I just picked up a few fuel filters, a clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder, a fuel pump, an ignition control module (GM type - I did the conversion to a GM style module), a cap +rotor and set of spark plugs. Just to leave in a box behind my seat in the xtracab. Along with a good assortment of tools of course. I'd like to be able to repair most anything that may go wrong while on the road at least well enough to get home without needing to ever resort to a tow truck. Interestingly the fuel filters have been the single most convenient thing to keep extras of for me. They seem to clog up every couple years or so.

Anything you would add to this? What do you keep in your truck for spare parts?

 

Although quite a big difference if your hours or days from the nearest road

In the old days I used to fix things along the road before these cell phone things.

I carried everything but the kitchen sink and never used any of it

Now I just call get things put on the roll back and get home.

Most times if something quits on me it is going to take some major work

2 that come time mind are a transmission and a starter

Nice to unload the truck right into the shop

 

I can kind of understand carrying an extra fuel filter cause of the awful ethanol in gas, but every 2 years seems really fast! The original one partially clogged on mine a couple years ago, but it was a slow problem that I knew was happening for months before. How's the inside of your tank look? Might need to clean and blow out crud in the lines, too.

I have had a master cylinder fail on the road but it was a cheap aftermarket POS that I replaced with an Aisin and I don't expect it to fail suddenly ever again.

Plugs, cap and rotor seem like overkill also. I consider those tune-up items that won't suddenly fail. I guess if your plugs got mechanically damaged they'd fail, but new ones would just break again.

I only carry a spare tire, jack, a few tools and an old alternator belt. So far, even if I didn't have any of that stuff I'd have been ok: the 4Runner's never had a flat!

Curious to see how much junk other people haul around to keep things running or just out of paranoia.

 

Well I've had both a master cylinder and a slave cylinder die while I was on the road. I've also had my ignition control module fail on the road as well as a fuel pump. I've owned four of these 22r trucks over the years though and it has been rare but every time it's happened I've either had to skillfully drive the truck without a clutch to the nearest parts store (or home) or call a tow truck. And that is expensive and a waste of time. I've also had an alternator fail on the road but on that particular item I don't want to buy an expensive heavy replacement to keep in the truck and also not get the core payment for the worn out one. The other items are cheap, small and light and don't require core deposits. So I guess I draw the line at the alternator even though that is a worthy item to carry a backup of. I'm also not worried about the starter because I can always roll and bump start the motor.

The slave cylinder, master cylinder, fuel pump, fuel filters and ignition control module fit nicely in one of those little army surplus ammo containers. At some point I'll need these parts and with the xtracab it really doesn't hardly take up any room. So it's totally worth it to me. The Aisin slave cylinder is about $15 and the other parts aren't much more than that. My current truck is now 31 years old and I don't know it's history so if I break down on the road and am able to get it repaired myself then it was completely worth carrying a few parts. Also, I live in Maine where up to 5 or so months of the year are cold and snowy.

Every couple years was probably an exaggeration on the fuel filter clogging. I'd say it's happened to me 4 or 5 times over the 15 years I've been driving these trucks.

I'm going to agree with you on the plugs, cap and rotor though. I'll just use those to tune up the truck and call it a day.

 

Well, since it all fits neatly in an ammo can and you've had these parts fail while driving it makes some sense for you to carry them. Especially way up in Maine if you're out in the sticks.

​​All of us driving decades-old trucks have probably had something go wrong and it's true that being towed sucks and is expensive. I've been lucky in that regard: Last year mid-way into a 300 mile drive, my chain tensioner failed and the guides broke. Amazingly, the time-skipping, chain-slapping 22re made it back to my driveway in time for a rebuild. They're old, but still good engines.

 

Oh wow! How many miles did the timing chain/tensioner have on it? Yeah I think to this day the 22r/22re is considered one of the best motors ever made. Just has the one small flaw of the timing chain tensioner and guides wearing out a bit early and letting the chain eat through the front aluminum cover. But as long as you install a fresh timing chain system every 150k miles or so (maybe a bit less than that), and keep fresh oil circulating, the motor will last a long long time.

Yeah I've recently rebuilt the entire motor on my newly purchased 86 4x4 xtracab. New timing chain, rings, bearings, etc. All that stuff. So the motor is in tip top shape but as for the rest of the truck's components I have absolutely no idea when or if ever they've been replaced.

 

It was a Napa timing set and it failed at only 35k miles. I avoid aftermarket parts now whenever I can afford to. I installed the Japanese OSK set this time and plan on changing it at 105k miles. If I have too much money at that point I might switch out to a double-row chain if the engine still sounds strong.

 

Wow yeah I've also really learned lately that OEM is the way to go. I made sure my timing chain had an OSK tensioner as well. I don't know if lots of aftermarket brands suddenly went to ˟˟˟˟ or what. I recently had Moog ball joints completely wear out in about 7500 miles. That's barely more than an oil change period. Disgraceful and ridiculous. The original ball joints lasted 30+ years and actually weren't even worn out. I had to replace my CV shafts and wheel bearings and I figured ˟˟˟˟ I may as well do all the ball joints so that the whole front end is new. Kicking myself now for having thrown out 4 perfectly good original ball joints. At the time I didn't understand how to properly check the life of a ball joint and that if there is no freeplay/wobble in the joint then they are perfectly fine. There are also plugs in the OEM ball joints that can be removed to install grease zerks. The Moog ball joints shouldn't even be considered ball joints. They are ball joint shaped imposters and are dangerous. I sometimes wonder if current Toyota OEM parts are as good as the OEM parts from the 1980s.

 

"ball joint shaped imposters"

That's a good one! Terrible luck you had there.

 

+1
On the first-gens and second gen 4Runners load bearing upper ball-joint is under compression, so less likely-to pull apart and fail catastrophically than the 3rd-gen 4Runners load-bearing lower ball-joint that is under tension (forces pulling it apart). Therefore, I am confident that it is safe KEEP an OEM ball-joint that has no play or wobble.

+1 on poor Moog quality. (Also see Alexman / Arlindsay Videos about that).
My idler arm that is supposedly heavy-duty now has play after a few years, while the original lasted more than 2 decades.

 

i carry an alt & ps belt, and a fuel pump. no other parts. i do carry tools, and a compressor.

i only carry the fuel pump because of my run of 7 or 8 pumps in two years, although the current pump is over 18 months old with more than 25k miles on it, so it seems to be working.

in lieu of carrying a bunch of parts, i do all routine maintenance, and inspect the truck weekly. i also immediately address any issues that pop up, or solve "new" noises right away.

 

^ Does your truck have an access door to the fuel pump or did you make one yourself?

All fluids right now. But I'm considering carrying some extra belts and rad hoses.

 

as far as i know, all 1st gen 4runners have an access panel under the passenger rear seat. and i used it.

 

Interesting. Hopefully 2nd gen 4runners do as well.

 

i do not know whether that is the case or not; i'm unfamiliar with 2nd gens.

i'll see if i can dig up a photo of the access panel...found a link with my photo of the panel. it is partially visible in the second photo of the linked post..http://www.toyota-4runner.org/classi...ml#post1535081

 

Ya know, you can replace an alternator belt with a piece of panty-hose. You just have to get the right, uh, container to keep one handy.

 

I've heard that before. Thing is, I replaced all the belts last year as the final step of a rebuild, so I've got the old ones sitting around. I'd have to actually go out and BUY the pantyhose!

 

Panty hose are cheap. The "container," on the other hand, ....

 

This is the key^^^
When I replace my upper radiator hose (no crack, no deterioration but it's not contoured well so it rubs against the intake hose), I'll keep the old one in the truck because it does not take up much space nor cost me anything.
Preventive / Pro-active maintenance. The simplicity of earlier gen's facilitate this.

1986 4Runners have it, too. I heard trucks do not. That sucks.

 

A starter, Fuses.