Electric Impact Wrench???

Stryder · 12-13-07, 03:02

Would an electric impact wrench that has about 345 ft-lbs of torque be sufficient enough for jobs like changing the brake pads, rotors, and swapping out the suspension? I'm hoping an electric one and a breaker bar would be all I need for those tough bolts.

BigJimZ28 · 12-13-07, 03:13

YES it will be more then enough

lugs should only be about 100 ft-lbs
so get yourself a tourque wrench also to put them back on
and find the tourque specs for your car

Stryder · 12-13-07, 03:40

Yea I'm not worried about the lug nuts, I'm more worried about suspension work. My lug nuts are supposed to be torqued at 80 lbs. and I have a torque wrench for that.

jshillin · 12-13-07, 05:00

Electric impacts don't seem to have the same torque or speed of pneumatic. I honestly would get something with atleast 450 - 500 ft/lbs. A lot of suspension bolts corrode and really need some torque to break them loose. I've used 2 electric impacts with ratings similar to that one and was pretty unimpressed.

ramtough · 12-13-07, 06:12

Front or rear suspension

Stryder · 12-13-07, 06:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramtough

Front or rear suspension

Both. What about this model? The specs says it has a max torque of 450 ft. lbs.

RIDGID 1/2 In. Heavy Duty Impact Wrench - R6300 at The Home Depot

MLindgren · 12-13-07, 07:05

ALL brakes/suspension fasteners dhould be torqued to the manufacturers specs!

jshillin · 12-14-07, 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stryder

Both. What about this model? The specs says it has a max torque of 450 ft. lbs.

RIDGID 1/2 In. Heavy Duty Impact Wrench - R6300 at The Home Depot

You always want more than what you need.... Something might only be torqued to 100 ft/lbs, but a bit of corrosion or thread locker makes that almost impossible to break loose. You can always turn it back a notch or not hammer it when putting fasteners on, you need all of the torque to remove things.

BigJimZ28 · 12-14-07, 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by jshillin

You always want more than what you need.... Something might only be torqued to 100 ft/lbs, but a bit of corrosion or thread locker makes that almost impossible to break loose. You can always turn it back a notch or not hammer it when putting fasteners on, you need all of the torque to remove things.

true but if that are that stuck I usually end up ripping the head off the bolt
I am a large guy and have a 25" breaker bar so it's comming off no matter how
corroded it is

so I stand by my answer to his question that it is enough
to have an electric one and a breaker bar

Stryder · 12-14-07, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJimZ28

true but if that are that stuck I usually end up ripping the head off the bolt
I am a large guy and have a 25" breaker bar so it's comming off no matter how
corroded it is

so I stand by my answer to his question that it is enough
to have an electric one and a breaker bar

Yes, I'm leaning towards an electric impact gun and a 25" breaker bar.

jshillin · 12-14-07, 12:30

The only thing about that is that a huge breaker bar doesn't fit everywhere you need it. I have a big breaker bar in all of my vehicles...

Danase · 12-14-07, 12:32

I have a Chicago Eletric / Harbor Freight Impact Wrench I have had since about 1998. It's awesome. I use it all of the time too.