Maintenance: Just do it before issue arises!!

[JediMcMuffin]

I'm heading down to San Felipe in Baja this Thursday with Camp4Lo. I'd been putting off rotating my wheels a little longer than I should and punched through some procrastination today and got to it. When I got to the last wheel, I discovered the zip tie for my fog light wiring harness had broken loose and must have directly contacted the tire which promptly shredded it. Somehow the positive wire was holding on for dear life. Some butt connectors, a heat gun, and many many many more zip ties later and I'm nice and tidy and back in action.

I suppose I owe ya'll a proper after pic, but it's super tight and tidy now. I chcked the other side and that zip tie had broken too.

Some other observations:

This was my first time using a Makita 18V impact wrench. I will never be without one ever again.
It really does suck storing the emergency jack underneath the cargo area security drawer
Said security drawer holds MUCH more things if you remove ALL of the dividers.
Printing out drawings for five-wheel rotation and lug tightening patterns to keep in the car is quite valuable

That being said, I've added to my list before Thursday to build out more of a toolkit to keep with me. Here's my running list, if there are other suggestions, please drop me a note!

• 18V Impact Wrench + Extra battery
• 19mm impact socket
• 100ft/lb torque stick
• torque wrench
• set of ratcheting metric open-ended wrenches
• socket wrenches (metric) with extensions
• mallet
• screwdrivers stubby and long(er)
• zip ties, various sizes
• duct tape
• electrical tape
• wire cutters/strippers
• electrical oh shit kit: extra wire sections, butt join connectors, spade connectors, crimpers
• flashlight for said toolkit
• bottle of jack
• stainless steel zipties
• blue threadlocker
• adjustable wrench
• bailing wire
• safety wire, safety wire pliers

recovery gear:

• traction boards, maxtrax style or folding style, at least one
• kinetic rope
• flat tow rope
• 2 x soft shackles
• hard shackles (eventually)
• tire plug kit
• gloves
• kinetic rope weight
• bottle jack

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[JediMcMuffin]

Adding on for my own benefit a list of recovery gear:

• traction boards, maxtrax style or folding style, at least one
• kinetic rope
• flat tow rope
• 2 x soft shackles
• hard shackles (eventually)
• tire plug kit
• gloves
• something to hang on the rope to keep it from flying loose

 

[mini4mw]

Some baling wire for hot stuff like muffler. Maybe that instead of zip ties till you get home try and keep list smaller.

 

[JediMcMuffin]

Some baling wire for hot stuff like muffler. Maybe that instead of zip ties till you get home try and keep list smaller.

That's a good one! I did actually have some binders twine back there already.

I'm still quite glad I took the time to do this. I'm right up against my next oil change and figured I can easily stretch that out till I return from the trip, but the wheels were pretty far overdue for rotation.

 

[BroncoPls!]

How many miles do you have on your rig?

 

[cashe3]

A must for any kit

That being said, I've added to my list before Thursday to build out more of a toolkit to keep with me. Here's my running list, if there are other suggestions, please drop me a note!

• bottle of jack

 

[nwGTS]

Some baling wire for hot stuff like muffler. Maybe that instead of zip ties till you get home try and keep list smaller.

Stainless steel zipties work really well here.

 

[JediMcMuffin]

How many miles do you have on your rig?

15000. I have a Julian date of 21209, the day with the MOST 2.7L failures. Wish me luck. I do have two spare tie rods

 

[BroncoPls!]

Good luck! I only have 1900 and no problems yet, but I’m June 22 build. I also have a spare Ranger tie rod in the back, LOL . Nothing like the forum to make us paranoid ‍

 

[JediMcMuffin]

Stainless steel zipties work really well here.

I had NO IDEA those were a thing, what a great recommendation.

 

[nwGTS]

I had NO IDEA those were a thing, what a great recommendation.

Well this makes me happy because I just learned about them a couple years ago myself.
A 993 dropped his driver side muffler after a hanger snapped during an early stage of a Porsche cross country rally I was on. Several of us pulled over to assess and help. We were struggling with what we could use that wouldn't melt off and thought his weekend was done before it started when one fellow pulled these out of his bag. Half of us blew our minds with a collective 'why didn't I think of this' moment. After three minutes he was back on the road and the ties lasted the entire weekend no problem. I bought a set the same day.

https://a.co/d/hpjKwU7

 

[JediMcMuffin]

Adding to the list:

• stainless steel zipties
• blue threadlocker
• adjustable wrench

 

[Cencal Bronco]

How did you like Camp4Lo. A friend of mine was part of that trip. He was in a Landcruiser. I saw some pictures, looks like a great trip.

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

Wow. I scrolled past this thread many times - "Do maintenance", yeah, duh, I'm thinking. THEN I open it and find . . . STAINLESS STEEL ZIP TIES ARE A THING? How did I get to be in my 60's and never know that? I have absolutely nothing at this time that actually requires a SS zip tie but I'm ordering a bunch just to have them - which should forever cement that I will never need them (right up until I misplace them, of course)!

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