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Essential Tools to have for an FMTV? Add your .02

simp5782

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Found on Ebay when they are for sale. they come and go. search 44.5ton strap. the person on there is gemco57. I have a couple I can sell if need be.
 

coachgeo

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Update:

Not come across a comprehensive thread sooooo... here we go. Please make suggestions on tools ands spares to carry and where to get them by making a post to this thread. Will keep updating the list in this top post with things discussed in post you add below. List has got a few questions added below as well. Will update list according to your suggestions on these questions.

Via idea brought about by 98G..... splitting this top post up. It will start with a a KISS LIST of items (keep it simple and stupid) Following that will be the complex list with more details if one wants to read further.



KISS LIST

list of tools actually used in 40,000 miles of various recoveries of FMTV and other MV's


List with more detail. This is NOT "my list" It is a list created by users here. THANK YOU to everyone that has contributed.



TOOLS


T=Tool. W=Where. MCW=a Must Carry With item on excursions. Excursion being 100 or more miles and involves offroading that requires CTIS activation to navigate terrain efficiently.

T. Technical Manuals (TMs)
W. This Board
MCW. YES

T. Lug Nut Removal kit. 38mm/1" drive socket and corresponding breaker bar,
W. Various
MCW. YES
NOTE: as suggested by Oxyacetylene if you are going to purchase some 1" drive impact sockets, take a look at Harbor Freight. The metric set comes with a 38mm deep well for lug nuts. Sign up for their coupons and use a 20 or 25% off coupon to purchase. http://www.harborfreight.com/10-pc-1-in-drive-metric-impact-socket-set-67987.htm


T. Impact Wrench and Air Rachet. Air type with whatever is needed to hook her up and/or 24v type and wires to NATO that Im guessing is what was standard use with these. Best air or 24V? my vote air..... see Pass thru socket info further down
W. 24v can be got on this board probably ebay too. Air anywhere. with hose adjustable air regulator and Gladhand attachment orrr?
MCW. Yes or no????


T. Sockets for Impact..... what sizes most common have ya'lldiscovered is needed? Pass Thru Sockets and adapters are available for some types of Impact. See below
W. H.Freight? Sears?
MCW. ???


T. Ratchet and Socket Set. what sizes most common have ya'll discovered is needed? FWIW I like PASS THRU sockets myself but rachet's head is larger and not as good in tight spots?? Can now be used with Air Rachet wrench as well see http://www.vehicleservicepros.com/a...oduct-tool-review-december-2014-pten-magazine
W. Amazon, Hardware Store, Ebay Etc.
MCW. Yes

T. Breaker Bar That fits your ratchets and other tools..
W. Various
MCW Yes

T. Allan head Sockets Most of the FMTV is metric. For sure a metric Allen head socket to remove the fan in case you have to change your water pump belt.
W. Various
MCW Yes

T. Open End wrenches. what sizes most common have ya'll discovered is needed? Most of the FMTV is metric.
W. numerous
MCW. yes

NOTE- SAE - Metric equivalents one might can use in a pinch http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...-Add-your-02&p=1857395&viewfull=1#post1857395

T. Drive Shaft remove tools (for towing, repair etc.)
W. Amazon etc
MCW. Yes

T. Towing supplies (any of the various Military Tow Bar arrangements that will fit) and wiring for tow lights
W. This site, Military Surplus places, Ebay
MCW. Yes

T.Multil Meter
W. Various
MCW YES

T. Grease Gun
W. Various
MCW. NO, then again for LONG excursions there is small ones you should throw one in

T. 20ton Bottle Jack with soft ground platform, and other cribbing blocks. (several 4x4's so you can stack them)
W. Various
MCW. YES

T. Wheel Chocks
W. Harbor Freight, Military Surplus etc.
MCW. Yes

T. Highway Break Down Safety items- Warning triangles and High-vis vest, flares, smoke, claymore, thermite grenade..
W. Various
MCW Yes

T. Jumper Cables , two so you can jump from one or two 12v vehicles. NATO jump cable so you can jump from other military rig. Maybe pig tail from NAto to one or two 12v vehicles?
W. ???
MCW. YES

T. RECOVERY Items: A super heavy snatch (recovery) strap or rope*. Winch/Come-A-Long orrr? Tree saver, Clevis pins etc. for attaching, SNATCH BLOCK or two or three. Don't forget to lay jacket orrr?? on any cable in tension in case it breaks to prevent it from snatching back and thru windshield thru your head(widow maker) or thru nearby persons Head (you've now killed someone!!!) NOT A JOKE.
W. 4x4 Shops, Amazon, Ebay etc. *Video of one from member here.
MCW. YES YES YES

T. Tie down/Away supplies Rachet straps, Rope, Bungie Cords (at least to keep the 350lb tire from falling over during a tire change or removal, or to hold in place then easily lower/raise a driveshaft when being removed/installed)
W. Various
MCW. YES

T. Heavy Duty Duct tape
W. Pluck a Duck
MCW YES

T. relay bypass- 2 spade crimp terminals on a 6 or so inch wire. Photo's at bottom of page
W. Auto parts store, Walmart etc.
MCW. YES




SPARES


S=Spare Item, W=Where to get, MCW= Must Carry With on Excursions.

S. Electrical- Fuses, relays, circuit breakers. 12v bulbs (if yours is not LED converted)
NOTE: Using formula of volts times amps (watts = volts x amps ) you can determine if you can use a different Voltage Relay to replace what went bad. Example: a 30A 12v fuse would be the equivalent of a 15A 24v fuse cause both are... 360 watts.
W. Numerous
MCW. YES

S. Tire(s)
W. numerous. What size is on LMTV generally?
MCW. Yes, LONG Excursion then maybe two

S. Zerk Fittings (any particular size, or type?)
W. Numerous
MCW. NO for short Excursions. YES for LONG Excursions.

S. Ujoints
W. Friendly FMTV dealers on this board
MCW. YES

S. Assortment of standard blade-style automotive fuses might be worthwhile. They fit in the slots where the breakers go.
W. Generic Auto parts place
MCW.. so so. Not so much so if you have jumper tool as mentioned above???

S. Relays, you can swap a relay from a less-critical spot sometimes. Example swap bad marker lamps relay with the blackout drive relay.


OTHER



O.
Make sure your brake chambers have the cage T handles....mine were all missing.
W. NA
MCW. YES

O. AAA PLUS RV Towing/Service membership or similar. Who do yall recommend is is AAA still the best for this?
W. Online search
MCW. YES

O. LOT OF CASH or Large Limit Credit card and/or tools to Rob a Bank, knock down an ATM etc.
W. Local Bank?
MCW. YES
 
Last edited:

Aernan

Member
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San Jose/California
I have a few more answers:

Tire change:
I am buying a torque multiplier. There are many on the market that all appear to be the same tool with a different case. The most expensive one is called a "Cheater Wrench". Numerous clones found both on Amazon and Ebay. I bought one that ~$50 which includes the 38mm socket required.
MCW: YES
In addition to the tool to break the lug loose you will need a
- 1" drive to 3/4 or 1/2 and a ratchet or breaker bar of that size to remove nut once broken free.
- 20 ton jack
- two or more 4x4 boards to use as cribbing
- two McMaster Carr P/N 89955K899 (4130 Steel Tube, 1.000" OD, .120" Wall, 3' Long) to lift the wheel onto the hub
- 2x crush washers for CTIS banjo valve
-- https://www.finditparts.com/products/986799/dana-holding-corporation-673999

recommended/optional:
- anti seize on lug nuts
- tap lug nuts free of paint before removing if extremely stuck
- wheel chocks
- rope/ratchet strap to support wheel so it does not fall over while installing it (single man install)
- ultrasonic leak detecting smartphone app to verify new wheel is not leaking from CTIS or wheel.
-- $5 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ctrlsys.apps.leakdetect&hl=en
-- or actual ultrasonic leak detector
-- or spray bottle full of soapy water
 

8madjack

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Gold country Ca.
I would say definitely go with the air impact and don't bother with the 24 volt, at least if your plan is to use them on your lug nuts. I have a 24-volt Robo impact and it didn't have enough power to remove the Lugnuts I wound up going to Harbor Freight and getting a 3/4 drive set. That are impact worked great and was pretty reasonably priced.
 

Suprman

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The robo impact is good for humvee lugs thats about it. I have a big milwaukee fuel cordless impact that can usually do the lmtv lugs. If they are over torques I have a big ingersoll air gun. But the harbor freight 3/4 air gun does work well. Its a copy of the big ingersoll.
 

8madjack

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Gold country Ca.
The robo impact is good for humvee lugs thats about it. I have a big milwaukee fuel cordless impact that can usually do the lmtv lugs. If they are over torques I have a big ingersoll air gun. But the harbor freight 3/4 air gun does work well. Its a copy of the big ingersoll.
It's a shame, it's a really nice tool (self admitted tool whore) and mine is in great shape, just no good for 5 ton lugnuts.
 

8madjack

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When you buy a torque multiplier be aware that you may have to modify one of the cheap ones to work well. s-l300.jpg I bought one like this off eBay and it's difficult to get deep into the rear wheels and it doesn't want to get the foot down in between the lug nut. Grinding the foot to fit better might be part of an answer but since I have a shop I'm going to make an adapter to make it work better. When I modify mind I will post pictures of what I do.

I also bought a nice Precision Instruments 3/4 Drive beam style torque wrench which I learned about on another thread here. 94685.jpg I guess you could argue whether you need to actually carry it with you but it does have its own case and break down into three pieces which makes it handy. Perhaps I'm anal retentive but I like knowing my wheels are torqued on properly.
 

Floridianson

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For doing the lug nuts or using the U joint / drive shaft removal tool and everything else get the 3/4 inch drive Milwaukee M18 fuel.
 
Last edited:

Floridianson

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I also bought a nice Precision Instruments 3/4 Drive beam style torque wrench which I learned about on another thread here. View attachment 757035 I guess you could argue whether you need to actually carry it with you but it does have its own case and break down into three pieces which makes it handy. Perhaps I'm anal retentive but I like knowing my wheels are torqued on properly.

The cost of the tool is high and with the Milwaukee M18 fuel you can use the One-Key and have it set real close to the torque specs of the lug nuts. I use my Milwaukee M18 and then double check with my one inch drive Precision beam torque wrench and it is real close to the numbers.
 
Last edited:

coachgeo

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The cost of the tool is high and with the Milwaukee M18 fuel you can use the One-Key and have it set real close to the torque specs of the lug nuts. I use my Milwaukee M18 and then double check with my one inch drive Precision beam torque wrench and it is real close to the numbers.
Mark properly torqued nut and wheel when in place. When reinstalling wheel; torque back to same mark.

Whala..... no torque wrench needed when using a Torque Marking Pen.

For spare wheel (spare set of nuts; to if you like too) Mark wheel and nuts permanently; after mounting it to proper torque. This wheel will have 4 marks, one for each corner of truck. Thus in swapping on side of road or field..... no torque wrench needed.

hints

. Mark all your lug nuts in center of one side face. Mark your lug socket in same location.
. Nuts MUST be returned to same lug bolt for this method to work... so mark/and or get you something to store them in when in field, that ensures this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx4DpWL5uUc
 
Last edited:

Floridianson

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Problem looks like the lug nut has to be torqued the first time to the right specs with a torque wrench. What if the lug nut was never torqued right the first time. Tried and true is the correct torque wrench in my .02
 

coachgeo

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Problem looks like the lug nut has to be torqued the first time to the right specs with a torque wrench. What if the lug nut was never torqued right the first time. Tried and true is the correct torque wrench in my .02
If your referring to the write up on using the Mark Torque method...... specifically said..... several times..... "Properly Torqued" just for the reason of covering your point that the nuts not be torqued properly in the first place. Thus your right then that you still need access to a torque wrench..... just do not need to carry it with you after it is marked.

Why not just carry with you? Torque wrenches lose their accuracy when used a lot and or by being jostled around a lot. Thus "Mark Torque Method" in this situation may be more accurate then carrying a torque wrench around with you.
 

Awesomeness

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Torque wrenches lose their accuracy when used a lot and or by being jostled around a lot. Thus "Mark Torque Method" in this situation may be more accurate then carrying a torque wrench around with you.
The inaccuracy of even high-quality torque wrenches is severe, and worse when combined with the inaccuracy of the nut torque's relationship with properly preloading the bolt. We're talking +/- 35% on unlubricated bolts ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolted_joint ). Torque wrench, "mark torque method", shaman's vision... all little more than a guess in the right direction.
 

chucky

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A must have is a full can of airesol ethier for flats when the bead is broke from the wheel tire plugs and good tire glue 10 coat hangers to cut to length to make hose clamps always duct tape and nylon 3/8th rope to make fan belts and yes it works jb weld has brought me home more than once . really coarse 1/2 inch short lag bolts for holes in tires and pieces of seasoned oak to drive in puncture holes like oil pan transmission pans ect a couple of 2 in ratchet straps to help pull axle end up high enough to chain axle to frame a can of great stuff if you get leaks in the fins of radiator just have to let it set up and dry and loosen the radiator cap for no presure build-up always have at least one complete set of all hoses belts air to air boots and clamps fuses relays aluminum foil jumper wires and a replcement for all filters fuel /oil just in case of bad batch of fuel you never know where u might have to procure fuel in the middle of the night lol and of coarse a soft rubber 6 ft garden hose in case you have to siphon fuel from other equipment all of these things have gotten me out of the woods or off the sholder of the road for 30 plus years back before folks were looking for a app to fix all there problems lol
 

chucky

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And i forgot a must have is an assortment of all sises of serated brass air line splice and repair kit small like 1 inch C clamps to crimp or seal off damaged air lines and t bolts for brake cans a roll of steel rebar tie wire is a good thing to have as well
 

chucky

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You havent ever had a tire break away from the rim where there was no way to air it up thru a valve stem becayse i have been plaged with it and either got us back rollong
 

fasttruck

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If you are planning to change out broken grease fittings on the road; a tool to extract the remains of the broken one from the bushing, u-joint or whatever it is in might be helpful. "Easy outs" or the specialty tools form this that are sold in auto parts stores ought to do it.
 

chucky

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Ive had the end of timber/ edge of tree stumps get shoved in between and break off and the post was more sent toward just in case or you may be pulling a trailer that might not be bead locked or any broken bead situation a lot of the guys with surplus truck arnt running run flats anymore but by all means if you dont feel safe with a can of either i wouldnt carry one.
 
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