lvdoug

i have some tools, but i want to start buying tools i need just for my jk. what do i need for the trail? i have a two door, so it all must fit in small toolbox (or what little trunk space i have).

thanks for any input,
doug

bachus25

a leatherman or something similar is the one tool i always have. very very useful have one for the jeep and my motorcycle

NewfieScreech

Depends on how long your offroad trip will be...

Short trip - Duct tape, tire patch kit, foot pump and maybe a 'seal all compound'(can be found in automotive department of most stores)

Long trip - the above plus gas tank patch kit, spare belt for the engine, hose repair kit, electric pump, trail jack, a spare flash light(or two)...

These are some of the things I bring.

WranglerDan

Shovel, axe and bow saw come in mighty handy on the trail and at camp. Could do with the shovel alone in the desert.

SuperJK

my best tool is another friend with a jeep, or a rig with a winch..

and a BFH (big frickin hammer)

john smack

I have like 3 small tool sets from over the past 10 years that were missing this and thats so I took all three and bought a cloth tool bag put all the tools in the bag and now I call it a go-bag, it has pretty much every socket 2 or 3 times over, they maybe a little rusty but I am not worried about loosing anything in the mud or snow.

geoffcwilson

Not really a tool per se but you need a cell phone or some other way to communicate with the outside world if you get stuck. Learned this from bitter experience wheeling in northern Alberta....

BlackIce

I saw winch, but can't believe everyone left out tow straps...never leave home without em. As for tools, I'd say a set of larger metric sockets and a medium & large adjustable wrench. On my first wheelin trip this year, I bent my steering stabilizer and had to remove it on the trail.

Most importantly, tie or bungee your tools down. A friend of a friend wheeled all day with no problems. On the way home he got into an accident, his tool box hit him in the back of the head and killed him upon impact.

AK4Dave

If you don't have a winch, then you better get a come-a-long. Worth their weight in gold...

Woods

What I carry with you when wheelin. To start, I don't know of any SAE sizes on the JK. I carry a set of Metric sockets only. When you buy a smaller socket or wrench set, it most likely will not come with an 18mm socket or wrench. This is a common size on the JK. You'll need to have it. Here's what I have in my JK:
- On board air
- Tire deflators
- Yank strap
- Shackles
- Hi-lift jack
- Pneumatic jack
- Starter fluid to fix a broken tire bead
- Tire repair/plug kit
- 1/2" breaker bar, with a 6" extension and a 3/4" socket for lug nuts
- 35mm 1/2" drive socket for the axle nuts
- 3/8" ratchet
- 3/8" 6" extension
- 10mm - 19mm sockets (a 10mm socket would be good to have too). I also added a T-50 Torx bit for door removal. I also have a 7mm Alan bit, that I needed once, but don't remember what for.
- Lowes sells a double sided ratcheting wrench set. The brand is gearwrench. Two wrenches covers 9mm, 10mm, 12mm 13mm, 16mm - 19mm wrenches
- 13mm 12 point wrench for break caliper removal.
combination ratcheting screwdriver. I made sure to have a T-40 Torx tip, for hardtop removal.
- I also have a general tool role with the likes of vice grips, channel locks, screw drivers, adjustable wrenches, wire cutters etc.
- 3lb. stubby handle sledge - I've used it several times to seal leaking stock differential covers.
- Shovel
- Pick mattock
- Axe

The important JK oddball tools are:
13mm 12 point closed end wrench for break caliper removal
21mm socket for removing brake calipers in case of broken axle
35mm axle nut socket
18mm socket (just because it's often not included with standard socket sets)
7mm Alan wrench (not sure what for)
T-40 torx for hard top removal
T-50 torx for door removal

This might seem like a long list, but other than the yank strap, shackles, shovel, axe and pic, it all fits in my enlarged storage tub.

P.S. I couldn't find the 35mm socket at Sears (I checked 2), HD or Lowes. I found it at Kragan - auto parts store