What tools do you keep in your Montero, and what do you keep them in?

[vanatee2000]

i usually carry with me a mechanics bag and a ton of tools, just in case...especially when going offroad. lately i have been thinking that i should downsize and am looking for some input. i was thinking 3/8 ratchet and sockets 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, some channel locks, a crescent wrench, some bailing wire, a multi-tip screwdriver, and a set of metric combo wrenches should be sufficient. trying to stay light and compact...probably stick it all in a small tool bag. thoughts? suggestions?

 

[Doorplease]

All of them, and electrical tape. If you know how to use them you'll never be stranded in a Montero. Personally I found the most annoying thing about carrying the majority of my tools was how I carried them. Once I got a med. sized box with sliding drawers it felt better than a bag, although it's very heavy. I like the bailing wire though, going to add that to my kit.

 

[jhill15]

I would add a small handle sledge...I know that wouldn't make it lighter but....also, if your gonna use a bag buy a smaller bag and put it the tool bag to keep all your box wrenches in. I am guilty of not being able to find the right size wrench when I need it and end up digging for 5 minutes in the bottom of the bag looking for it lol...so I need to do this as well. As for other tools I would keep a breaker bar with me too.

 

[vanatee2000]

yeah, right now with the amount and variety of tools i carry i could perform damn near any repair short of overhauling the engine haha. but in reality, the montero is so sturdy i have never had to use any of them...so i am trying to weight the cost (in weight, space, etc) vs the likelihood something will break. i have considered picking up one of the craftsmen 230 piece mechanics sets just because having all the tools in a nice carrying case would be handy and space saving, but i dont really have a need to carry all the SAE gear with me...too bad there isnt a nice all metric set.

 

[vanatee2000]

i usually have a breaker bar and regular hammer with me right now, along with my impact wrench and impact sockets (which fit the breaker). and a bottle jack, a jack stand, spare timing belt, fluids, come along, etc.

jhill, have you ever needed to use the small sledge on the road/trail? has there ever been a situation where the breaker bar was truly the only tool that would work?

 

[jhill15]

i usually have a breaker bar and regular hammer with me right now, along with my impact wrench and impact sockets (which fit the breaker). and a bottle jack, a jack stand, spare timing belt, fluids, come along, etc.

jhill, have you ever needed to use the small sledge on the road/trail? has there ever been a situation where the breaker bar was truly the only tool that would work?

I actually have not had to use the sledge, but I always use my breaker bar...which is really just an 18 inch long 1/2 drive socket...to free up my lugs when changing a tire. I once owned a land rover dii and one of the tires got stuck to the hub when I was swapping them out. After about 10 minutes of pulling on the tire to try and free it up my dad walks up behind me with a sledge and a short 2x4 and says put the board on the edge of the rim and hit it with the sledge, then go around the rim doing the same thing. Afew minutes later the tire was freed up and I was back in business. I then said I will always carry a sledge and a short 2x4...

On a side note: I have found anti seize works equally as well....but I still carry the slede and board just in case lol.

 

[vanatee2000]

2x4 is something I don't normally carry. I think it's an excellent addition and will be adding it to whatever kit I end up making!

 

[Eric M]

You can also use the bottle jack from the factory tool kit to raise up and quickly drop the car with the nuts loosened to free a stuck wheel, which is what I did.

 

[ljense8]

You could replace the sledge and 2x4 with a decent 5 lb deadblow hammer. The plastic(or rubber) won't mar up your rim, and it eliminates an extra piece of wood floating around.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I keep all of my tools in a heavy duty laptop case, much easier to pack and carry as well as keep organized. I also keep my DeWalt 20 volt impact and sawzall in the vehicle most of the time.

 

[Toasty]

I keep a full set of metric tools to disassemble the entire truck, including electrical tools and things like tape and wire. I keep it all in a canvas tool bag that came with a 4.5" grinder i bought (very compact).

Special tools i keep in there are a short handle sledge (for tie rod changes) a bent 17mm (for upper control arm service without removing a shock)

Spares i keep are tie rod ends and UCA shims. For big trips like the Rubicon we bring a rear drive shaft (a road shaft) CV's, draglink, tie rods, fresh UCAs, Alternator and starter. Ya never know, after 10 days on the rocks and thousands of miles we actually needed to replace out UCAs before heading home.

 

[ManfromSnowyRiver]

For the Sierras only I bring a rediwelder and grinder. A pickle fork can be very helpful swapping out tie rods or CVs on the trail when you have a stuck ball joint. And BIG monkey wrenches for suspension repairs.

 

[Salonika]

I must say I'm amazed by some of these replies! I have a feeling that what people find necessary to bring along in a tool kit is directly related to where they live and what they do with their trucks. I've owned my Montero for over 10 years and have done a lot of work to it (new engine, complete front end rebuild, brake lines, shocks, fuel pump, etc.). I feel like I know it moderately well. I would never attempt a timing belt job in the field (let alone try and diagnose it). Plus if you stick to the maintenance schedule, how likely is this to be needed? If I ever need a welder on the trail I think I would have made a major mistake and would be hiking and paying for a tow. I've had some fun with my Montero, but Michigan isn't exactly rocky. Are broken tie rod ends more common for people out west or people doing rock crawling? I have enough trouble finding space for all my camping crap!

 

[ljense8]

Agreed. There aren't too many boulder fields here in Michigan. For most wheeling in Michigan a spare tire, recovery strap, and jumper cables will be good enough. A winch is always helpful too. If you are hitting the dunes, on board air would be pretty handy.

 

[Toasty]

The southwestern states are loaded with boulders and in Az a trail that was mild last year could have grown a boulder field the next (flash floods clean the dirt and smaller boulders out of a trail).