Tools to keep in a vehicle

[Lucid Moments]

So I am sure this has been asked before, but any search with tool(s) in it gets an almost infinite number of responses here so I am going to ask it again.

A few days ago I stopped to help a person on the side of the interstate change a tire. Fortunately she had all the tools that her vehicle came with so it wasn't too bad, but I thought how much easier it would have been with just a 1/2" ratchet and a set of flip sockets. That got me to thinking about putting a very basic kit together to keep in the car. What do you have or think you should have in your car for roadside use?

3/8" or 1/2" ratchet? with a set of metric sockets and wrenches + some phillips and torx screwdrivers and some pliers. That is what I am thinking about. Any other thoughts?

 

[Iowafox]

I have done this for years now. I have a breaker bar with a set of shallow or deep (your choice) 1/2 impact sockets. If not a set at least 17mm,19mm, 21mm and 22mm Those are the most common lug nut sizes i've found.
I also have a socket set that has a full range of 1/4dr and 3/8dr. I have ratchets of every drive in my toolbag. I have a Klein 6in1 screwdriver. Pliers, Electrical tape and zipties. I also suggest a hi vis coat or vest. As well as a flashlight.
I have MUCH more in my toolkit but the stuff listed is what I suggest!!

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

My FIL always kept one of those little hammers for breaking glass in case you were ever submerged below water. He also had a type of recessed cutters for cutting through seatbelts.
Thank God we never had to use them.

 

[Bogie1632]

Warning triangles. Light up ones are nice, but it's a **** shoot if they'll work years down the road when you may actually need it to work.

I've rescued a couple folks that had loose battery cables so I add add 8mm, 10mm, and 1/2". At least those sizes are what I have in my my kits for what I commonly run into, as well as a wire brush. Extra fuses can come in handy too.

Rechargeable Flashlight.

V/R
Bogie

 

[Copymutt]

Breaker bar and 23 mm socket for the truck lugs. A few basic hand tools and also a code reader. It will help to ascertain why you can’t fix anything built in the last decade.

 

[Ralf11]

3/8 ratchet
1/2 breaker bar
adaptors

 

[Hivolts]

Shovel, Duct tap, plastic, change of clothes.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Basic hand tools. And a 1/2 breaker bar with your size for lug nuts or a whole set of 1/2 sockets.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[richfinn]

Punctured tyres

Flat batteries

Out of fuel

Auxiliary drive belts broken

Ignition coils (coil per plug)

Keys locked in cars

These are typically what I deal with everyday as a roadside assistance tech

Carry the tools to deal with those problems and add a few spares/fluids also a good light and warm waterproof clothing

Bulbs/fuses/zip ties/hose repair tape/bailing wire/some electrical wire will be useful if the worst happens

(bulb/tape and wire will make up a basic test light for example)

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

For changing tires, a tire "cross", a $20 torque wrench, works as 1/2" ratchet as well. A deep socket to fit the lugnuts.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

pry bar and breaker bar.

funny thing is, it's hard to keep it simple.

 

[930dreamer]

Other than changing a tire what can you realistically fix on the side of the road these days? My F350 has a generator in the bed, come A long and a five gallon bucket of hand tools.

 

[P0234]

Bluetooth Code reader
A few multipurpose wrenches
Zip ties
Duct tape
Tire inflator and plugs
Flash light
Gloves

 

[brainypencil]

pry bar and breaker bar.

funny thing is, it's hard to keep it simple.

Yup, you're right about it actually.

 

[PelicanPines]

Duct tape... 2 rolls
BIG zip ties...
Wire cutters... (2 pairs)
Contractor bags...
250 feet of paracord...
Handcuff keys...
Assorted pliers...
Assorted screwdrivers...
Cheapo Socket set...
Cheapo Wrench set...
Breaker Bar 24"
Lug nut sockets...
Prybar at least 24"...
Towels...
Blanket...
Tree saw (hand version that folds)
Two hammers... 3 or 5 pounder & framing claw hammer (straight claws)
Bailing wire...
AAA Card and Membership

You will be covered for
- vehicle accidents
- road kill dismemberment

 

[bwringer]

I've learned from motorcycle riding that I should not just carry the tools that fit my bikes. My tools have been used far more often to fix other people's bikes.

For example, I carry torx bits and 13mm socket for my buddy's Euro bikes even though they're not found on my Japanese machines.

In cars, I carry a real 4-way lug wrench since you never know whose tire will need to be changed, and the lug wrenches that come with cars are pitiful. I mark my car's size with tape.

A Nealey tire plug kit and an air compressor have saved the day many times. If it's a simple puncture you can find, you can very often plug the tire, fill it up, and be on the way without even removing the wheel.

 

[Corndoggeh]

Whatever you put in it should be things you're okay with losing in case you have to bail on the vehicle, that way your not worried about your SK/Proto/Snappy sets being stolen while it sits on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck.

 

[X1 Mike]

Other than changing a tire what can you realistically fix on the side of the road these days? My F350 has a generator in the bed, come A long and a five gallon bucket of hand tools.

Yep, I'm pretty sure my truck still has the spare tire changing tools and I have the Uber app on my phone. Other than that, not a thing.

 

[unslow1]

Jump pack. You are far more likely to need that than anything else.

 

[Meursault74]

Shovel, Duct tap, plastic, change of clothes.

Is this the "Dexter" approved kit?

 

[Lucid Moments]

Wow, some of you guys are wanting to be prepared for the next apocalypse. That is a little more than I am thinking of. But there have been some great ideas too. And for what it is worth I am really planning on tools to help other people as much, or more, than I am tools for me. I keep my cars very well maintained which cuts down on roadside repairs for my vehicles.

So here is what I am thinking of now.

1/2" breaker bar
set of 1/2" flip sockets to cover most lugnuts
3/8" ratchet
3/8" metric sockets
metric wrenches 8mm to 21mm
Phillips, Torx, and flat screwdrivers
Assorted pliers
Utility Knife
Zip Ties
Duct Tape
ParaCord
Slim Jim's? Are these even useful anymore?

As an added note I live in the Southeast US. Snow just isn't a problem for me. A jump pack is a good idea but how to make sure it stays charged? Not sure it is worth the maintenance.

 

[Meursault74]

Wow, some of you guys are wanting to be prepared for the next apocalypse. That is a little more than I am thinking of. But there have been some great ideas too. And for what it is worth I am really planning on tools to help other people as much, or more, than I am tools for me. I keep my cars very well maintained which cuts down on roadside repairs for my vehicles.

So here is what I am thinking of now.

1/2" breaker bar
set of 1/2" flip sockets to cover most lugnuts
3/8" ratchet
3/8" metric sockets
metric wrenches 8mm to 21mm
Phillips, Torx, and flat screwdrivers
Assorted pliers
Utility Knife
Zip Ties
Duct Tape
ParaCord
Slim Jim's? Are these even useful anymore?

As an added note I live in the Southeast US. Snow just isn't a problem for me. A jump pack is a good idea but how to make sure it stays charged? Not sure it is worth the maintenance.

Sure keep a few with you, you may work up an appetite working on the car

 

[bobg03]

I have found a CellPhone and a AAA membership to be the best.

I do have a 4 way lug wrench
A 6 in 1 screwdriver
An adjustable 8 inch
A pack of fuses
some zipties

And a roll of EB green....

 

[brownbagg]

and four 10mm, you will lose one

 

[bushmechanic]

Barring proper travel, so long as I can change a tire I'm happy.

I can do anything I'll feel like doing with little more than a Gerber multi-tool and a tire plug kit; so unless it's a more utility oriented vehicle, the gear stops just after normal safety and convenience equipment.

If anything beyond that breaks in town, I'll find something else to do.

 

[richfinn]

Wow, some of you guys are wanting to be prepared for the next apocalypse. That is a little more than I am thinking of. But there have been some great ideas too. And for what it is worth I am really planning on tools to help other people as much, or more, than I am tools for me. I keep my cars very well maintained which cuts down on roadside repairs for my vehicles.

So here is what I am thinking of now.

1/2" breaker bar
set of 1/2" flip sockets to cover most lugnuts
3/8" ratchet
3/8" metric sockets
metric wrenches 8mm to 21mm
Phillips, Torx, and flat screwdrivers
Assorted pliers
Utility Knife
Zip Ties
Duct Tape
ParaCord
Slim Jim's? Are these even useful anymore?

As an added note I live in the Southeast US. Snow just isn't a problem for me. A jump pack is a good idea but how to make sure it stays charged? Not sure it is worth the maintenance.

Slim Jim's not really useful anymore on newer cars, I use an airbag and a long rod with a hook or magnet to fish the keys or pull the interior door handle

Better still, carry a spare key on a neck lanyard if your travelling distance

 

[LOW1]

Got room? An old fashioned lug bolt "spinner," a charged up car starter, and a lite floor jack can make you a lot of friends.

 

[softailgarage]

Shovel, Duct tap, plastic, change of clothes.

Nicky Santoro:
"A lot of holes in the desert, and a lot of problems are buried in those holes. But you gotta do it right. I mean, you gotta have the hole already dug before you show up with a package in the trunk. Otherwise, you're talking about a half-hour to forty-five minutes worth of digging. And who knows who's gonna come along in that time? Pretty soon, you gotta dig a few more holes. You could be there all f***in' night."

Sorry, first thing I thought of when I read the post

 

[Taco Truck]

My FIL always kept one of those little hammers for breaking glass in case you were ever submerged below water. He also had a type of recessed cutters for cutting through seatbelts.
Thank God we never had to use them.

I used to carry one of those hammers, but I found out about the Res-Q-Me about five years ago and haven't looked back. It's a nice, small package that I can hang from my rear view mirror.

https://resqme.com/product/resqme/

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

If my FIL was still with us, he would have one in his stocking next year.

 

[ex-x-fire]

A tool that you can use to release a serp belt, even if you have to make one for your car.

 

[AJHD]

Other than changing a tire what can you realistically fix on the side of the road these days? My F350 has a generator in the bed, come A long and a five gallon bucket of hand tools.

Yep, I'm pretty sure my truck still has the spare tire changing tools and I have the Uber app on my phone. Other than that, not a thing.

Absolutely agree. Zip ties and duct tape only go so far.

In my experience, every time I've called road side assistance or otherwise been hard down, I needed parts... Bad battery (died faster than it could be charged), starter relay, fuel pump, plugged cats, etc. These are just some of the things I can think of from memory that have failed in my years of driving and tools would of literally done nothing to fix any of it. I even had a pulley snap off the block, crack the timing cover, bust a hose and dump coolant, etc.

My few years of experience working in shops, whenever a vehicle came in on the hook, rarely can they of been fixed, even temporary, on the road side without parts. Reality is, not even most vehicles that came into the shops under their own power could be repaired or even serviced without parts.

I've got a HF breaker bar and 21mm socket for busting loose my lug nuts, but honestly I have road side assistance and likely would not even bother with my spare tire. In fact, I need to replace my spare, it's a bit old at this point and doesn't hold air very well.

My only realistic suggestion is a set of decent jumper cables. The absolutely most used tool in any vehicle, and most of the time it will be used to help someone else.

 

[4 Ever-Fish N]

After helping a guy change his boat trailer tire several years ago and he had an impact wrench to take the lug nuts off and put them on, I bought one too. When you're old like me, it helps a lot. I also have a jump starter for dead batteries. I just gave my Granddaughter my old 95 F150. Included was a jump starter. She has already had to used it. Scheduled to get the alternator replace Monday.

 

[bwringer]

On motorcycle trips, my small assortment of metric nuts and bolts has saved the day for my friends several times.

It's almost always due to the owner getting in a hurry to finish pre-trip maintenance and forgetting to tighten or replace fasteners. I can recall several instances of loose or missing brake or wheel hardware following a pre-trip tire change.

Not nearly as much of a problem on four-wheeled vehicles.

 

[930dreamer]

X2 on tool stuff while traveling, but also helping other motorists like a fire extinguisher, small first aid kit, something to cover a body.

 

[h~moto]

I've not seen vise grips listed. Not just as a tool but possibly as an emergency clamp on a car part.

 

[383z]

This is what I carry in my trunk.
Jumper cables
Basic socket set and ratchet, STD and Metric.
Crescent wrench
Channelocks
Phillips and flat head screwdrivers.
Zip ties
Flash light
I always carry a knife
Tire gauge

 

[danski0224]

I used to carry jumper cables, but the amount of sensitive computerized **** that's really expensive to replace in my car means that I'm not using them anymore for someone else.

I have a starter pack that I keep charged, and it doesn't need to be recharged often. It also has a usb port, but a cell phone only works if there's service.

I wouldn't be able to fix much of anything except for a flat tire on the side of the road, and how many people actually check the air in the spare tire?

A blanket and water might be more important. Food only if it can be kept in something that doesn't let the smell out to attract animals.

 

[Ralf11]

I carry extra clothing, a sleeping bag, a tent and extra food, snow shovel...

Had to use the snow shovel last year.

 

[Jacobson]

Breaker bar for flat tire.
Anything beyond that, AAA card.

Working on your car on the side of the highway is a great way to get yourself killed.