Tools for the road...my roadside tool kit

[stioc]

Thought I'd share a pic of the tools I'll be carrying in the trunk of my bimmer E36 from now on. After 4 years of working close to home I've taken a job about 55 miles away from home. That means I'll be driving 110 miles a day - my car already has 128k miles on it

1. 131pc Allied Tools kit: Despite the cheap quality tools it's the best tool kit I've seen in terms of its completeness. You can do a lot with these tools, if only did they use Craftsman tools

2. Royal Purple Motoroil, Mobil1 syn ATF (for power steering and manual trans), BMW coolant, distilled water, ATE Blue brake fluid, 250PSI cheapo air compressor, jumper cables and oil funnel.

3. Small Craftsman toolbag, powerbar (need to get more), tire plug kit, bike flashing LED light, keyring with Gerber Tepo LED flashlight and el-cheapo multitool, HF DMM, HF ball pein, first aid pouch, duct tape, magnetic pickup tool, HF vise grip, el-cheapo flashlight, hose clamps and radiator hose repair tape.

4. Not shown: cell phone and AAA premier membership

5. Went over the car today, anything that needed changing was changed (fuel filter, oil, plugs, power steering).

I now feel more relaxed about driving that many miles in the dark

 

[72chevy]

I only see 129 pieces in that tool kit. Looks like it's missing a double open end wrench and a small screwdriver.


Very similar to the kit I assembled for my son's trip to college. Right down to the milk create.

 

[Roy 04 GTO]

Looks as if you've got it all covered, NICE!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I drive about 45 miles one way to work. Have done this since mid 1994. I don't bother hauling anything other than a couple of quarts of oil in the truck, and is has 230,000 mi on it. The car I drive every day is a '99 Plymouth Breeze 2.0 that is getting ready to turn 170,000 in a couple of days. Only problem I've ever had is one flat tire, thats it (not counting some deer encounters).

I used to haul all kinds of tools around, even when I drove the '67 Falcon and it was over 300,000 on the original engine, I never had a problem. Finally concluded I was wasting gas hauling the tools around. I do take the "grab and go" tool box when I go on the road. Its a Kennedy cantilever box full of tools, the odd wrenches and such, but mostly everything I could foresee needing.

Charles

 

[Red Green]

I was wondering why you didn't have a blanket but I see you're in SoCal

 

[stioc]

72Chevy, you sir have sharp eyes, I've been looking for those two items for months, haven't turned up.

Charles, you're right. Actually one year I drove a 1987 MR2 with 187k miles on it about 65 miles one way and I carried no tools, it even had a supertrap exhaust on it and no interior insulation or carpeting (I was building it for racing) . Then I drove about 50 miles in a volvo 240 with 236k miles on it for about 2 years with the same Allied tool kit you see in the pic. The only thing went out on it was the battery, tail lamp and the fuel pump relay. But this whole setup probably weighs 20lbs if that (as opposed to 60-70lbs if I brought my "track day" box) so if nothing else it's just a peace of mind.

Red Green, thanks for reminding me...are you kidding it's freezing cold down here about 57-64 degrees in the frigid hours of the night these days. Don't laugh that's brrr cold for us, we wear shorts and loaf around in flip-flops all year round

 

[Red Green]

When it gets to 64 degrees it is short and t-shirts weather around here.

 

[rsanter]

add gloves (things might be hot)
an old Tshirt or wind breaker (to cover your 'good' clothes)
a credit card
and roadside assistance (if it gets over your ability to fix on the road)

bob

 

[RallyTruck]

Having done the 100+ mile daily commute for over a decade may I suggest a three pack of the reflective warning triangles. If you wind up working on your car at the side of the road at night you will need them. Set the up with 20 foot spacing so the furthest one is at least 60 feet behind your car 100 feet is better.

As cellphone using idiots drift over into the breakdown lane you will hear them crushing the triangles so you can dive out of the way.

You can pour out half the sand in the base to lighten them.

 

[qdvuu]

Russell, nice tool kit, and I fully understand your concerns. I have an '86 Porsche with 210k miles on the odo as my one-and-only car and regularly go on 150-200 mile trips throughout the SF Bay Area. I keep her well maintained but I also carry a toolkit. Here are some things I have in mine that I don't see in yours:

- Ratchet extension ~6" long
- Pliers, 90-deg bent nose
- 2nd pair of needlenose pliers
- 2nd pair of vise grips, large
- Lg crescent wrench
- Channellock
- Inspection mirror
- Spark plug socket
- File
- Emery cloth
- Tie wraps
- Wire, insulated, 10-ft, 16-ga (for electrical needs, or for wrapping)
- Parachute cord, 40 ft
- Coathanger, metal, straightened
- ZipLoc baggies and empty Altoids tin
- Small tarp
- "Transfer punch" i.e. metal bar approx 3/8" dia and 12" long in case you need to bang on something that's not too accessible, or pry something
- Matches
- ECU relay
- Leather utility gloves, wool sweater, sox and beanie, army field jacket

Also, verify that your lugnuts are torqued such that you can get them off with your lugnut wrench and verify that your jack actually works. The grease on my scissors lift got so gummy that I bent my speeder. Now that was a bad time!

-Paul

 

[J.A.F.E.]

Perhaps some fuses, bulbs and can of fix-a-flat.

~Steve

 

[Bolster]

GREAT thread, and timely, I am just now in the process of putting together a car kit. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[tatra]

a pipe that fits over your lug wrench and within easy reach........ just in case a little road rage is directed your way.........

 

[Frank Elson]

I've carried a basic car kit for forty years. Fixed my car a few times but fixed an awful lot more other folks'. Made a couple of good friends that way.

 

[stioc]

Thanks for filling the gaps in my toolkit, good suggestions!

 

[tbgallant]

I would also suggest going through that socket set/tool kit and disgarding anything that doesn't work with your car (SAE sockets/wrenches/etc). No point carrying around all that extra weight (weight = gas = money).

 

[chrisexv6]

Im confused, you seem to be missing a 60 gallon air compressor and ThunderGun impact wrench for taking off the wheel so you can use your tire plug kit

Nice kit!! One of these days Id get around to doing the same but I just dont drive far enough to justify it. Work is only 3 miles from home now.

 

[speed bump]

i'm starting to feel overprepared.

I carry:
Napa socket/ratchet set with fairly complete sets of 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" SAE metric, deep and shallow. A 1/2 breaker bar, various extensions and U-joints.

Combination wrenches SAE 1/4-7/8" Metric 7-16mm.

3pc vice grip set, various screwdrivers of all sizes, various pliers including some 8" dykes, hex keys and a tape measure.

Safety wire, electrical tape, duct tape, oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, paper towels, zip ties, spare ignition parts, a shovel, a towel, jumper cables, a 12v idiot light, a flashlight, a hammer, tire iron, a block of wood and more stuff I forgot.

Oh, yes I carry this in a 68 Mercury Monterey.

 

[stioc]

Speedbump, there's no such thing as over-prepared, whatever you feel comfortable with. However, my philosophy is to keep things simple. One, I don't want to carry my nicer/expensive tools. Two I don't want to carry a boat load if I can't fix something with the expanded basic toolkit it's probably better to fix it at home. I won't attempt any major surgeries on the side of the road unless I was out in the middle of nowhere (not the case for me, just daily commute on the highways).

 

[rsanter]

years ago I used to carry one of the SO general service kits in the car 'just in case'
one time I hat to use it to replace a fuel pump that was going bad on a road trip.

problem: about a year before that I had changed all the bolts in the engine compartment to 12pt stainless. the set was 6 pt
had to go back into the store and buy a cheap socket

make sure the tools you carry actually work on the car and take out the ones that dont fit on anything

bob