Hi all,

I'm putting together an oh-**** bag for my D1, and I'm wondering what parts and tools people carry in their trucks at all times and for what reasons. I've included the basics below but I'm curious if anyone carries something for super specific reasons, i.e. a 14mm short-handle offset box wrench because that's what you need to reach so-and-so easily. Here's what I've heard of so far:

Parts:
-Spare CPS
-Spare brake light switch
-Spare MAF (seems a pretty pricey thing to have an extra of)
-Spare lug nuts
-Spare fuses
-Spare relays (what relays do people think are most important?)
-Assorted fluids (engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, & ATF)

Tools:
-Lug wrench (27mm for capped lugs)
-Assorted wrenches & pliers
-Metric socket set (I've found 8, 10, & 12mm are most common for small things on this car)
-Paper towels
-Degreaser
-Tarp
-Bottle jack

My Disco is my daily driver, no trail running or anything, but I'd like to be able have enough peace of mind to take it cross-state on highways if the occasion arises. Anyone have any specifics to add?

 

Fire extinquisher

 

Really? How afraid of your Disco are you? You better get cracking on the high mileage checklist on your days off!

Credit card with a very low balance, a multi-tool, a cell phone and a couple of shop rags. That's all I ever carried on long trips aside from my luggage. The lug wrench, jack, wheel chock is already included. If driving it daily then you already know what needs repairs. These trucks are pretty reliable aside from offing head gaskets. I drove mine for eight years daily including 1200 - 2000+ mile trips across several States, only had a coolant reservoir seam split (black are bad, white are good) on a long trip and I bought an Escort's that got me where I needed to go. I actually kept it installed for over a year. I lost an injector one winter (stuck wide open) when the truck sat for two weeks in the cold while TDY. I drove it home and got a free set within a week. I drove it while waiting on UPS. It's only if you're off roading in the boonies do you need spares to get you back to the world. Lug nuts? Why on Earth would you need those? They don't fall off, they're humongous, you could go hunting with em if you really needed food, they'd take down a black bear. You'd eat for a month while sending smoke signals. You might want a lighter.

High mileage checklist...... then you'll have a ton less worries and just go where and when you want. Apparently you might want a spare gas cap, plenty of folks can't fill the tank and remember to put the cap back on......

 

Anyone and their mother can tell you that the reliability of these trucks is totally dependent on how your PO treated the car, and if they took care of things when they were supposed to be taken care of. Not everyone has thousands upon thousands of dollars laying around to replace every part that could possibly have an issue so that there's a 0% chance of something going wrong. Mine is 21 years old. Many peoples' are older. Everything has an issue. It's not unreasonable to want to be prepared for the common problems. If you go looking through threads on this forum, you can find many examples of where people state that they always carry certain things, and for every item on my list, I've found at least one person who always carries it (even a few lug nuts).

I once took a Jeep Cherokee on a long road trip through the mountains in western New York in the boonies. Way up in the mountains, my radiator fan had a bearing issue and began making the most god-awful noise. I limped to an auto parts store to get a new bearing, but I had all of the tools I needed already with me so I didn't have to buy them on the spot. Changed the fan in the car park and off I went. Wouldn't have been able to do that with a multi-tool and some shop rags.

I guess all I'm getting at is.... don't s*** on people who are trying to plan ahead just because you don't, cause that's not cool.

 

Well I keep my entire tool bag in the back of the truck because I have no other place to put it, but if all I wanted was 'get me home' stuff here's what I'd do.


Parts:
-Spare CPS (crank sensor...kinda pricey to have an extra laying around. I'd check the heat protection on the wires regularly instead but it is small so, fine)
-Spare brake light switch (another small but I just don't see the need)
-Spare MAF (seems a pretty pricey thing to have an extra of)... yes, superfluous.
-Spare lug nuts (don't bother)
-Spare fuses (yes, definitely) some dielectric grease too.
-Spare relays (what relays do people think are most important?) maybe the fuel pump relay, but that's about it.
-Assorted fluids (engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, & ATF) depending on how far off the grid you are going. these are easy to find at just about any gas station.

Tools:
-Lug wrench (27mm for capped lugs) yep, flats happen
-Assorted wrenches & pliers yep
-Metric socket set (I've found 8, 10, & 12mm are most common for small things on this car) I find a lot of 11 and 13's too
-Paper towels yep
-Degreaser optional, but can be helpful
-Tarp nah
-Bottle jack yep, but it has its own place
- Brake clean - clean the part before you reinstall it.


A box of rubber gloves goes a long way too. If you keep your truck in good/clean shape, getting back behind the wheel with filthy hands is a bummer.

Keep your coolant hoses up to date, check your PCV hoses and filter thingy, keep your vacuum hoses in good order and refresh fluids/lubricants at regular intervals and you'll be good to go.

As I said, if you are going off the grid you may need more stuff like a gasket maker or anaerobic sealer or thread locker too. Maybe a VSS depending on how old yours is.

I'd take mine cross country tomorrow without a worry.

 

I drive mine 60+ miles a day M-F. Has over 258K on it (I've put over 46k on it in three-ish years). I have replaced a bunch of stuff on it to get it road worthy after I drug it out of PO's garage, it had been sitting for 3 years.
The only thing I make sure I have is a set of metric wrenches, 1/4" ratchet w/ 8mm & 10mm sockets, & lug wrench. Only worry about fluids when they stop leaking.

 

^That's cuz you have unbridled latent talent. You nailed it and thank you.

 

Now that's the kind of response I'm looking for. The only reason for the CPS and brake light switch is because they're two small and relatively cheap things that can prevent the car from starting or shifting out of park, respectively, if they have an issue. I can have both from Rockauto for under $50 total, so it seems like a no-brainer to me. Well-spotted on the 11 & 13mm sockets.

 

Maybe a little tub/tube of bearing grease? It has come in handy for me in the past but if you service your bearings regularly you shouldn't need it.

 

Oh and one more thing I forgot. A couple of quality #1 & #2 Phillips screwdrivers.