cash.

 

[TheGrooveking]

Just tow a Snap On TUV with V rated tires....

TheGrooveking

 

[ajchien]

Things that have caused me to "breakdown", include: flat tire, dead battery, coolant hose leak, dead alternator, clogged IAC valve.

I would consider this: things to make chaning a flat faster (breaker bar with socket to loosen lug nuts, something to make the scissor jack much more effective in turning), a battery booster/booster cables, duct tape. Bottle of coolant/and oil.


Then there are things like a dead alternator, which you're not going to be changing quickly by the side of the road. a AAA card, cell phone, and credit card is a nice backup.

 

[justanengineer]

Daily - NOTHING! Friends and coworkers are easily within driving distance so why bother wasting room and having **** that rattles?

On long road trips involving many hours of driving (see my tagline at the bottom for my kind of road trips) - a good "briefcase sized" Cman box with 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 in dr sockets from tiny to large, both metric and standard, small compliment of wrenches (bout 10 total cover everything), vise grips, a few screwdrivers, and most importantly - my portable OBDII scanner. Between those tools I can and have done most anything you can think of on the road. As already stated, you also need cash green money, not plastic for road trips for emergencies. Just for an FYI....AAA and other roadside services dont always take plastic or checks in rural America.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

Welcome and make sure you post some picture of your box and drawer shots here.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=466

It's one of if not the best post I have ever seen!

 

[Steen27]

Every post above has great suggestions - combine them and add the obligatory "jumper cables" to the list and you should be all set!

Don't forget to post pics when you're done!

 

[Danglerb]

AAA card with premium towing. Side of the road repairs are for kids without kids, especially in TX. The trouble with doing road side repairs yourself is that really minor stuff can add huge amounts of time to the repair, and being prepared for anything means you carry around a LOT of stuff.

For no option emergencies, I keep a cheap leatherman clone, and a multibit screwdriver in each car. I am working on a more extensive, keep it in the garage and grab when needed kit.

 

[RickP330]

I hate you guys!!!

Hey,
We love you too! 100K miles? WIWWY? time to trade those bad boys in. I'm at 65K and feeling the itch already. I've become way to finicky. I like working on stuff that really doesn't have to be done right away. I haven't taken a tool to my car in the 65K so far daily driver that is. I have another "second" car that I work on besides my hobbies. I dislike breakdown boxes. They just get tossed around the car and make a mess. I like it nice and clean
RP

 

[back2class]

No point with my wife. I honestly do not think she has ever even used a screwdriver and pigs will fly long before she changes a tire. AAA or similar is the best tool, though AAA can take hours out in these parts. I keep a slip joint plier, adjustable wrench, flat head and philips head screwdrivers and a flashlight. Now that I think of it, I should throw in some common wrenches. Answer is not much. The energy to haul 30lbs of tools around will cost good money over a number of years. Not too many roadside repairs that can be done these days without a replacement part on hand. If I have to go to get a ride to get a part I can get tools then.