Power Wagon Registry

I'm putting together a tool kit for my 2016 Power Wagon. Back in the day, American vehicles were built with SAE nuts and bolts. Then for a few decades they had a mix of some SAE and some metric. Are they all metric these days? Just wondering if I need to carry both SAE and metric wrenches and sockets if I only intend to work on the Power Wagon. It would be best to have both I suppose, to be able to work on a trailer, or someone else's vehicle, but for just the Power Wagon, do I need both?

Yes, you need both. There is both on our 08'.

Yes definitely both. A good practice I've gotten into to keep from carrying too much heavy stuff is to only add tools to the trucks kit that I've used to work on it at home. I can completely tear down my whole suspension, steering, wheel/tires, and brakes with a handful of tools that I always have with me. I keep 3/8 drive in metric and sae for working on other more general things and a few other basic items like hammer and pliers etc. It all fits in a single army surplus canvas tool bag. It's enough to deal with just about anything that's fixable on the trail and doesn't give me a hernia lugging it around lol. Also a small tarp or pad of some sort is nice to keep dry clean and un-ant bitten when under there working on something.

I've been going through my old tool kit from a previous vehicle, and taking out items I don't think I'll need, ... like a gap gauge, or a chain breaker for adding or removing links from a motorcycle chain. I guess I thought I was going to need to gap a spark plug while doing a trail repair, or adjust the valves, LOL. The chain breaker was from my dirt bike days, and I don't even own a dirt bike anymore. I tend to over do it, so I don't want so much stuff in the tool kit this time. As of now, on back country exploring trips I carry with me: combination wrench sets, sockets/ratchet/extensions/swivel extension/breaker bar, screw driver set, hex head wrench set, pliers set, wire cutter/stripper and crimp style wire connectors, torx wrenches, duct tape, hammer, knife, flash light, shovel, brush cutting tool (lopper), lithium ion battery powered 10" chain saw, 5.85 cfm portable air compressor, a large well stocked EMT style first aid kit, winch recovery gear (snatch block, clevis), and tow strap, in addition to the usual food, water, and extra coat, hat, and gloves. I typically fold up the rear seat and lay the floor flat, and my gear covers the floor on the back of the cab. I definitely need a mounted storage box in the bed of the truck, but that is a different topic. It wouldn't be pretty with all of that unsecured gear in the cab if I rolled the truck.

I like the idea of having a wrench for just what you need on the truck. I need to spend a few hours under the truck one Saturday and see exactly what wrenches I'm going to need for each and every suspension part, driveshaft, u-joint, etc, on the truck. I've got a combination wrench set that has both SAE and metric wrenches, but it doesn't have some sizes, and has other sizes I likely wouldn't need. Taking the time to make sure I have the sizes I really do need is a good idea. Thanks.

Any other ideas for a tool kit for a Power Wagon?

As far as I'm aware it's all metric. I know some of the sae sizes could be used if you break a metric socket.

A tire plugging kit, that is something else I need, and a better tire deflation tool, for airing down tires. Anyone try these?

http://www.4wheelparts.com/prodDetail.a ... &ptID=8395

MoparToYou wrote:A tire plugging kit, that is something else I need, and a better tire deflation tool, for airing down tires. Anyone try these?

I have a set and use them to air down every time I go off-road I have the Staun brand rather than Smittybilt.

coder wrote:

MoparToYou wrote:A tire plugging kit, that is something else I need, and a better tire deflation tool, for airing down tires. Anyone try these?

I have a set and use them to air down every time I go off-road I have the Staun brand rather than Smittybilt.

+2 on staun

MoparToYou wrote:A tire plugging kit, that is something else I need, and a better tire deflation tool, for airing down tires. Anyone try these?

http://www.4wheelparts.com/prodDetail.a ... &ptID=8395

I use this, it works awesome, works fast, and you can check the pressure instantly while deflating:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FX ... ge_o01_s00

http://ok4wd.com/shop-by-vendor/arb/tir ... repair-kit

^^^^^^^^^Best one on the market, IMHO. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


http://ok4wd.com/shop-by-vendor/arb/tir ... e-deflator

http://ok4wd.com/shop-by-vendor/arb/recovery-gear

http://www.lazarsmith.com/KoolParts.html

^^^^^^^^^^To make your tow hooks more useful. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Check your local laws, to see if using these makes you more liable in the event of an accident.

It's much faster to pull the valve stem cores - and the cost is a whopping $4.00 for a valve stem core tool.

Buy a few extra cores - you'll lose one eventually. When you do, it's no big deal, just put the cap back on while you get the spare. And if it goes flat, you've got a compressor, so no big deal...

I have the Currie deflator as well and love it for doing things manually at times. I also use the arb puncture repair kit, it's the nicest I've found. Usually I prefer the oasis off-road trailhead deflators though. They screw on the valve stem and you can drive with them on no problem, I usually stop a few minutes before and put them on and by the time I'm where my tires need to be aired down they are. Just hop out and take them off and good to go. They're adjustable and you can get different color anodizing for if you run different pressures front/rear http://www.4x4groupbuy.com/store/oasis- ... -4086.html

That is why I was considering the smittybilt deflators, although now I think either Oasis or Staun would be better. I thought they would be quicker and simpler, just put them on and start driving down the trail. I've owned one of those Currie deflators for a while now. In fact, my Power Wagon is the third vehicle it has been used on. I think it is starting to wear out a little bit, because it isn't as easy to rotate the different sections needed to remove the valve core as it used to be. Its been used literally hundreds and hundreds of times though, so maybe its time to buy a new one of those as well.

I have the Staun's. At Rausch Creek. Ace and a few others use mine to air down.

TwinStick wrote:http://ok4wd.com/shop-by-vendor/arb/tir ... repair-kit

^^^^^^^^^Best one on the market, IMHO. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


http://ok4wd.com/shop-by-vendor/arb/tir ... e-deflator

http://ok4wd.com/shop-by-vendor/arb/recovery-gear

http://www.lazarsmith.com/KoolParts.html

^^^^^^^^^^To make your tow hooks more useful. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Check your local laws, to see if using these makes you more liable in the event of an accident.

Those tow hook extenders kinda scare the hell out of me. Especially when the hardware looks so puny. A hard side pull or up/down hill pull seems like it would just bend the bracket or mounting hardware or completely fail all together. I like the idea, as in the stock location the hooks are a bit of a pain to get to, but for some reason these just dont look safe to me (maybe they are fine though).

I thought the very same thing. When i called, they said they were made from steel I beams & have never had an issue, so IDK.

More pics of extenders.

https://www.google.com/search?q=dodge+t ... pP5TvTM%3A

TwinStick wrote:I thought the very same thing. When i called, they said they were made from steel I beams & have never had an issue, so IDK.

I am pretty sure the actual extension would never fail. It is very stout. Its the bolts, or possibly the mount the extension is secured to, that I see as a failure point... especially with a hard pull from the side or up/down. Straight on pulls shouldn't change much of anything at all, but the force on the bolts from a side pull has to be MUCH larger than originally intended. Although still may be of no concern.

Yeah, certainly no HD side pulls.

If you have to winch the front of your truck completely sideways, you have many other things to worry about. Yes sir. I know this all too well. Had to winch completely sideways after the crusty snow i was on gave way. She was sitting on the frame, all 4 wheels 6-12" off the ground. To minimize front end damage I turned the front tires into the pull, in 4 Lo, 1st gear let the truck drive itself as i was winching & keeping the rpms @ around 2-3000. I went about 3' at a time, then had to free spool out & re spool in, to keep from kinking the wire rope & it binding up inside the drum. After i was straightened out, i also had to winch through a 5' snow drift about 15' long. Battery light came on. Charging system light came on, regardless of rpms. That was the night i made a mental note to self: dual batteries & a HO Alt are in my future ! LOL

TwinStick wrote: That was the night i made a mental note to self: dual batteries & a HO Alt are in my future ! LOL

Yes that would be a great addition!

I carry both SAE and metric wrenches and sockets because I'll grab the tools to fix other things besides my truck when away from home. I also carry screwdrivers, hacksaw with spare blade, rubber mallet, ball peen hammer, SAE and Metric Allen wrenches, plastic zip ties, electrical tape, WD-40, Gorilla Tape, rag, bottle jack, funnel, jumper cables, small shovel, bolt cutters, 2 tow straps, snatch block, receiver hitch tow shackle, and a big blanket.

I've used most of it at one point or another.

Ok, there we go, a couple of items I had not added to my kit: Jumper cables, and zip ties. Thanks.

I do want to get some deflators soon. I go on the beach with my truck and right now I pull the core to deflate. My buddy has the Staun deflators and he usually beats me when deflating. Plus its much easier.

Idler pulley, tensioner assembly, serpentine belt & tools to R&R them.