Toolkit

Chet Cline is a nationally acknowledged 4X4 expert and the proprietor of AIR Cti. Chet drives from time to time with Diamantina, recommends the following changes to the Gard’s list above:
‘Don’t put your tool kit on your roof. Carry a Leatherman® in your pocket. You’ll be surprised how many repairs you can effect with this tool saving the need to open your toolkit. Remember, weight must be minimised – eliminate as much as possible that you are carrying – be ruthless.
If you are taking a small shovel, make sure it is strong enough to actually work. Solid Nylon Rope can be used instead of snatch straps, chains; wire cables can tie things too. I recommend you carry more screwdrivers than the list above, small, medium, medium large and large.½” drive sockets – metric. Add Allen key type sockets as well.
Hand tire pumps are large and heavy. You can use a 2-litre pep bottle to carry water, and it can be cut down and used as a funnel. I would add a good pair of tin snips. One or two spark plugs are enough; you’ll never kill all of them. Add a roll of Gaffer Tape. The magnet is unnecessary. If you really need a magnet, pull out one of your audio speakers. Epoxy resin is too similar to Araldite®. You can easily mix Araldite® with cloth or wire mesh to make a patch.
There are some great bead breakers on the market these days. Make sure your spare fuses fit your vehicle and are of various amperage. One roll of electric wire is sufficient. If you need extra wire capacity – run two wires.
For a base plate for use with your jack, plywood is lighter and stronger. Carry a large rubber hammer to use with your tire levers. If you were travelling with a Toyota or a Nissan, I would suggest a jack helper that slips over the axle hub, which allows jacking from next to the wheel.
Its handy to have small oil containers with inbuilt funnel like dispensers, and you need a short piece of tubing which fits over this extension to help get oil into awkward holes. Unless you are a mechanical genius, bring along a workshop manual. Take plenty of spare nuts and bolts to suit your vehicle. Double check that the wheel brace you have does fit your vehicle’s wheel nuts, and that you know which way they tighten – some are left hand thread.
Before you leave home, check that you can undo all tyres, often professional tyre places use air guns and the like to tighten wheel nuts and they are over tightened. Loosen them and tighten them yourself. I also find a tube of roofing silicone a handy thing to have along.’

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