The Goldilocks toolkit
 

Hi All,
I’ve just become the proud owner of a ‘96 850R and plan to use it as my regular car. I don’t drive to work but ferry my kid around quite a bit, so it’ll be used several times a week for shortish runs and maybe twice a month on longer ~100-mile runs.
The pros and cons of this model for this use have been discussed in other threads and I’ll no doubt have specific questions in the future. But for now I’d like to begin assembling a toolkit to keep in the car for the more common maintenance and for peace of mind.
Don’t want to carry too much unnecessarily, but equally I don’t want to be caught short. What are the essentials?
Thank you, your collective wisdom is appreciated :)
Andrew

Hi Andrew,

I don't carry very many tools at all these days beyond those originally supplied with the car.

I wouldn't envisage performing any maintenance on the road with the sort of use that you describe. Minor items I do at home, tyres, oils, battery, and suchlike. Bigger, more complex jobs I entrust to the garage nowadays. An extended Continental tour, especially in more remote areas, may require a greater provision, but in general there are few maintenance items that can't wait for a hundred miles or so.

I started motoring when stripping, cleaning and reassembling a carburettor at the roadside was commonplace, but there is little that one can do today beyond perhaps changing a wheel - anything more and I would call on my breakdown service.

So, to answer your question, I would carry only a few basic tools sufficient for the most basic of 'get you home' repairs. A couple of screwdrivers, a large and a small adjustable spanners, pliers, Mole grips, that sort of thing. I would add a few simple spares, bulbs, gaffer tape, a torch should be enough. A good tow rope and jump leads (you could also help someone else with those) would complete my kit.

Add spare fuel if you have a dodgy gauge and finally subscribe to a decent recovery service.

Happy motoring! Regards, John.

As John above says.

There is so little that can be repaired by the roadside that the most important thing is to have good breakdown cover.

My breakdown cover allows me to decide if I want the car taken to my garage of choice or taken back home so that I can repair.

Thanks both for your thoughts.
I agree, there’s not much I’d do at the roadside and yes, I have breakdown cover for that reason! John, your list is solid, thanks for sharing.
Andrew

a decent long breaker bar with a good socket to fit the wheel nuts and make sure you have a good locking wheel nut key if you have them fitted. a few spanners some various screwdrivers wire .pliers duct tape. and although you normally use these to help others a tow rope and jump leads.

Personally for quick roadside stuff-

An extendable wheel nut wrench like this
A set of Torx Tx keys foldable ones like these should do
A set of Allen keys again foldable like these
A 10mm spanner
Cross head and straight screwdrivers, or a multibit type one
A roll of electrical tape
A handful of assorted cable ties (they're a lot stronger than you think)

Hi viz vest for standing/working by the road
Pair of 'gardening' gloves to handle dirty wheels after a puncture
Some thin protective gloves (I prefer the nitrile ones) to keep your hands clean

Much more than that and you're starting to carry a lot of stuff that you're not likely to need at the roadside.


ECP links for tools are just to show what I mean not necessarily recommendations for those brands.

Agree with most of the above suggestions. in addition to a large and small adjustable spanner I carry a decent 10mm and 13mm spanner as these are statistically the ones most likely to be needed. Also reel of gaffa tape, cable ties, some thick cord for tying things, and a decent length of stiff wire (and pliers) for things that need temporarily bodging to get you home, such as broken exhaust hanger rubbers and the like.

Very much agree with the rubber gloves and rag for cleaning/staying clean etc.

Not a lot more really, to be honest I've never needed any of it as it hasn't let me down on the road apart from having to change wheels due to punctures. I use the standard wheel brace for getting the nuts off, but then I do use a tiny bit of lube on each wheel nut thread and always check/tighten them myself so I know they're going to come off without giving me a hernia.

Essential ! Carry a decent ciggie lighter plug in tyre inflator as a matter of must have ! Don’t go anywhere without one in all my motors takes little space but when needed is highly valuable rather than get stuck used mine across all motors about a dozen times but then I’m running very low profile tyres so don’t take much to get low lol 😜

Even my work van it’s just nice to know out she comes plug in to save running low pressures damaging tyres or even having tyre pop off rim , also a quick pump bk to correct pressure saves you putting the spare on 😎👍

No brainier also I’ve helped folk out that don’t carry one ☝️

Who the hell is nicking wheels these days? Especially Volans!? Bin the lockers, more trouble than they are worth!

its not the wheels its the tires that they are after vehicle crime is still a big thing in greater Manchester they also steal bumpers headlights and catalytic converters . sad but true:eek::eek: