Most people either carry way too many or way too few things with them. Either way, they often find out that the parts and tools they chose don't help with whatever situation has come up.
We've been there, and over the years we've come up with some nifty homemade or home-adapted tools that we tend to take with us whenever we go four-wheeling.
OK, maybe we didn't make all these tools, but they are all simple. And once you or one of your compadres has broken down on the trail, you'll thank us for sharing our home-brewed tools with you.
Weld a U-shaped plate to the...
Weld a U-shaped plate to the top of a hydraulic bottle jack and add chain Vise Grips to keep the Jeep's axle in place. Be sure to avoid clamping it down around brake lines or cables when wrapping the chain around the axlehousing. This will allow you to jack your Jeep up on less-than-flat ground without it always trying to fall off the tiny pad on the bottle jack.
Under the heading of "We didn't...
Under the heading of "We didn't make it, we just figured it out," there are different sized tubes to help beat seals, bearings, and races in place and a flat plate of aluminum (lighter than steel) for a hard surface to pound on. The plate aluminum is real helpful if there are no rocks, bumpers, or hard surfaces to beat your broken parts against. Aluminum drifts (fancy name for solid rods) and a steel one for the real abusive beating.
Chains, stainless safety wire,...
Chains, stainless safety wire, and hose clamps can be used to hold things in place or make repairs on broken parts that need to be held in place. We've held motor mounts together with hose clamps and held leaf springs on with chain. Never leave home without a good assortment.
Here's a cheap trail repair...
Here's a cheap trail repair for a radiator hose. Figure out what size your hoses are (most are 112- or 134-inch inside diameter) and pack a short piece of tubing that fits. Don't assume your upper and lower hoses are the same inner diameter. Cut out the burst area, slip in the tube, and clamp it down.
OK, OK, we told you initially...
OK, OK, we told you initially that we didn't make all of these. Get the valve-core-removal, valve-stem caps from an auto parts store. They are easier to use and harder to lose if you keep one on a spare valve stem. Forget about stocking one for each tire, just get one and put it on the biggest valve stem you can get ahold of.
This is Cappa's Dana 25 knuckle-bearing...
This is Cappa's Dana 25 knuckle-bearing race he uses to help knock out U-joints. It's easier to use than a longer piece of tubing because it's not topsy-turvy on uneven ground. Plus, it's really hard and doesn't get mashed from prehistoric beatings. Any small diameter bearing race will work as long as the U-joint cap fits through it.
This is a simple piece of...
This is a simple piece of tube that was used on the trail to drive an axle seal back in. When we got home, a metal plate was added which made it easier to drive seals, and it doubles as a tool for removing U-joints as well.
This is a nut catcher/keeper....
This is a nut catcher/keeper. It came around when a carburetor stud nut was dropped where our hands could never go. The longest screwdriver around, an old speaker magnet, and duct tape made this handy tool that not only can hold those small parts, but also retrieve them from hard-to-reach areas and under trail debris.
This is a trail-made test...
This is a trail-made test light. Over the years, we've been many places and had some electronic gizmo fail, so taking a random piece of wire and a light bulb from anywhere in the Jeep, we were able to make a test light. Over time, the fuse was added so we'd stop shocking ourselves, and the 55-cent Radio Shack bulb happened to be in the toolbox last time something went pop.
If you've got a real Dana...
If you've got a real Dana 44 up front with actual wheel bearings you need to pack with grease, you know the pain of trying to get exploded lock-out hubs removed. This little gem can be made from just about any 18-inch diameter steel rod and is so useful for removing the bigger snap ring in the hub, we now use them as a regular tool, not just a trail tool.
Duct Tape. Any color, any...
Duct Tape. Any color, any size. Duct Tape.
The Hi-Lift Jack is a great...
The Hi-Lift Jack is a great tool. Not only is it a jack, it can be used as a winch (if you are carrying enough of the aforementioned chain). Of course, the handle itself works well as a cheater bar and a sleeve for those bent tie rods. Not to mention the shaft can work as a suspension link if it really had to.