Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them

Overland tools list - for general & specific tasks

SteveS

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
630
Over the years I have (like many others) thrown all manner of things that I thought would be useful/necessary into my toolbag. I'm talking pure tools here - not things like tape, glues, tie wraps, spares etc. Pure tools. Is there somewhere a definitive list of what tools are needed for each major task? I want to put together a definitive tool kit which has in it all the correct tools to do a list of 'bush-repair' type tasks. I will take some generic tools too.

So for example - what tools are required for say, front wheel bearing replacement, rear wheel bearing replacement etc etc. I can then make sure I have not only the right equipment, but the right quantity and long/short throw sockets, pullers, any specialist tools (for example my Defender had a particular issue with replacing the fuel filter and a tool was recommended) - or very large sockets etc.

I can then decide which tasks I want to complete road-side, ensure not only that I have the spares but also the matching tools. I can then decide if I want to discard other tools from my toolkit

I plan to travel around the world as a single vehicle and thus cannot share tools and spares across multiple vehicles. My truck is a 100 series auto

Thoughts anyone?
 
Hub nut socket. 54mm, pretty sure they are the same on the 80 as on the 100. Don't bodge it. You need more tools to bodge it than do it right. Plus a can of WD40 fits perfectly inside the box spanner.
Everything should really have at least two uses, they say. Really the 54mm socket is a bit of a one trick pony.

I'd also take one of the clamp type ball joint spliters. Makes life soo much easier and is universal

I wouldn't take a filter removeal tool. Stick a screwdriver through it or use the belt off your trousers. This should be about stuff you can't make or scrounge up.
 
As Chris said big socket for sure.

One major thing I want/ need to know is how you wield of a car battery. Some may think this is daft. I can usually bodge my way home and I'm pretty good at getting around a problem. Knowing how to wield and having the bits to do it off a battery for me should be a very handy bit of kit. You can get around a cruiser with very few spaners for most bits and bobs.

A hammer/cable ties/tiger seal handy bits.
 
So for example - what tools are required for say, front wheel bearing replacement, rear wheel bearing replacement
The hundred series has pressed on rear wheel bearings that you need more specialised tooling for than the front. They can't be reliably inspected to determine condition pre trip and changing them can be a tricky operation to get right even with the right tooling.
 
Maybe we could have a battery welding demo at Lincomb. :think:
 
Months before our trip, while I was still prepping our vehicle, I started keeping all the tools that I used to one side. And towards the end I was doing all the jobs out of my trusty red tool box that now lives in the back of the truck.

Some of the tools that I couldn't do without (obvious spanners & sockets aside) are multi-meter, a pry bar, hammer, magnetic tray, gas soldering iron.

The problem with only taking tools for specific jobs is that inevitably the unexpected happens. And tools aren't just used for repairs on the truck, you end up doing mods and making improvements, as well as repairing other gear. Worth keeping in mind.
 
Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them
Well I'm in NZ so for us the most important things are crescent spanners hammer,screwdrivers pliers and some no 8 wire.these do most things in an emergency so you can limp home or to a garage and fix it properlyPat
 
This is going to sound silly, but make sure you bring a decent small hammer and a decent lump hammer. Emphasis on decent.

A vise grips is an indispensable tool in virtually any situation (maybe not for 'proper work' but priceless for emergency repairs). I am proud to say I own 4 of them so I can have one to hand at all times.

Most of the rest is pretty obvious, but a few ratchet spanners in selected sizes don't take up much space and are such a pleasure to use.

A decent pry bar is also handy, and again can be used for a lot of non mechanical things.

A good lump of a brass drift. Easily forgotten.
 
It's easy to just keep piling tools in there until your garage is empty. I'd prefer to think about the tools I'd need to do the jobs that you'd be likely to encounter. Removing the alternator, starter. Getting the rad out, replacing a wheel bearing. That sort of thing. If this is about space and weight then I'd not take anything random that may just come in handy for a non described event. Like I said earlier, filter wrench? Unless you were planning to cross a continent with no towns, why would you need to change the filter. 6000 miles is a long way. You could drain the oil and leave the filter on if you had to. And of course you'd need to be carrying 10L of oil too. And a new filter.

It's not just the sizes of sockets, it's the type too. Getting the front brake calipers off for example. The 17mm extended socket good there. For the prop shaft bolts, a thin 14mm is good. OK stuff like hammers are universal, but you could certainly make up a dedicated tool kit with only the tools that you actually would need. 18mm spanner anyone?

I would undoubtedly put my Irwin bolt removers in though unless I'd replaced every critical nut and bolt already and put them back in with grease before I left.
 
It's easy to just keep piling tools in there until your garage is empty. I'd prefer to think about the tools I'd need to do the jobs that you'd be likely to encounter. Removing the alternator, starter. Getting the rad out, replacing a wheel bearing. That sort of thing. If this is about space and weight then I'd not take anything random that may just come in handy for a non described event. Like I said earlier, filter wrench? Unless you were planning to cross a continent with no towns, why would you need to change the filter. 6000 miles is a long way. You could drain the oil and leave the filter on if you had to. And of course you'd need to be carrying 10L of oil too. And a new filter.

It's not just the sizes of sockets, it's the type too. Getting the front brake calipers off for example. The 17mm extended socket good there. For the prop shaft bolts, a thin 14mm is good. OK stuff like hammers are universal, but you could certainly make up a dedicated tool kit with only the tools that you actually would need. 18mm spanner anyone?

I would undoubtedly put my Irwin bolt removers in though unless I'd replaced every critical nut and bolt already and put them back in with grease before I left.

I used an 18mm spanner lately :icon-ugeek:

Oh yes it was as a 'power bar'...........:laughing-rolling:
 
It's easy to just keep piling tools in there until your garage is empty. I'd prefer to think about the tools I'd need to do the jobs that you'd be likely to encounter. Removing the alternator, starter. Getting the rad out, replacing a wheel bearing. That sort of thing. If this is about space and weight then I'd not take anything random that may just come in handy for a non described event. Like I said earlier, filter wrench? Unless you were planning to cross a continent with no towns, why would you need to change the filter. 6000 miles is a long way. You could drain the oil and leave the filter on if you had to. And of course you'd need to be carrying 10L of oil too. And a new filter.

It's not just the sizes of sockets, it's the type too. Getting the front brake calipers off for example. The 17mm extended socket good there. For the prop shaft bolts, a thin 14mm is good. OK stuff like hammers are universal, but you could certainly make up a dedicated tool kit with only the tools that you actually would need. 18mm spanner anyone?

I would undoubtedly put my Irwin bolt removers in though unless I'd replaced every critical nut and bolt already and put them back in with grease before I left.

On a serious note, I'd bring a pry bar/crow bar because it can be used to make a hole for a tent peg, get a stuck saw blade out of a piece of firewood and save your fingers if your trying to move a rock. It can also be used to dig a hole (or for a second person to help, ever tried to dig in rocky ground with only a shovel??)

Also its great for all its normal uses. One of which is to bend back a bit of bodywork if you are unlucky enough to hit something.

I do agree that there is no real point in packing up the whole tool kit. Although a con saw could be handy if you get clamped :?

There is a pdf list knocking about somewhere that is very comprehensive, but Chris is right when he says to bring things on a 'job' basis.
 
A pry bar can be used as a pot lid lifter a weapon and many other uses. It's in for sure. I use one frequently for getting the wheel back on the studs. Roll the wheel over the top of it and lift. ON a std 31" tyre it's not an issue, but once you start going up the sizes and onto steel rims especially, you'll be glad of it.
 
Many good suggestions are already written above, pry bar and two hammers as yogi said are items that are often left at home but are really useful (putting a steel rim back to shape with one hammer? - good luck :) )

Just my thoughts on 54 mm socket - I used to carry it with me, I put it on use two times so far (here an example - ClicK - that finally lead to on-field replacement of wheel bearings on front axle), but now I decided to leave it at home. Two reasons:
- a screwdriver and a hammer can do the job and the only side effect are some minor marks left on a nut
- when I bought a replacement stub axle from a 105 series I realized that it has a different thread and that it uses larger, 55mm nuts.

And finally a thought I keep saying loudly for some time, an unpopular opinion, I know, but facing the cold truth is essential:
First knowledge, than tools.
If you have never done anything more serious than changing a wheel for a spare one on your vehicle, you won't be doing heroic improvisations out in the outback. Forget the special tools, instead take more money to pay inflated fees for locals who will be eager to "help you". A few thousand EURos will fuel a local to source a replacement bearing from the nearest village 150 km away and change it for you, using only a hammer and a screwdriver from your elaborate, sophisticated, carefully and thoughtfully prepared toolset. Seen this happen once and heard of another two similar cases. ;-)
 
I like my oil filter wrench... it allows me to lift hot jacket potatoes out of the fire! Seriously though, on my travels around Aus I have found that I have ended up changing the oil in random places, as we ran 5000km intervals (which is not unusual in Australia; it's cheap insurance really)

As Pat says fencing wire is useful; I tend to scavenge mine from friend's farms...

Otherwise I just take my socket set, breaker bar and some extra spanners... that generally gets me out of (and into trouble. A big 20l - 30l flexi tub is also useful; I have one which also keeps a load of stuff in it in the back of the car normally, as well as on trips. At the moment it has the compressor, will take the socket set, and spare fluids as needed. Having the flexi tub has bailed me out when we had a leaking radiator and replaced it on a trip; we only lost about half a litre of coolant or so.
 
Money is a really good tool.

Not sure I agree with the knowledge then tools. Someone else comes along with the same knowledge and no tools you're no further on. I don't think you can really be as stark as that. One is little use without the other really. But having the tools puts you in a slightly stronger position in my view as all you need to find is the knowledge which is probably easier then finding the tools.
Now, no tools and no knowledge? Do us all a favour and STAY AT HOME.
 
I dont really understand how knowlege and no tolls would help you apart from when you have a problem go oh weel i could have fixed the light bulb if only i had brought a screw driver with me.

Really think think that you can always find somebody to fix the car but if they only have a hammmer and chisel then your could be doomed.

now the op

I think you need to way up what you are able to have to deal with at the side of the road then take tools for those jobs. such as you cant do wheel bearings on a 100 on the side of the road so why take the tools for that job.

I carry a socket set up to 32mm short and 19mm long this also has allen keys, star keys with it. then small, big hammer, rachet screw driver with small and large pozi and flat, large flat screw driver, no 2 posi screw driver, chisel some spanners up to 24mm, circlip pliers, electical meter.
side cutters, pliers water pump pliers pry bar small ish. and a 2ft nuckle bar.

If you know your way around tools i would be shocked if you dont know what you would use on most jobs.

stu
 
A mate of mine spent a good few years in Africa mostly in the places you don't want to be , he once told me a good bottle of scotch is an essential accessory because it can buy you out of almost any predicament . This guys no innocent yet it took him years to adjust when he returned to our civilized word , for instance i innocently startled him one very dark night about 3am (we had both been out drinking in separate places) he was exiting a very small and rarely used walkway between houses when i entered the same walkway . I very nearly lost both eyeballs and possibly my life . I dread to think what situations a bottle of whiskey has bought him out of .
 
I didn't want to encourage a practice of leaving tools at home. Just investing in learning first. With knowledge how to use your tools you surely won't leave tools at home.
But I see a lot of enthusiastic overlanders that have virtually no mechanical knowledge packing huge collections of tools.

Someone else comes along with the same knowledge and no tools you're no further on.
Another overlander? He will surely have tools he can use.
A knowledgeable local? [rare] The same or he will know where to turn to.
An opportunistic "I good mechanic" local? [usual scenario] You don't want to trust him messing with your vehicle.

And then again, you have to be realistic. How much, what repairs, you can do alone, stranded somewhere? The answer is different for each of us, but the upper limits of possible repairs we can do is determined more by our experiences and skills and knowledge than the tools (providing we have some basic tools to work with). And virtually any repair that is beyond replacing some small mechanical part etc means a tow to a nearby village and after that finding a part you need will usually be more problematic than finding tools.

A reasonable, relatively small set of tools that you know how to use and have used previously is all you need.
 
Thanks for the replies - I don't see a definitive list against each task yet :). On a personal note I've been fortunate enough in my earlier years to have rebuilt engines, gear-boxes, differentials etc, so have at least been there and done it, albeit not regularly and not as a professional. These days lack of time and a bit more money has made me a bit lazy.

It is the knowledge like a thin 14mm or a long throw socket which is indispensable - and thank you. My toolkit will have some things like mole grips, multi-meter, pry bar etc etc as weight for weight they can sort out a multitude of problems as the posters above have said. However, at the moment my kit includes things like stilsons, 3 or possibly 4 hammers of various descriptions - these are the sort of things I need to give more thought to thinning out. And then make sure I have packed the ball joint splitter, feelers etc that are necessary to keep the truck going (for 200 miles say until I can get to a garage).

In terms of what I would hope to be able to do:
Oil change Engine (emergency)
Oil change diff (emergency)
Replace front wheel bearing
Replace rear wheel bearing
Replace brake pads
Replace prop-shaft UJs
Replace/repair starter motor
replace/repair alternator
Replace ancillary/fan belts
Fault find electrical
Fault find and engine diagnostics including resets
Replace major sensors - crank position, air flow/density etc - where these are known weak points/disabling and are not an engine-out job
Replace oil seals - this will have to be a sub-set suitable for road side repair...ie the easier ones and ones which could disable the car
Shock absorber bushes (but not other bushes) - if only to get a knackered shock out of the way
track rod ends

What I'm not planning on doing is:
put tyre on rim or straighten wheels (2x spares fitted, all alloy)
Any other suspension bushes (new, poly)
Any other suspension parts
Springs/torsion bar
Major mechanicals like differential/auto box/engine

Any comments on the above list would be welcome and indeed any 'special' tools to do them
 
Following jobs you cant do at the side of the road.
Wheel bearings as these are pressed into the hubs i think on a 100
Prop uj you would struggle with but take the tools to remove prop.


As for chang7ng sensors i would find out also how to looop out.

Now what i think is you have had to many landrovers!!

Remember people all over the world take these cruisers all over the place with nothing.
As they say go to the desert in a landrover if you want to come back take a cruiser.

You have a very good 100 that will go on for years and years.

Stu
 
Back
Top