Common Spares

[Rick277]

I'm tired of bringing my entire garage with me to every rally, so I wonder if you all could help with a list of the most common parts/tools/spares/etc that you bring to fix cars during services. As a new team, I bring it all, but so far all the problems I've had couldn't have been fixed in a limited service anyways. So what is worth while to bring, and what can I leave at home?

The obvious things on the list would be:
tools (sockets, wrenches, etc)
spare tires
duct tape
spare tranny (for Subarus)
electical wire, tape, cutters, connectors


So what else can you add to the list?
What are the more common things that break that I should have spare parts for?

Thanks for the help,
Rick

[Carlos Lopez]

Depending on how hard you are intending to drive and how much space you have in your service vehicle:

Spare front & back struts
Spare front A-arms
Spare alternator ( If you have a turbo that cooks them)
Spare battery
Spare brake components (brake lines, pads, rotors, etc)
Fluids (water, fuel,oil, windshield, power steering, etc)
Spare hoses

I could go on into the small stuff but I think you get the idea.

Carlos Lopez
E.T. Racing
Car # 151

[Brian Scott]

One thing to always look at is how long are the particular services at a rally.

If they are all 20 minute services, only bring what you can change in 20 minutes. Probably not changing a transmission.

However, if it's a two day event and you have a spare trans. then you might bring it.

Simple list of parts that I suggest:

- All suspension links/arms
- Struts/shocks
- Alternator
- Every fluid in the car
- Brake pads

Brian

[jblewis]

When I was crewing for Mark Utecht, the volume of spares carried seemed to vary directly in proportion to the distance of the tow...

That being said, carry the tools for the car... if the car uses metric fasteners, carry those. You don't have to lug around the 30 or so inch sized sockets and wrenches you probably have in the box.

Along with the quantity of spares, consider the quality of the spares. IMNSHO, spares should be new parts, or at least well reconditioned parts... A control arm with a worn out bushing does make a very good spare.

jblewis

[John Vanlandingham]

Rick,
for you:
Spare roof
Spare doors
Spare windshield
spare horsepower
Spare steering oar
Spare heavy duty jeep tug strap
Spare set of rosary beads
Spare carpet nails for replacing the bark chipped off of trees.



Really now, since a lot of your parts on the Rat-soon probably not been disassembled and rebuilt, the whole car is a question mark, so what I did when I just started is start replacing the highly stressed stuff like suspension bushings and balljoints and rack bushes and the stuff that came off would be examined to see if there was any point in taking it along as a spare.
I've had two sources of DNFs: suspension control arm failures and crownwheel and pinion failures.
The Saab suspension stuff is sturdier than the Nissan to start with and I have progressively made the stuff stronger, and reinforced the shell where it mounts. that is an area you might consider putting some effort in your car, make it so you can really whack into stuff without bending and breaking things. Rubber is evil, especially larger pieces, smaller rubber bushes or spherical bearings can be shoved into your bottom front arms and then your spares, too.

That is something you counld change in service.

A spare radiator might save your day presuming when you went off and put a leeeeetle tiny 5/16" twig thru yours you stopped and pinched off the tubes with your handy baby needle-nosed vise grips you had in the car tool kit.

As spare Headgasket, and intake manifold gasket, and thermostat housing gasket takes up no space and even if you were down in Aberdeen, it would be easier to have with than to drive home to Shelton for day 2.
A clutch disc, same thing.
Slave cylinder for clutch or rebuild kit for slave cylinder
1 spare front wheel bearing set
starter.
alternator. both of these can be "known good" used parts
Some slip fit connectors for the exhaust system in a couple of lengths

Most of this for keeping going the second day of a two day thing.

Spare belts for the motor _in the car_.
Your L series thing doesn't have a lot of external water hoses like some Fords so it should be easy to keep them in good shape, but the bottom hose is a screwy one, so have a spare, you can't have the L20 bottom hose I keep for my Saab!

You gotta remember that the main consideration in building the car was easing the assembly line process.

You have to think about what some have said, Time available, and skills of volunteer service crew fighting to install what condition component.
Some things like the way the brake hard lines terminate and go over to hoses can be redone so that 1 guy with one wrench can swap out a damaged hose.

Rick, You need to come to our CCCP meetings and we are going to at some point do some "look how real cars are done" sessions aimed at thinking about the "approach" to the issue of pounding any car in the woods.

you going to do a fresher motor at some point? Nudge-nudge? One with some actual carb_s_, and actual compression?


John Vanlandingham
Seattle, WA. 98168

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

[Rich Smith]

>So what else can you add to the list?

Rick,

BAILING WIRE and RACER TAPE. No kidding. These two items alone can keep you in the rally after a roll, or if body parts or exhaust sytems start falling off. Also, if the weather is foul or dusty, some 18" wide HEAVEY clear ascetate could be useful after a roll as a makeshift taped-in window.

But, here's a Rally Blessing just in case:

"May the Heavens be always above your roof, the Earth below your wheels, and the Winding Road ever fast and clear ahead!"

Merry Christmas,
Rich Smith

Vive le "Pro-le-Ralliat"