Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

I optimized my travel toolbag

GoldenGorilla

we can still be on time for tomorrow
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I've had a toolbag to throw in the jeep and other cars for years. I had a bunch of sockets on rails with handles and stuff "organized" into the vertical pockets in the bag. Over time all the sockets "fell off" their rails and everything devolved into a pile in the bottom of the bag. I also didn't really have everything I'd need. I decided to start from scratch.

Last winter I picked up a Klein 65500Knect toolset and while it isn't perfect for everything in the garage it is kinda cool in its ability as a pass through socket to be both a ratcheting box end wrench of sorts and a normal socket. The tool has a good feel in the hand as well. It is quite slim as you can see here with a couple normal ratchets all with 19mm sockets.
20250830_103759.jpg


As I started to think on this, I also saw that Klein have a 4 in 1 impact socket system. Kinda cool that I can have 24 sockets in 6 objects and they properly thought out the overlap between metric and SAE for the most part. They use a 3/8" drive. Combining this with a Milwaukee stubby M12 3/8 impact wrench and a breaker bar, I've got a pretty good range in a small space. And now with the box end covered by the ratchet, I can look at double open end wrenches and add more range in less space and weight. This is what I ended up with.

KNECT 3/8 and 1/4 essentials sets, a spare set of e-torx and torx bits and there are some metric hex sockets in there somewhere too. It also supports a couple european cars on road trips.
20250905_151633.jpg


Duratec double open end wrenches in a roll up. They're quite thin, but have very good tool fit. Leather gloves advised with these if you're going to use much force.
20250905_145620.jpg


Voltmeter, some spare wire and wire tools, and in the ziploc in bubble wrap spare mopar CPS and TPS. I also have a spare MAP, crank position cap and IAC.
20250905_154302.jpg


And the surprisingly powerful M12 stubby with a 5.0 battery in the kit.
20250905_155203.jpg


And the Quad Sockets which just live in the bag.
20250905_151937.jpg


There are a other odds and ends in the bag like a 15" 3/8 breaker bar, 3/8 square impact to 1/4 hex impact driver adapter, nitrile gloves, 36mm socket, a hammer, punch, wire butt splices...

I intentionally put this toolset to the test before trusting it on the road. I used it almost exclusively to redo my dad's suspension and a bunch of other things on his LJR. It passed the test and the quad sockets functioned really well. More capability, lighter, more organized.

There are some things I'd like to see Klein add to the KNECT series, like an adapter from 3/8" square to KNECT adapter so I can drive those impact rated sockets directly off my 3/8" impact. And more extension options would be really handy.
 
Interesting approach on the pass through sockets. Great way to cut down what you need to carry.
 
Got a dedicated 5/16" - 8 mm 12 spline 1/4" socket in there for u-joint yoke straps?

Double adjustable control arms? I'm on the hunt for a aluminum pipe wrench. I ditched the 3/8" breaker bar for a 1/2" expandable so I could include 1 1/2" and 1 3/8" crows feet for the arms. Depending on the year you'll need the 1/2" for the belt tensioner.

1 1/6" socket for the yoke nuts.

I also carry a spare fuel pump (pump not assembly), a front brake soft line and a spare belt.

I tried just carrying my small impact but found my 1500 ft/lb big boy was the only thing that could knock some stuff loose.

Don't forget lock tite...I was handing that out like candy in Moab...thread sealant, RTV, antisieze and good hand wipes in something that won't let them go dry.

And a good floor mat. Bed Tired/Rug makes a folding one that's excellent and not expensive. I use it to pad my solar panel and augment my sleeping pad (or a landing under my hammock) when not otherwise needed.

And spare nuts, bolts...track bar, u-joints, castle nut, cotter pin, etc.

Nylon fuel line coupler or just a spare line from the hard line to the pump.

-Mac
 
Got a dedicated 5/16" - 8 mm 12 spline 1/4" socket in there for u-joint yoke straps?

Double adjustable control arms? I'm on the hunt for a aluminum pipe wrench. I ditched the 3/8" breaker bar for a 1/2" expandable so I could include 1 1/2" and 1 3/8" crows feet for the arms. Depending on the year you'll need the 1/2" for the belt tensioner.

1 1/6" socket for the yoke nuts.

I also carry a spare fuel pump (pump not assembly), a front brake soft line and a spare belt.

I tried just carrying my small impact but found my 1500 ft/lb big boy was the only thing that could knock some stuff loose.

Don't forget lock tite...I was handing that out like candy in Moab...thread sealant, RTV, antisieze and good hand wipes in something that won't let them go dry.

And a good floor mat. Bed Tired/Rug makes a folding one that's excellent and not expensive. I use it to pad my solar panel and augment my sleeping pad (or a landing under my hammock) when not otherwise needed.

And spare nuts, bolts...track bar, u-joints, castle nut, cotter pin, etc.

Nylon fuel line coupler or just a spare line from the hard line to the pump.

-Mac

Dang Mac, just take the shop.
........... :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
Got a dedicated 5/16" - 8 mm 12 spline 1/4" socket in there for u-joint yoke straps?

Double adjustable control arms? I'm on the hunt for a aluminum pipe wrench. I ditched the 3/8" breaker bar for a 1/2" expandable so I could include 1 1/2" and 1 3/8" crows feet for the arms. Depending on the year you'll need the 1/2" for the belt tensioner.

1 1/6" socket for the yoke nuts.

I also carry a spare fuel pump (pump not assembly), a front brake soft line and a spare belt.

I tried just carrying my small impact but found my 1500 ft/lb big boy was the only thing that could knock some stuff loose.
Hey bud. Some of us don't go out of our way to break sh!t every time we roll out of the garage. ;)

I'm not into rock crawling anymore. Not that I take issue with it, it's just not my jam. I'm cruising up and down less chewed up passes and easy to moderate forest roads to trailheads, scenic places and such. Reduces that tendency towards destruction. I also have a Garmin In Reach equipped device for 2-way text satellite communication in case I need help.

A good road trip spare nuts and bolt selection is next up, but it is a bit trickier to work out what I'd need with my fleet. The Daimler era TJs feel like would basically require I tow a McMaster Carr store. To a degree I figure I'll be headed down mountain to a hardware store or parts store. Some fuel line spares isn't a bad idea though. I'm planning to do a stroker build in the near future and with that I'll need to upgrade the pump to a Walbro 255 pump. I suppose I'll carry the stock one as a spare after. I have another one of these work bags that holds the air compressor and it's stuff with some leftover room. Another for the recovery straps, shovel, etc...

I do have that 8mm 12 point box end wrench in my random bits and there is a KNECT-1/4 adapter. There is also a 36mm impact socket in case I need to pull a front hub - which happens to be the size needed for my 2 other cars as well and a 3/8" -> 1/2" adapter to drive it. I have a wrench adapter for hooking the breaker bar onto an open end or onto the ratchet handle in a pinch for a longer breaker.

I carry a 15" adjustable wrench along with a channel lock and some needle nose pliers in the random tools selection. The big wrenches and hammer are down a side where you can't really see them. This is the bag like minus the Milwaukee M12 light (and thus spare battery) and roll of towels on top. I think this old bag is 16" long, 11" wide and 14" deep or something close to that. Fits easily between the seat and tailgate. The Klein mod boxes are tidy, easy to see in the dirt and help me see if I missed something on cleanup. This is why I kept them rather than drop in a tool roll. Same with the visibility of blaze orange Klein bags. The one with the spare sensors in bubble wrap is standing on it's end on the left. There's an extra Mopar radiator cap in here too.

20251030_093850.jpg


I guess I don't really count on anything I do with this bag permanent, so do without the locktite though maybe I should consider carrying blue. I do have a small dielectric grease tube in there. It's more about reasonable self sufficiency and doing enough to get me to somewhere else.

The open wrenches below for scale again using 3/4"/19mm. You can see on the side profile bottom why I recommend using leather gloves with them. They're thin and the edges are a bit sharp.
20250905_145352.jpg


20250905_145507.jpg
 
Last edited:
I ditched the 3/8" breaker bar for a 1/2" expandable so I could include 1 1/2" and 1 3/8" crows feet for the arms. Depending on the year you'll need the 1/2" for the belt tensioner.

I also thought about the expandable breaker bar, but my friends call me gorilla because I might sometimes put too much force on stuff and maybe break things.

I do have the 3/8"-> 1/2" square drive adapter for this reason though.
 
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Hey bud. Some of us don't go out of our way to break sh!t every time we roll out of the garage. ;)

I'm not into rock crawling anymore. Not that I take issue with it, it's just not my jam. I'm cruising up and down less chewed up passes and easy to moderate forest roads to trailheads, scenic places and such. Reduces that tendency towards destruction. I also have a Garmin In Reach equipped device for 2-way text satellite communication in case I need help.

A good road trip spare nuts and bolt selection is next up, but it is a bit trickier to work out what I'd need with my fleet. The Daimler era TJs feel like would basically require I tow a McMaster Carr store. To a degree I figure I'll be headed down mountain to a hardware store or parts store. Some fuel line spares isn't a bad idea though. I'm planning to do a stroker build in the near future and with that I'll need to upgrade the pump to a Walbro 255 pump. I suppose I'll carry the stock one as a spare after. I have another one of these work bags that holds the air compressor and it's stuff with some leftover room. Another for the recovery straps, shovel, etc...

I do have that 8mm 12 point box end wrench in my random bits and there is a KNECT-1/4 adapter. There is also a 36mm impact socket in case I need to pull a front hub - which happens to be the size needed for my 2 other cars as well and a 3/8" -> 1/2" adapter to drive it. I have a wrench adapter for hooking the breaker bar onto an open end or onto the ratchet handle in a pinch for a longer breaker.

I carry a 15" adjustable wrench along with a channel lock and some needle nose pliers in the random tools selection. The big wrenches and hammer are down a side where you can't really see them. This is the bag like minus the Milwaukee M12 light (and thus spare battery) and roll of towels on top. I think this old bag is 16" long, 11" wide and 14" deep or something close to that. Fits easily between the seat and tailgate. The Klein mod boxes are tidy, easy to see in the dirt and help me see if I missed something on cleanup. This is why I kept them rather than drop in a tool roll. Same with the visibility of blaze orange Klein bags. The one with the spare sensors in bubble wrap is standing on it's end on the left. There's an extra Mopar radiator cap in here too.

View attachment 652217

I guess I don't really count on anything I do with this bag permanent, so do without the locktite though maybe I should consider carrying blue. I do have a small dielectric grease tube in there. It's more about reasonable self sufficiency and doing enough to get me to somewhere else.

The open wrenches below for scale again using 3/4"/19mm. You can see on the side profile bottom why I recommend using leather gloves with them. They're thin and the edges are a bit sharp.
View attachment 652218

View attachment 652219

Baby Jesus...

Don't get me started on the "Hey bud" stuff...
 
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Reactions: JMT and John Cooper
I do break shit.

Feel free to give me as much shit as you want!

Learn from my mistakes.

I will say this about my last Rubicon Trail run...I needed every tool I brought. Same with Moab...I was handing out spare bolts, Loctite and spill kits.

Here's the longer version of that trip...


-Mac
 
I do break shit.

Feel free to give me as much shit as you want!

Learn from my mistakes.

I will say this about my last Rubicon Trail run...I needed every tool I brought. Same with Moab...I was handing out spare bolts, Loctite and spill kits.

Here's the longer version of that trip...


-Mac

You need some stronger shit, Mac!

😉
 
Emptied and refilled it and now I think it's heavier than before!

I didn't think to weigh the bag before. It was just a heavy disorganized mess that wasn't working. I doubt it's lighter than it was, but to Mac's point I thought carefully about what tools I was using in the garage (incl for my other car) and how I could make a good travel version of that.

Now 34lbs including the light and qt of 10W30 for the jeep.
20251031_093131.jpg


@macleanflood
I have and can recommend these Kobalt aluminum monkey wrenches. This 10" version opens to almost 1.75".

20251031_093440.jpg
 
Klein came through with the last puzzle piece. The new 65KADP includes an adapter for 3/8 and 1/2 square drive to KNECT M so I can run the sockets on extensions or drive the short sockets directly off my impact. The existing kits have KNECT M to 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 socket drive.
20251204_084652.jpg
 
Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts