What do you carry in your 80 for Repairs & Recovery?

[Heckraiser]

For tools, about $100 worth of Harbor freight and a hub socket. All fits in one bag. For recovery, a strap and my bottle jack (been meaning to buy one of those little bottle jack brackets). Haven't needed anything more, in fact I've barely touched most of the tools. Recovery is easy with other vehicles around to yank you out... never needed a winch for this reason, usually go wheeling with friends.

 

[Red Merle]

You forgot a spare head gasket I believe.

Doesn't that come with the valve grind kit, or are you thinking a spare for the spare?

 

[Pin_Head]

Don’t forget the two-legged varmit repellant.

 

[retrofive]

Don’t forget the two-legged varmit repellant.

I think I mentioned that in my kit.

 

[Red Merle]

Do you often travel on Mars alone?

I bet he uses a lot of that stuff just getting there though. An 80 would come in handy on Mars.

I will say though that I am impressed with his kit. I don't even own a lot of that stuff. I carry a pretty well outfitted Craftsman grandpa type tool box that is strapped to the floor with the mounting brackets for the 3rd row seats, a heavy duty tow straps with some big shackles, the OEM jack, a 12V Makita drill and impact driver kit, a spare tire, a Hudson Bay blanket, the FSM and EWD, a couple of common fail parts(need to do a better job of that though and would like to hear what others carry for spares.), some water, trans fluid and oil.

We don't have a lot of true wheeling to do up here, just a lot of rugged gravel roads that lead to places pretty far out in the back country. Truth be told, unless I hit a moose, I wouldn't likely encounter much that would cause something like a driveshaft to break. While a tow truck could probably make it back to 90% of the places I go, there isn't good cell coverage and hiking out would take a long time, like probably a couple full days if nobody picked me up. I just try to be prepared for some possibilities, but carrying all of that stuff would be overkill and eat up too much space in the truck for my back country gear that I use when I leave the truck to go further into the woods. I would probably also have an axe, saw, first aid kit, more clothes, tents, tarps, sleeping bags, food, etc.

 

[Irish Reiver]

I have a set of KISS drawers in my 80 for which I made lots of little partitions however I use it more as an extension of my garage storage rather than a specific collection of recovery equipment. Maybe it is time to inventory the stuff I do store and reprioritize what should be in the truck versus the garage.

 

[brockdeck]

Why power steering fluid? Our trucks take dexron

 

[Shoredreamer]

Parts and Fluids

Toyo Red
Distilled H2O
ATF
10w-30
DOT3
75w-90
Moly
Grease gun
Rad hoses
Hose clamps
5/8” heater hose
Oil cap
Gas cap
Headlights
Wire and wire ends
ECM
Knuckle stud set
Toyota various bolts
Wheel bearings
Trunion bearings
U joints
Starter contacts
Brake pads
Alternator
Exhaust bushings
Brake bleed kit
Caliper bolts
Fusible links
EFI fuse
ATC fuses
Hub nuts and studs
Lug nuts and wheel studs
Wheel hub gasket
JB weld
Duct tape
Bailing wire
Radiator stop leak
Silicone tape
Big zip ties
Vacuum hose
Fuel line

Tools

Sockets
Screwdrivers, wrenches, standard tools
Diagnostic jumper
Jack stand
Funnel
Bottle jack
Hi lift
Rags
Gloves
Circuit tester
Multimeter
TQ wrench
Ball and peen hammer
3lb sledge hammer
Channel locks
Tire iron
54mm hub socket
Prybar
End wrenches
Hacksaw
Pickle fork

Recovery

Gloves
Folding saw
Hi lift and base and adapters
Snatch block
Folding shovel
Trail axe
Tree saver
Shackles
Tow strap
Snatch strap
Winch extension
TRED boards
Winch
Tarp
2” Recovery Mount
Shackles
Shovel

Stowed in the tailgate, passenger rear 1/4, and a couple containers and bigger items on the outside of the truck.

 

[Red Merle]

Why power steering fluid? Our trucks take dexron

They say either is fine, but I would be concerned about mixing them. Mine has ATF in it, do I just bring a gallon of the farm rated stuff and dump it in either the trans or PS if I need to.

 

[Red Merle]

Parts and Fluids

Toyo Red
Distilled H2O
ATF
10w-30
DOT3
75w-90
Moly
Grease gun
Rad hoses
Hose clamps
5/8” heater hose
Oil cap
Gas cap
Headlights
Wire and wire ends
ECM
Knuckle stud set
Toyota various bolts
Wheel bearings
Trunion bearings
U joints
Starter contacts
Brake pads
Alternator
Exhaust bushings
Brake bleed kit
Caliper bolts
Fusible links
EFI fuse
ATC fuses
Hub nuts and studs
Lug nuts and wheel studs
Wheel hub gasket
JB weld
Duct tape
Bailing wire
Radiator stop leak
Silicone tape
Big zip ties
Vacuum hose
Fuel line

Tools

Sockets
Screwdrivers, wrenches, standard tools
Diagnostic jumper
Jack stand
Funnel
Bottle jack
Hi lift
Rags
Gloves
Circuit tester
Multimeter
TQ wrench
Ball and peen hammer
3lb sledge hammer
Channel locks
Tire iron
54mm hub socket
Prybar
End wrenches
Hacksaw
Pickle fork

Recovery

Gloves
Folding saw
Hi lift and base and adapters
Snatch block
Folding shovel
Trail axe
Tree saver
Shackles
Tow strap
Snatch strap
Winch extension
TRED boards
Winch
Tarp
2” Recovery Mount
Shackles
Shovel

Is the ECM the same as the ECU?

Great list! I have a lot of that stuff. I need to get some boxes like you have for all the little stuff and just store them in there, rather than in my shop.

 

[Shoredreamer]

Is the ECM the same as the ECU? Great list!

Yeah same thing.

 

[Red Merle]

Yeah same thing.

I am ordering a used one with my tax return. I'll be curious to see how that all goes when the time comes. I am thinking about storing the spare ECU in a ziplock with some desiccant packets and putting a box. Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[Shoredreamer]

I am ordering a used one with my tax return. I'll be curious to see how that all goes when the time comes. I am thinking about storing the spare ECU in a ziplock with some desiccant packets and putting a box. Good idea? Bad idea?

Yeah that’s exactly what I did. Keep it dry. Swapping is pretty easy. Disconnect battery and unbolt the old one, disconnect the 4 connectors then replace new one.

 

[Red Merle]

Yeah that’s exactly what I did. Keep it dry. Swapping is pretty easy. Disconnect battery and unbolt the old one, disconnect the 4 connectors then replace new one.

So did you test yours to be sure the motor would like it?

Did you consider using one of those rebuild services that they sell on eBay that says they will rebuild your ECU with all new parts for $175? I am curious about that.

Any other advice you could give for someone looking to prepare for the day his fails?

 

[LS1FJ40]

Jesus I thought I carried a lot of sh!t!

 

[LS1FJ40]

So did you test yours to be sure the motor would like it?

Did you consider using one of those rebuild services that they sell on eBay that says they will rebuild your ECU with all new parts for $175? I am curious about that.

Any other advice you could give for someone looking to prepare for the day his fails?

Find someone parting out your year. Buy a used one. Swap it in. Make sure it works. Done.

I keep a spare ECU in my glove compartment. I don’t keep it in a ziplock or anything. The ECU plugged in in your rig is not in a ziplock with desiccant packets so why would a spare need that?

 

[Red Merle]

Jesus I thought I carried a lot of sh!t!

Not sure if barrels of gummy bears count...

 

[jcardona1]

Aside from basic tools and fluids, I also carry spare set of birfs, belts, radiator hoses, starter contacts, fusible links, a few relays.

Believe it or not what I've used the most is a giant bag of random nuts and bolts. Seems like every trip somebody loses a nut/bolt for a shock, control arm, panhard, you name it. Depending on the part it can leave somebody stranded with no way to get out. I go to a local metal supply store that sells hardware by the pound and buy several nut/bolt/washer sets of every size I can find.

I'm also considering adding a welder to my kit, another item that seems to get used almost every trip (luckily not on my rig yet). Also plan to carry several pieces of 1/4" plate and .250" DOM tubing.

Buckled upper link tower:

These guys suffered an absolutely catastrophic failure. Axle truss collapsed, broke both upper links, axle tiled back and snapped the driveshaft and both coilovers. They had to leave the rig on the Rubicon and come back next weekend with a generator, welder and lots of spare parts. Needless to say it was a long day for them:

Crumpled driveshafts are common the Rubicon. Depending on what type of wheeling you do and if you're still on the stock wimpy driveshaft, I would consider a spare or at least parts for a repair (DOM tubing). We had to cut off tubing from another truck in order to fix this and get this guy off the trail. Made it all the way out and drove it home!

 

[Dragos80]

Why power steering fluid? Our trucks take dexron

Just in case there is a Jeep somewhere out of this galaxy in need of PS fluid.

 

[Red Merle]

Find someone parting out your year. Buy a used one. Swap it in. Make sure it works. Done.

I keep a spare ECU in my glove compartment. I don’t keep it in a ziplock or anything. The ECU plugged in in your rig is not in a ziplock with desiccant packets so why would a spare need that?

Good call on trying it out first.


I would want to protect it. I am clumsy and I sometimes do things that I regret, like rummaging through my glove box and accidentally firing the ECU into a salty puddle of nastiness. Having it stored in the back with the rest of my kit would work better for own peace of mind. Besides, I keep my Tommy Bahama starter kit in the glove box in the off chance I happen to see a nice 100 Series for sale during my travels. Priorities man, priorities...