2006 Trail Spares?

TerryD

TerryD

Mildly demented....
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I'm looking for some common failure points for these that I should keep a spare of and reputable brands to buy of those things.

I have plenty of tools and recovery gear so I'm just looking for parts recommendations.
 
I also have an 06 LJ Rubicon and carry Axle shafts, ujoints, unit bearings, and ball joints. If you're wheeling in terrain where these items break then consider installing upgrades and keeping the original components as spares.

Front and rear chromoly axle shafts should be at the top of your list with new unit bearings. Keep the original shafts fully assembled for easier replacement on the trail.

Spicer ujoints and Spicer ball joints. I'd just install new ball joints and keep the old sets as spares.

I carry a spare rear driveshaft. I bought a new driveshaft and kept the original as a spare. I also have a replacement Currie steering setup that I bring with me. The spare steering components are bent but will get me off the trail in a jam.
 
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PCM, a wiring harness and an OPD? =)

I carry a fuel pump...the pump itself, not the whole assembly. JB weld steel stick for holes in pans and blocks. Spare brake hose. An assortment of hose clamps, spring clamps, bolts, nuts, hoses and plugs.

-Mac
 
Focus on spare parts and other items that will get you off the trail more than spares for a complete field repair. Fuses, relays, cam and crank sensors, wire and wire connectors, two spark plugs and one coil pack (you don't need a full set), spare serpentine belt, u-joints, glues and sealants, nuts, bolts and other fasteners, hoses and clamps, spare fluids, radiator stop leak, bailing wire, duct tape, etc. Have a good tire kit with jack and jack base, tire repair plugs, Colby emergency valve stem, a couple of lug nuts, compressor and hose, air gauge, etc..

Pay attention to what others break so that you develop a better idea of the most common trail failures in jeeps that may be different than with the 4WD platform you had before. Add to your spares as you deem necessary. It is a process.

Do you need spare axle shafts, unit bearing, a tie rod, etc. ? Probably not. Focus on what you will do to get off the trail more than a complete repair on the trail or in camp. Can you drive out in 2WD if an axle shaft twists or breaks? Can you pull a drive shaft and then drive out or be towed out? Can you sleeve a bent tie rod with a high lift jack handle to keep it straight? While some hardcore jeepers carry enough parts to rebuild their jeeps on the spot, most of us will just want to get off the trail and return home for that. A AAA card and cell phone will do that once you hit pavement. The goal is to get to pavement.
 
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Mr. Bills said:
, relays, cam and crank sensors, wire and wire connectors, two spark plugs and one coil pack (you don't need a full set),
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Is there a particular relay that fails on the Jeeps like the Xterra?

Any brand of cam and crank sensor better than others?

My LJ has a single long coil rail with all three coils built in. What setup are you running with individual coils?
 
Just to clarify, I'm not a pro but I've been wheeling reasonably challenging stuff for 20 years and do all my own wrenching. I've got a handle on basic repair needs.

I'm looking for advice on TJ/LJ common failure points that can strand me like the crank sensor and other things that fail with regularity but are fairly easily replaced on the trail.

I always try to keep TREs, u-joints and a belt in my toolbox.

I'm on the east coast so that changes things too. I'm not going to be as remote as some of you get out west. A fuel pump is probably overkill. I can take a strap to pavement and figure it out from there.
 
Mr. Bills said:
Forget the coil pack. I had a momentary brain fart and was thinking Xterra.

OEM sensors are best. I carry a fuel pump relay.
Click to expand...

OK. I was wondering is there was an upgrade to individual coils for these that I hadn't found yet. I was kinda excited. :(
 
Mr. Bills said:
Do you need spare axle shafts, unit bearing, a tie rod, etc. ? Probably not. Focus on what you will do to get off the trail more than a complete repair on the trail or in camp. Can you drive out in 2WD if an axle shaft twists or breaks? Can you pull a drive shaft and then drive out or be towed out? Can you sleeve a bent tie rod with a high lift jack handle to keep it straight? While some hardcore jeepers carry enough parts to rebuild their jeeps on the spot, most of us will just want to get off the trail and return home for that. A AAA card and cell phone will do that once you hit pavement. The goal is to get to pavement.
Click to expand...

I especially agree with this last sentiment. You have to have some degree of confidence and trust in your vehicle and the parts in it, otherwise, where do you draw the line? Are you going to flat tow an entire parts donor chassis and powertrain behind your rig?
 
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In years past I carried multiple boxes full of stuff; whole tool sets, rolls of wire, fuses, an entire carton of various nuts/bolts, ujoints, spare axle shafts and a whole lot more. It would fill up the entire back end. Anymore, its a very slimmed down tool kit (impact and select sockets and a bfh), a couple of fuses (literally, I think I have two and can recall only 1 time where somebody needed the spare), two ujoints and a couple ratchet straps. It saved quite a bit of weight and as @Mr. Bills said, enough to get off the trail.
 
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Only time I load up is when I go down to Baja and then it’s mainly fluids, personal survival gear fan belts and an assortment of nuts and bolts. The best policy is to keep your rig well maintained. I carry a Garmin InReach mini so I can always call in the troops to get help.
Picture of my standard load.

IMG_2351.jpeg
 
tworley said:
In years past I carried multiple boxes full of stuff; whole tool sets, rolls of wire, fuses, an entire carton of various nuts/bolts, ujoints, spare axle shafts and a whole lot more. It would fill up the entire back end. Anymore, its a very slimmed down tool kit (impact and select sockets and a bfh), a couple of fuses (literally, I think I have two and can recall only 1 time where somebody needed the spare), two ujoints and a couple ratchet straps. It saved quite a bit of weight and as @Mr. Bills said, enough to get off the trail.
Click to expand...

Why two ujoints? Do they typically fail in pairs?
 
gbirk said:
Why two ujoints? Do they typically fail in pairs?
Click to expand...

No, but if you blow one you can blow a second.

Back in the CJ era we carried a spare hub. I thought I was covered until the day at Moab that I blew a hub, replaced it with my spare, only to blow a second hub 10 minutes later.

U-joints are a frequent trail repair. They don't take up much space, so I carry usually carry two axle u-joints and one driveshaft u-joint. I say usually because there have been occasions when I have donated one to someone broken on the trail and neglected to replace it right away.
 
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