What major spares would you take ? Simpson trip

[Dick]

I am heading across the Simpson in a few weeks, other than hoses/belts etc what would people take ?
I am considering :
Uni joint
CV
Front wheel brg
1 front and rear shock

Thanks
Dick

[currentlyoffline]

On Simpson trips I have needed;
Fuel line and clamps, to repair the steel fuel and return lines being damaged by an errant rock thrown up by the front wheels.
Brake fluid, min. 2 litres for same incident above, also piercing brake line.
Instant metal putty stuff, to repair chassis mounted stainless watertank that cracked a seam.
1 Billion cable ties, various sizes to fix lots of stuff.
Fusible link wire ( Connector near start battery just broke )
Spare UHF aerial, occasionally they just snap off at the base for no known reason.
LARGE ORANGE Sand Flag. To prevent Head - ons with ignorant pi&% heads smashing into you when approaching from the other direction. ( a couple of close calls, even with a flag on a 3 metre whip)

[stool]

Radiator cap and a spare one of those plastic drain plugs from the bottom of the radiator.

Sump plug.

Fire extinguisher.

[to_easy]

duck tape, its got a million and one uses.

[Guy From Nowhere]

- WD40
- Fluids of all varieties you truck takes
- tyre repair kit
- as many barings as you can carry

[T_Diesel]

What sort of truck have you got and how old is it?

Do you get get it regularly serviced?

Are you travelling alone or in a convoy?

Two complete spare tyres in good conditionis a good start, and a tyre repair kit, bead breakers etc.

[Tony WestOZ]

What sort of truck have you got and how old is it?

Do you get get it regularly serviced?

Are you travelling alone or in a convoy?

Two complete spare tyres in good conditionis a good start, and a tyre repair kit, bead breakers etc.

Good points.

How much off roading have you done lately that has tested the car.
Have seen a couple of water pumps fail out in the bush after being used as only city drivers for a while.

Complete set of spare filters (air,fuel,oil).
Enough engine oil for one complete engine oil change. This oil can also used elsewhere if required.
Couple of tyre tubes. I use to carry some 3mm thick conveyer rubber that I put between the tyre wall and the tube when I have badly staked some tyres. Not good at speed but good for emergences.

Plus everything else that has been mentioned in above posts.

[MKPatrolGuy]

Alternator bearings.

On a trip a couple of years ago a GQ we were travelling with had the alternator sieze with no warning. Luckily one of the other guys had spare bearings.

[T_Diesel]

You may as well tow a trailer with a spare vehicle on the back of it. Have you thought how and where you are going to pack all of this stuff?

You can not cater for every little thing that may break on your vehicle.

When I go away, I take the following items and spares:

1. SAE and metric socket set with a selection of ring and open ended spanners suited to my vehicle, vice grips, pilers, screw drivers and other basic tools.

2. Spare fuses, electrical cable, terminals, pliers, soldering iron, multi tester, cable ties and other useful 12 volt electrical equipment which is generally used to fix other peoples power sockets and UHF ariel mounts etc.

3. Gaffer & duct tape (has many uses including fixing split hoses)

4. Roll of fencing wire

5. WD40, rags, clean ground sheet or tarp for changing tyres on or if I need to get under the truck so I don't get dirty.

6. Spare Radiator hoses (top and bottom), bottle of brake fluid and engine oil.

7. Spare UHF ariel, two complete spare wheels & tyres (both in excellent condition).

I'm sure there is more that I can't think of but that about sums it up, and I have never been imobilised to the point where I have needed a tow. The stuff I have used most is fencing wire, soldering irons, fuses, had to change a top radiator hose once and that has been it.

If I were you, I wouldn't be going unless my vehicle was in good shape to start with, as prevention is a damn sight better and generally a lot cheaper than the cure. If you maintain your vehicle and get things like wheel bearings checked and repacked before a big trip you shouldn't have a problem.

[Dick]

What sort of truck have you got and how old is it?

Do you get get it regularly serviced?

Are you travelling alone or in a convoy?

Two complete spare tyres in good conditionis a good start, and a tyre repair kit, bead breakers etc.

Thanks, all good tips so far..
Its an 05 GU trayback, only done 90K in excellent nick and regulary serviced before I got it at 80K. Travelling alone till Birdsville then with 6 others across Simpson. I have 5 new MTZ's plus will take a near new BFG AT on the roof. I have all the tyre changing and repair gear. My list started with :
filters, fan belts, rad hoses, assorted bolts, a gazillion cable ties, a range of hose clamps (very handy), fluids, 1 front wheel brg, 1 uni joint, 1 spare shock for front and rear. Now I will add some more bits, the plastic bung for rad is a good one, as is the sump plug.

[gqgu]

When I go away, I take the following items and spares:

1. SAE and metric socket set with a selection of ring and open ended spanners suited to my vehicle, vice grips, pilers, screw drivers and other basic tools.

2. Spare fuses, electrical cable, terminals, pliers, soldering iron, multi tester, cable ties and other useful 12 volt electrical equipment which is generally used to fix other peoples power sockets and UHF ariel mounts etc.

3. Gaffer & duct tape (has many uses including fixing split hoses)

4. Roll of fencing wire

5. WD40, rags, clean ground sheet or tarp for changing tyres on or if I need to get under the truck so I don't get dirty.

6. Spare Radiator hoses (top and bottom), bottle of brake fluid and engine oil.

7. Spare UHF ariel, two complete spare wheels & tyres (both in excellent condition).

.

and dont forget a set of engine belts and filters.

[T_Diesel]

Oh and don't forget your digital camera either! It's magic out there. Which line are you doing across the desert?

[Dick]

Oh and don't forget your digital camera either! It's magic out there. Which line are you doing across the desert?

Yeah we will have 2 !
the plan:
Birdsville
Big Red
QAA line
K1 line
Poeppel Corner
French line
Knoll's Track
Rig Road
WAA line
French line
Purnie Bore
Spring Creek Delta Track
Dalhousie

[patrol man]

A rag to shove in her mouth
bolts, nuts and washers, steel, welding tools,(face mask glass,welding handle and lead) welding rods, jumper leads,
wheel nuts
axle stub , nuts and washers
wire
rope

[T_Diesel]

Oh and don't forget your digital camera either! It's magic out there. Which line are you doing across the desert?

Yeah we will have 2 !
the plan:
Birdsville
Big Red
QAA line
K1 line
Poeppel Corner
French line
Knoll's Track
Rig Road
WAA line
French line
Purnie Bore
Spring Creek Delta Track
Dalhousie

I did that in reverse a couple of years ago... Next time I do it, I want to do the Madigan Line but it's still a dream at this stage Aparently it's way more hardcore than French line and its just GPS way points and no road just bush bashing pretty much.

[Dick]

Good tips, thanks everybody !
I may consider not taking some big bits now..

[macneil]

take fuel filters and air filters! for sure..

change them before you go aswell as radiator hoses still take rad hoses tho but you may aswell try and stop them from letting go...

take a length of garden hose or something similar.. may come in handy..

and some 3mm bulding wire.. only need a bit but it may come in handy..

[RMP&O]

I have not done a Simpson trip but I did do a week long trip in the desert back in March.

This is what I needed on that trip...

-basic tools, open ends, sockets, crescent, screw drivers, 2lb hammer, hand pump (for oil/fuel/ect), diesel fuel of course, high rise jack, recovery gear, ect

-electrical connectors, hose clamps, screws, wire ties, tarp to lay on and do repairs, another tarp for putting parts on to keep clean, lots of hand cleaner and rags

-spare fuel filter (mine got a crack in it and started spewing diesel!)

-straps for when we broke tranny mounts, used to hold tranny in truck!

-starting fluid because you never know when g/p will go out!

That was all we needed for a week in very rough desert terrain and mountains. We broke stuff on the truck like tranny mounts but were able to keep going, it is a Patrol after all! The crack in fuel filter could have really screwed us but we were able to get to a auto parts store and get a replacement before we ran out of diesel! Amazing the truck even ran with a huge crack in the filter just spewing diesel out. I carried other stuff like CV's, hubs and so forth. Next trip I will likely carry more of some things and less of others.

[turps]

I wouldnt bother with a CV. There is nothing out there your going to break them on.

Would ad tie wire though. The hardest stuff, that you can still bend with your hand though.

[Ibsn]

Just adding 2 cents. But, I would replace most things like belts and hoses, and repack bearings (meant to be done ever 30 000k's anyways) have your full service done, and any old parts keep as spares. That way your not gona be stuck in the middle of nowhere changing things - you know its all fresh.

Having to change a hose means you gota wait till the thing cools down, fluid going everywhere, and then having to top it back up again with coolant and water b4 you can get going again...

Gasket goo - i haven't seen mentioned. would be up there on my priorities... And everything electrical, a gas soldering iron is like 40 bucks from trade tools, spare relay, spare wire, solder, SPARE fuses, spare screws and nuts and bolts.

But if you have repacked your bearings, (and inspected for wear/damage) greased up every single grease nipple on the steering/ drive shafts etc, full oil change and filters, Gearbox and diff oils etc, one would think your pretty ready to hit the road.

If your battery is now 3 years old it might be getting soggy, might be up for replacement soon? Hows it starting on a cold morning after glow plugs.

I would never hit a long road like that without gauges, everything from oil temp, oil pressure, water temp and volt meter and boost if you run a turbo!! KNOW THERES A PROBLEM BEFORE IT IS ONE! your oil pressure light wont come on at highway rpm speeds untill your motor is rooted! Its only really calibrated to come on if the pressure at idol is low.

noone mentioned beer on the list either :p

[advdisco1]

I'd take a spare engine mount, gearbox/transfer mount, fuel filter.
Heaps of corruagations out there, specially west of Pernie bore and
around Innaminka.

I had to change a broken transfer mount at coopers creek and a
fuel filter at oodnandatta (dump). Good fun the crossing. I did the
same trip in may 06 but in reverse towing a trailer.

[ANDREWGQ 351]

A 6" hacksaw and a good cold chisel can be very handy, it may sound a bit rough to need to use them but you never know what it might need to do, you may be able to help someone else with it.
Also some small chain and D-links can hold broken exhaust mounts in place and is alot stronger than wire, wire and small chain has almost as many uses as cable ties.

[Dick]

Battery (s) only new, as are the shocks and tyres..
chisel is good idea.. as are the mounts. Not heavy and bound to need one sooner or later. lots of windup with a load. Great tips ! thanks all..
I will post a complete (revised) list soon