Just wondering if any of the other members carry spare parts, tools, etc to prevent being stranded?

I’ve always found it beneficial for a daily driver and thought a consensus on a list of things to carry may eventually help out someone here.

 

Yup. I keep spare parts, tools, first aid kit, ammunition, flares, and other miscellaneous survival stuff in that Plano container.

 

I remember growing up my dad used to carry a small pouch of tools in his car and whenever he needed something he would ask us to fish it out of his bag in the trunk. He doesn't anymore since all the cars he drives are new. I never thought much of it but now that I own an older Blazer I think I may have to do that in case I need it.

A small assortment of wrenches, screwdrivers, an OBD reader, extra fuses, zip ties.

 

I carry u-joints, belts, hoses, a starter, an axle shaft, extra fluids, gaskets, and tons of other parts. I also have a jack, jack stands, drain pans, and all the hand tools I need to replace them. Just for fun, I also carry a tire repair kit, brake line flaring tool, and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of right now.

I don't like being stranded.

 

Parts, no, not on the highway cause parts stores are common, but do carry tools.

Carrying parts and tools was more common years ago when vehicles broke down more often, easier to work on and cell phones didnt exist.

I once had a 73 AMC Hornet that flattened a tire and the jack didnt have enough height to lift the wheel since the suspension was weak. So got a spare ignition coil out of the trunk and put it between the jack and frame and that did the trick!

 

Cimmerian, MacroMachine, and Tom A, it looks like we’re the only ones on the forum that don’t like to get stranded.

Given that these trucks are mostly 20+ years old, and from reading most new daily threads it seems that most members are probably in the 16 to 17 year old range with very little or zero mechanical knowledge, carrying critical spare parts can be a lifesaver, especially if you’re driving through Portland, Seattle, NYC, etc.

From what I gather, very little or zero preventative maintenance is done (example: help, I have an antifreeze leak, what do I do?).

Usually, a good mechanic (or any 17 year old kid with some brains) would find the leak, fix it, flush the system, then replace the rest of the hoses and install a new thermostat. The remaining good take-off parts would be kept and carried as spares.

However, since that practice may seem too “old school”, and the only part replaced is the one that’s leaking, a solution would be to visit a junk yard and gather up some parts from a wreck for the next time you’re stranded. ☠️

 

Ouch...

 

I have a personal policy of replacing belts, hoses, etc. when they still have about 50% life left. Then, the ones I replace become my spares. That way, I know they fit and work properly.

 

I carry a small tool box (about the size of a tackle box) that has a collection of wrenches, pliers, screw-drivers, and some electrical spares. Now that I think of, I likely will throw in a spare serpentine belt as that is something that could strand me but is easy to carry. I always have some spare oil.

 

I probably wouldn't carry so many parts, but I never seem to break the stuff I have spares for so, if I carry one of everything, I'll never break down. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work, as I found out a couple of years ago when I broke an axle shaft. Luckily, I did have a spare (plus the tools, oil, and gasket to fix it) and was able to replace it on the side of the trail.

I broke a steering knucle a couple of years before that and had to spend a night in the desert near Death Valley while my friends found one and delivered it to me so I could fix it and drive it out. Fun times!