In my old ZJ I used to carry a full tool chest, a cordless drill, air tools, a jackstand, hi-lift jack, and a bunch of other things. This was in addition to spare parts and fluids. Unfortunately I ended up using almost all of these during various breakdowns on and off the trail.
One of the main reasons I purchased the 4runner was Toyota's reputation for reliability. Now I carry what I consider to be a minimal tool set for off road driving, and so far it has worked out well. Pretty much everything I carry is metric. If I have to help someone else there is almost always a metric size close enough to SAE to work, for example 13mm = 1/2". Also, since these tools are always in the truck and could possibly be stolen, most of them are inexpensive (but decent quality) or tools I've since upgraded, the good stuff stays at home. Everything is stored in a tool bag which is very space efficient and keeps rattling to a minimum. As I do normal maintenance on the truck I've been trying to make sure I could do the task with what is in this kit, but I'm sure I'm missing something and I am definitely open to input on other things to add.
Here are the tools I carry:
- Gloves (mechanics and nitrile)
- Eye protection
- Flare wrenches
- 8/10/12/13/14/15/16/17/19/21/32 mm combination wrenches. The 32mm was $6 and is great for using as a breaker bar on other wrenches.
- Adjustable wrench that opens far enough to fit on the nuts of the SS adjustable rear track bar.
- 1/2" extending ratchet from Harbor Freight (this thing is great)
- 3/8" composite ratchet from HF (surprisingly good quality)
- 8-22mm shallow Craftsman sockets on a rail (not shown in pictures below)
- 10-24?mm deep HF sockets in a box
- Spark plug socket
- Axle nut socket
- Various 3/8" extensions
- 1/4 - 3/8 - 1/2 adapters
- Hex wrenches
- Terminal crimper
- Various pliers
- Multi bladed screwdriver
- Large flat heat driver, useful as a small prybar.
- Utility knife
- 10mm hex socket
- DMM
Between the shallow and deep sockets I should have pretty much every size covered. I'm a little concerned that the 3/8" extensions wouldn't hold up to a lot of torque from the 1/2" ratchet (using the adapters) so I might throw in a 3" 1/2" drive extension since I find myself using those quite frequently.
In addition to the above I also carry a small amount of "fix it" gear including:
- Large zip ties
- Tire patch kit + extra valve stems and cores
- Spare fuses
- Spare relay
- Spare headlight bulbs
- Spare sparkplugs
- Bailing wire
- Metal strapping
- 16g and 12g wire
- Various crimp connectors
- Duct tape
- Electrical tape
- Teflon tape
- Hose clamps
Other general stuff I always carry:
- Headlamp
- Tarp
- Paper towels
- Fire extinguisher
- Air compressor (MV50)
- Air hoses and tire chucks.
- Prybar
- Ratchet straps
- Bungee cords
A broken truck is just one way you can get stuck on the trail. Having recovery options is also important.
Recovery Gear
- Factory bottle jack (someone else in our group always has a hi-lift)
- Jumper cables
- Recovery strap
- Front and rear tow points.
- Warn M8000 winch w/ 85' of 3/8" rope
- Snatch block
- Tree saver
- 2x shackles
In the future I will likely add:
- Plywood base plate for the stock jack.
- 2qt of oil
- Small hacksaw (very useful for cutting off exhaust pipes when they pinch shut)
- Spares: fuel filter, belts, hoses (only on long trips)
Ok, so this post got way longer than I intended. Here are a few pictures to make it worthwhile.
Wrenches
Most of the rest of the kit (shallow sockets not shown)
This all fits in a 12" tool bag which takes up very little space in my cargo drawer along with the recovery equipment.
The "fix it" kit goes in a box under the driver's seat.
- Matt
