Tools You bring for the weekend?

OK Everyone,
I am now the proud owner of a BRD that I plan on running in the F1200 series in Ontario Canada. I will tow the car on my flat car hauler to the races. so what tools do you guys take for a weekend?

I don't plan on doing major work, but maintenance and issues always pop up, So I'm looking for a reasonable set of tools I can load and unload.

I have a complete set at home - but thats a huge roller and box , I really don't want to move that.

My plan is to just keep a separate set of tools dedicated for race weekends.

anyone care to help me out?

Cool,

The obvious:

Torque wrench for doing the lug nuts every session
Longacre basic digital 2" tire gauge. 0-100psi (you can use it on the truck and trailer also)
Gas funnel that fits your car
A Craftsman 150 piece, or so, tool set from Ace Hardware. Craftsman's quality is not what it was 20 years ago but they're fine for travel.
A set of metric and sae open/box end wrenches.
Assorted pliers, screwdrivers, pocket knife,
A large bag of 15" plastic zip ties. Some folks hate them but there is always a temporary use for them.
Any special tools the car needs for between session work.
A small air compressor. They make battery powered hand held ones.

A flip jack and low profile jack suitable for your car.
Jack stands suitable for your car.

Not so obvious:
30 feet of 1" rock climbing webbing for towing the car. Many track wreckers only have large hooks suitable for sedans. You want to be able to loop the strap through the roll bar, wind it around itself a few times and hold it with your hand while being towed. You can let go if the tow truck driver makes two tight a turn. That way he won't pull you upside down. I've seen it happen myself, and know of another case. Although all tow truck drivers think they know everything, only a few do.

A coffee cup, Ha.

You will immediately add to the list as you need more, but this is a start.

Have fun,

Jim Edmonds
Phoenix, AZ

After 40 years of this, the short answer is "everything that will fit in/on the trailer/towvehicle :D

Unless you're willing to miss a session while you wander around trying to borrow a tool, or worse, go home early, take it with you.

Most racers will gladly lend you anything you need to get you back on track, but if you haven't got it with you, why would you assume they do? (ok, maybe rare exceptions for criminally expensive use-once-in-a-career special tools).

I have a small pit lane box with everything I could need for mid-test-session or mid-qualifying tuning.

Another paddock box with tools and equipment needed to completely align and set up the car, incl spring and damper changes.

A third big box with all the "I sure hope I don't need these" tools that stays in the trailer.
(Edit: a third big box AND LOTS OF TOTES with...) :-)

And least obvious of all:

A printed checklist from a file you make on your computer. Check the item off when it is actually in the tow vehicle or trailer.
That will reduce the risk of getting to the track without your driving gear, shoes, seat insert, sunglasses and sunscreen . . . . . 8^)

And all the other items I've forgotten.

Jim Edmonds

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jim Edmonds

Not so obvious:
30 feet of 1" rock climbing webbing for towing the car. Many track wreckers only have large hooks suitable for sedans. You want to be able to loop the strap through the roll bar, wind it around itself a few times and hold it with your hand while being towed. You can let go if the tow truck driver makes two tight a turn. That way he won't pull you upside down. I've seen it happen myself, and know of another case. Although all tow truck drivers think they know everything, only a few do.

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Does your car have a trunk? ;)

Agree with all except I'm just trying to figure out how to get it out on the track when needed :beer:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jim Edmonds

And least obvious of all:

That will reduce the risk of getting to the track without your driving gear, shoes, seat insert, sunglasses and sunscreen . . . . . 8^)

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..earplugs...

It's also amazing how often I've used one of those cheap little Harbor Freight telescoping magnets. Almost as often the $3 remote grabber thingie.

Some years ago a member here recommended setting aside every tool he used to frame-up assemble the car - he figured what was left over could usually be left at home. There are always a bunch of either metric or SAE, depending on your car, sockets in every set that you'll never miss.

You need very few tools actually. This assumes that you are stocking very few spare parts. The key is to note what tools you actually use at home while working on the car. Maybe as few as 10 wrenches and 10 sockets of various drives. I carry a spare car worth of parts and this has always worked for me. There is nothing wrong with borrowing something if you miss something.

Brian

It may not help in your situation now, but when I do a complete disassembly for a frame up I leave out all the tools I need to take the car apart, as mentioned above.

When the car goes back together I have all the tools needed and you will probably find a couple extras you need to reassemble. A few other essentials like a drill/bits, spark plug socket, ty wraps and gorilla tape. You will add more tools the longer you race,

Include any tools needed to change a trailer flat and a big hammer:).

It's surprising how little you actually need

No matter how much stuff you drag along with you, there will always be a 'something' you could have included. Lots of good suggestions above for you to consider. I'd include ratchet wrenches over standard, necessary stuff for a flat tire on the tow rig and trailer, an accurate pressure gauge for the low pressures of formula cars, battery charging method. Oh, perhaps a cordless drill.

lotus 7 is right take any and everything you can

Did we forget Duct Tape? :D Edit - I missed the Gorilla tape above - I do use a lot of it… Gene Grimes theory - buy Krylon that matches colored duct tape and paint car…

Brakleen,

a lot of those 275 pc tool sets are on sale for Christmas. If you get one make sure it has places for tool so you can make sure you don’t leave any in the grass.

I have a cooking pan and as tools come out, they stay in the pan. Sometimes I have a few, sometimes I need a second pan!

special tools - a socket for the axle nuts but better if you can get a torquemeister.

Safety wire and pliers are great.

A voltmeter.

tape measure

ChrisZ

4'x2' table w/ folding legs. Glass cleaner, box/rolls paper towels.ect. Everything in your garage ! I bring a death wheel grinder, sawzall , drill and bits, small mig welder, ( Think spec racers )ext, cords, Rivets and little pcs of aluminum The list goes on and on. I have lent out most everything I have stuffed into the trailer at one time or another over the years to help myself and others get back on track.

Will

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lotus7

the short answer is "everything that will fit in/on the trailer/towvehicle :D

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This is the reality. Best of all, because you are taking anything and everything, you don't need to waste time making and checking lists.
More time to spend prepping the race car, or prepping to be away from home.

TimH in post #6 may have been talking about me. Years ago I said, "if you do a complete frame up on the car, and while doing it leave every tool you use laying on the floor, then those are the only tools you need to take to the track".

My trailer tool box was about 1/4th the size of what I had back in the shop. You don't need to take the 2" socket that you need for the combine parked in the lower 40. But, you may need the tools to change the trailer tires.

A lot depends on how serious you are about doing a major repair in the paddock or just going home. I was always of the school that If I could fix it, even if it took all night, I was staying and fixing it. So... now we are talking about extension cords and lights, etc. etc.

A good thing to remember. As the night goes on in the paddock, folks are drawn like moths to whatever lights are still on. I can't ever remember struggling without a tool I needed, somebody in the paddock had it.

A good battery load tester...

Many great suggestions in the posts above.

Morning wake up

Triple shot for qualifying

Mocha lattes for the late night repair thrashes

Beer. Because you either earned it, need it, want to celebrate with another racer, or to repay another racer for help or a loaned tool. :beer:

A vacuum cleaner. :ha:

It precedes the need for the espresso maker/latte machine. All of which I bring to the track, and they never fail to find takers ....

bt

Fiberglass repair kit with mat and cloth. gloves. cups. rechargeable battery pack. spare battery (charged). master kill switch. valve stems and tool.

Agree on the spare battery. I put new batteries in all the race cars every January, but on occasion one fails during the year. I "should" change the master kill switch on all the cars at the same time, but I'm not particularly good about that. Two schools of thought: (1) never use an external starter battery so you know when your internal battery is going bad. A PC680 should last an entire day of starts/sessions. (2) always use an external starter battery and charge the internal battery every couple of sessions. It's embarrassing if you spin and you cause the session to be stopped because you can't restart the car. YMMV

Other habits: The holiday weeks are a great time for the annual generator oil and spark plug changes; and the
street bike, dirt bike, pit bike and track bike oil changes; and new trailer tires. I get annoyed when changing a trailer flat when it's 115 degrees plus in the desert.

Keep having fun,

Jim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nardi

No matter how much stuff you drag along with you, there will always be a 'something' you could have included. Lots of good suggestions above for you to consider. I'd include ratchet wrenches over standard, necessary stuff for a flat tire on the tow rig and trailer, an accurate pressure gauge for the low pressures of formula cars, battery charging method. Oh, perhaps a cordless drill.

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Ratchet wrenches are wonderful things.. but there are a LOT of places where they just won't work. Make sure you have a NON ratchet wrench for those places on your car/trailer/towvehicle where they DON'T work.
Steve, FV80