Prep Genrl Car Preps

seraphima

Veteran Member
I wanted to look at the car preps in light of the tsunami warning a couple of weeks ago.

Today I redid the first aid kit and put it in a big Ziploc in the back pouch of the passenger side. That included throwing out some old stuff, and adding dye-free ibuprofen, some acetominephin, low-dose aspirin for heart problems, fresh albuterol inhaler, itch cream, arnica cream, and a little bar of soap. I made sure there were dog biscuits in the back pack, brought in some things to wash, put some protein bars and lifesavers in the car. Washed the spare dog bed and put it in the back seat. (Dog immediately sat in it.)

Put the water bottle with a filter in the car backpack- not the very best solution, but something is better than nothing. Still need some water storage in the car. Spare clothes are in ziplocs in the backpack, and are in good condition. Ten essentials bag is good. Two blankets, but another one would be advisable.

Frankly, there could be an emergency anytime, whether I was home or not, and what’s in the car is very important.
 

kyrsyan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
The storage bins in the van hold the same things our go bags do. With a few extra larger things.
I don't keep creams or ointments in the car. Those are in a grab bag near the go bags. And a few that we frequently use are in my purse.
 

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
Right now, there is very little in my car because it has been in the 90s or above. I have a sling pack with water and snacks that I carry in and out. I'm also generally not going farther than 1 - 2 towns over or I would carry more gear.
 

seraphima

Veteran Member
Alaska is different; there is no other town on Kodiak's road system, only a few villages only reachable by boat or small plane, or maybe by four-wheeler over some rugged wild terrain. If one goes out the road sysem, there are numerous places with no cell coverage- this can happen in the Anchorage area, too, even on the highway.

The wild is always lurking just a few feet away. We have some weather here which would raise more than eyebrows down south. Ask me how many storm doors have blown off every side of my house?! We don't even bother with them anymore.

Meemur is right about the quick degradation of stuff in heat, but since so far we have maybe had 3 days above 70 degrees this summer, I'm more concerned with warm hats and dog coats and water in containers that can freeze, if not too full.

And yes, I carry bear spray in my car.
 

Cyclonemom

Veteran Member
For your pup, also have a long spare leash to act as a tie out, and collapsible water bowl. And a bath towel (or maybe a hand towel if you have a chihuahua).

I also have a fire extinguisher in my car.

Furthermore, I discovered that it is a really good idea to practice changing a tire while you are at home. AND CHECK REGULARLY THAT YOUR SPARE IS PROPERLY INFLATED. There is nothing more fun than to have a blowout, only to find out your spare is flat, too!

Bonus tire tip:
When you have new tires put on, or rotated, ask your service shop to hand tighten the lug nuts. If you are a lady stranded alone, sometimes loosening those mechanically tightened ones is practically impossible!!
 

helen

Panic Sex Lady
Bonus tire tip:
When you have new tires put on, or rotated, ask your service shop to hand tighten the lug nuts. If you are a lady stranded alone, sometimes loosening those mechanically tightened ones is practically impossible!!
Amen!

I bought a car that came with the usual tire tools, but it didn't fit ONE of my lug nuts. A four-size lug wrench is fairly cheap.

The roadside service sent the cutest little girl to change my tire. I was so embarrassed.
 

Illini Warrior

Illini Warrior
For your pup, also have a long spare leash to act as a tie out, and collapsible water bowl. And a bath towel (or maybe a hand towel if you have a chihuahua).

I also have a fire extinguisher in my car.

Furthermore, I discovered that it is a really good idea to practice changing a tire while you are at home. AND CHECK REGULARLY THAT YOUR SPARE IS PROPERLY INFLATED. There is nothing more fun than to have a blowout, only to find out your spare is flat, too!

Bonus tire tip:
When you have new tires put on, or rotated, ask your service shop to hand tighten the lug nuts. If you are a lady stranded alone, sometimes loosening those mechanically tightened ones is practically impossible!!



something I posted about a few months ago <<< swollen lug nuts >>> fairly common - not at all eazy to remedy on a roadside breakdown - but eazy to prevent .....

View: https://youtu.be/ftBaK6mBGRc


View: https://youtu.be/s_NFIR9Uof8?list=TLPQMDkwODIwMjE8hJZzDwoMQA


View: https://youtu.be/Fp9_f0g6Tm4?list=TLPQMDkwODIwMjE8hJZzDwoMQA
 

Marie

Veteran Member
Ladies who have a problem changing tires.
A couple of remedies. First use a pry bar- just a pipe that fits over your lug nut wrench snugly. Look at the 1st video at the 5.26 mark above. In most cases that is all you'll need to loosen impact tighten nuts.
2nd get an impact wrench with the appropriate size socket. (Plus the rest of the set)
You can never have enough tools in your car for shtf.
Make sure you have a REAL jack in your car. Not one of those lame factory supplied ones.
Practice at home NOW.
Don't let being a woman prevent you from handling mechanics.
Remember many of our women are independent thinkers and problem solvers.
 

Illini Warrior

Illini Warrior
Ladies who have a problem changing tires.
A couple of remedies. First use a pry bar- just a pipe that fits over your lug nut wrench snugly. Look at the 1st video at the 5.26 mark above. In most cases that is all you'll need to loosen impact tighten nuts.
2nd get an impact wrench with the appropriate size socket. (Plus the rest of the set)
You can never have enough tools in your car for shtf.
Make sure you have a REAL jack in your car. Not one of those lame factory supplied ones.
Practice at home NOW.
Don't let being a woman prevent you from handling mechanics.
Remember many of our women are independent thinkers and problem solvers.

actually, while you're replacing the crap OEM jack - replace the lug wrench also (check for any special/specific OEM requirement) - an 18" breaker bar with a deep socket to match the lug nuts will give you a much better overall performance - you can add a "cheater bar" to the breaker bar to give more torque if necessary - I always encourage a 4-way lug wrench also - they even have collapsible models to save trunk space ....

something to keep in mind is security lug nuts - requiring a specialty tool to remove - know what is/how to use/ where it's stored in the vehicle ....

another thing that comes up - if you have custom wheels & lug nuts - kept the OEM spare tire - good chance you'll need a set of the OEM lug nuts >>> check on that compatability before there's a need ....
 

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
I'm older, too. I have changed tires in the past, but the lug nuts are put on with a Dewalt socket set and nearly impossible to break free with a standard lug wrench. I have other work-arounds, like calling helpers. I'll consider some of what I've learned on this thread.

Unlike Seraphima, I'm not surrounded by wilderness. I do need to keep an eye out for illegals or strangers hanging out near the pipelines, but I'm not that remote, and right now, I'm rarely more than 15 miles from home. It's not hard to summon help if I need it.

I do carry hiking boots and socks in my car at all times, in case I'm in sandals and have to walk home.

When it gets colder, I'll put the winter emergency kit back it. I normally take it out in the summer because I'm hauling mulch, straw, etc., and need all of the available space.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Right now, there is very little in my car because it has been in the 90s or above. I have a sling pack with water and snacks that I carry in and out. I'm also generally not going farther than 1 - 2 towns over or I would carry more gear.

this^^^

I do have a box in my car which contains: doggie pee pads, black plastic shopping bags that can double as poop bags for the dog. A roll of paper towels, a roll of TP. Plastic forks, knives, spoons, and plastic plates and bowls. Need to get the plastic cups put into the box. I have an old polyester blend fabric on the back seat that needs to be brought in and run through the washer, Jr., drools a lot when he goes on car rides. I also have those foot/hand/kidney warmers in my box.

Box needs a first aid kit for sure, a multi purpose knife, and matches or one of those fire starting bars.

When I'm out running errands far from home, as in on the other side of the state, I take a day bag with me which includes a change of shoes/boots, a flashlight, bottles of water, snacks, etc.

I'm sure there's more I could add, however, my equinox isn't all that large so I try to be careful to not pack it with stuff we won't really need. Come winter I'll throw the sleeping bags back in when we're traveling any distance.
 

Marie

Veteran Member
actually, while you're replacing the crap OEM jack - replace the lug wrench also (check for any special/specific OEM requirement) - an 18" breaker bar with a deep socket to match the lug nuts will give you a much better overall performance - you can add a "cheater bar" to the breaker bar to give more torque if necessary - I always encourage a 4-way lug wrench also - they even have collapsible models to save trunk space ....

something to keep in mind is security lug nuts - requiring a specialty tool to remove - know what is/how to use/ where it's stored in the vehicle ....

another thing that comes up - if you have custom wheels & lug nuts - kept the OEM spare tire - good chance you'll need a set of the OEM lug nuts >>> check on that compatability before there's a need ....
Yep I've carried by 4 lug wrench since I was a teenager . Thus the pipe for a breaker bar. There has never been a lug nut I can't break free with that method. But a impact is for those who aren't interested in doing that manual prying. Even my 78 year old neighbor can break a lug loose with a breaker bar. But most won't try.
 

Marie

Veteran Member
I'm older, too. I have changed tires in the past, but the lug nuts are put on with a Dewalt socket set and nearly impossible to break free with a standard lug wrench. I have other work-arounds, like calling helpers. I'll consider some of what I've learned on this thread.

Unlike Seraphima, I'm not surrounded by wilderness. I do need to keep an eye out for illegals or strangers hanging out near the pipelines, but I'm not that remote, and right now, I'm rarely more than 15 miles from home. It's not hard to summon help if I need it.

I do carry hiking boots and socks in my car at all times, in case I'm in sandals and have to walk home.

When it gets colder, I'll put the winter emergency kit back it. I normally take it out in the summer because I'm hauling mulch, straw, etc., and need all of the available space.
Meemer if you use a pipe as a breaker bar about 4 to 5 ft you can break those free. It lessens the torque needed to turn them. An impact is very handy to have in the car also you never know when you might need one.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Ladies who have a problem changing tires.
A couple of remedies. First use a pry bar- just a pipe that fits over your lug nut wrench snugly. Look at the 1st video at the 5.26 mark above. In most cases that is all you'll need to loosen impact tighten nuts.
2nd get an impact wrench with the appropriate size socket. (Plus the rest of the set)
You can never have enough tools in your car for shtf.
Make sure you have a REAL jack in your car. Not one of those lame factory supplied ones.
Practice at home NOW.
Don't let being a woman prevent you from handling mechanics.
Remember many of our women are independent thinkers and problem solvers.
Yes, and this is why our "car" is a club cab pickup!

Summerthyme
 

Cardinal

Chickministrator
_______________
Ford also has the swollen lug nut issue.
My old mechanic told me that they needed to replace all of them at a cost of.........$300.00 or so.
I bought a complete set of aftermarket lug nuts for $25.00 and found a new mechanic.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Please secure your gear inside the vehicle so it does not become a dangerous missile if you get in a wreck. I feel safer in our old pickup with the tools kept back in the bed under a camper shell!

Always! As a former EMT the biggest issue with extraction was the crap in the patients vehicle. Note crap in the bed of 5he truck can also kill you as happened to friends back in the day.
 

Illini Warrior

Illini Warrior
Meemer if you use a pipe as a breaker bar about 4 to 5 ft you can break those free. It lessens the torque needed to turn them. An impact is very handy to have in the car also you never know when you might need one.

unfortunately these days there's another lug nut issue that foils the good old brute force >>> they have the actual nut wrapped in a chrome wrapper - you'll peel it off most times before you get that frozen nut broke loose - done it few times myself ....
 

9idrr

Veteran Member
Ladies who have a problem changing tires.
A couple of remedies. First use a pry bar- just a pipe that fits over your lug nut wrench snugly. Look at the 1st video at the 5.26 mark above. In most cases that is all you'll need to loosen impact tighten nuts.
2nd get an impact wrench with the appropriate size socket. (Plus the rest of the set)
You can never have enough tools in your car for shtf.
Make sure you have a REAL jack in your car. Not one of those lame factory supplied ones.
Practice at home NOW.
Don't let being a woman prevent you from handling mechanics.
Remember many of our women are independent thinkers and problem solvers.
Do you maybe mean "Don't let being a woman prevent you from handling things mechanical"
rather than "Don't let being a woman prevent you from handling mechanics" unless that mechanic is your husband or very good friend? ;)
 

Marie

Veteran Member
Do you maybe mean "Don't let being a woman prevent you from handling things mechanical"
rather than "Don't let being a woman prevent you from handling mechanics" unless that mechanic is your husband or very good friend? ;)
By all means!
 

vestige

Deceased
Ford also has the swollen lug nut issue.
My old mechanic told me that they needed to replace all of them at a cost of.........$300.00 or so.
I bought a complete set of aftermarket lug nuts for $25.00 and found a new mechanic.
Sounds about right
 

Marie

Veteran Member
unfortunately these days there's another lug nut issue that foils the good old brute force >>> they have the actual nut wrapped in a chrome wrapper - you'll peel it off most times before you get that frozen nut broke loose - done it few times myself ....
TG I have an old truck! That would infuriate me.
 

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
That's also why I don't go far off into the back country. LOL. Getting old stinks sometimes.
 

Shooter

Veteran Member
just to make sure everyone knows, you loosen the lug nuts a ittle BEFORE you jack up the car. Im a retired mechanic, went on thousands of service calls, many times id find someone with a tire jacked up. and trying to keep the tire from spinning as they worked on getting the lugnut loose

buy a GOOD large 4 way lug wrench, spray paint the right size end the same color ( or close) as the color of the car, dont throw way that cheap jack that came with the car, you can use that to hold up the end of the 4 way opposite the lug nuts, then use your long pipe to break them free,

cheap lug wrenches will twist and bend if used hard
 

Marseydoats

Veteran Member
All the lug nuts on my truck have plastic covers which I didn't know when I bought it. I got out of the truck after coming thru the creek in the pasture, and they were sticking out about 1/2 inch. I literally thought the wheels were going to fall off the truck. Why in the world somebody thought it was necessary to put plastic decoration on a heavy duty 4WD is beyond me.
 

Millwright

Knuckle Dragger
_______________
Tire stuff...

I carry a chinafreight, baby 1.5ton aluminum floor jack. 33lbs, fairly manageable. You don't have to crawl under the car to set it. About 85bux, without discounts.

Keep a 12"x12" (or thereabouts) piece of plywood to set whatever jack on.

64545_W3.jpg


Learn where the thingee is to winch down your spare tire. Some of them are cleverly disguised.

Make sure you have whatever tool is needed to operate said tire winch.

Yes, check your lug wrench and make sure it will engage the nuts well.

An aftermarket wrench is a wonderful thing.

If you haven't done a balance/rotate in awhile, sometimes it's almost impossible to get the tire off of the hub. Something to be said for a little antisieze where the rim mates.


It wouldn't be a crazy idea to try it in the driveway, before you get stuck somewhere.
 

Shooter

Veteran Member
If you haven't done a balance/rotate in awhile, sometimes it's almost impossible to get the tire off of the hub. Something to be said for a little antisieze where the rim mates.



if the rin is rusted to the axle, back the nuts off 2 turns, then drive a couple of very tight turns, both directions, that will usuallybreak it loose
 
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seraphima

Veteran Member
Thanks to all of you for the good ideas!
i've gotten the car cleaned out, repacked and restocked. Sometimes it's a couple of years between a thorough job of it. This year I added a big metal tin of shelf-stable food- granola, crackers, peanut butter, nuts, anchovies, raisins, a couple of breakfast cookies, protein bars. Replaced the dog food and dog bisuits. I used a lot of your ideas- hiking boots and socks back in the car, an extra dog leash and his fleece 'vest', engine oil, snow tools, and so forth. DS and I took both our cars and checked and topped off all the fluids, cleaned up, etc.
 
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