Electric Impact Wrench???

**baseballlover1** · 12-14-2007, 10:55 PM

i have always wondered about the impact wrenches and why they dont torque the cars like in F1 and nascar (in nascar there prolly just to stupid, but that just my thoughts :nixweiss ) anyway, we use a cordless makita impact wrench for changing wheels at the track. Its pretty neat but we always need to use a torque wrench.

**metload1** · 12-23-2007, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by baseballlover1

i have always wondered about the impact wrenches and why they dont torque the cars like in F1 and nascar (in nascar there prolly just to stupid, but that just my thoughts :nixweiss ) anyway, we use a cordless makita impact wrench for changing wheels at the track. Its pretty neat but we always need to use a torque wrench.

lol no they`re not stupid, they probably use torque sticks like I like.

305TSKTA, Extension Set, Wheel Torque, 1/2" Drive

Personally I can`t stand torque wrenches, at least the ones I`ve dealt with. I have a nice snap on one and it`s shot. One drop and they`re gone. I really don`t feel like sending them in for calibration all the time. And you have to store them correctly... ugh. I`m not sure about the gauge/electric ones though, they interest me. I`ve seen demonstrations for these torque sticks though and they had a 100 lbs stick and it tightened to 99.8 lbs. They were a different brand though not snap-on. I think I`m going to be getting a few of these though, maybe an 80 and a 100. No re-cal to do ever.

The electric ones I saw at Sears looked neat, anyone have experience with them? I`m normally not a craftsman fan but I`d get one if someone had good experience with it. I`m guessing the non-clicker ones don`t need to be calibrated as often. I kinda need an inch/lbs one too for my valve covers lol. I`m guessing the electric could cover both.

To the OP, I got a 250 ft/lbs pneumatic impact wrench and it was worthless. It wouldn`t even turn the lugs. The only use it had was spinning them on nice and fast in the first place. I think I might have a nice chicago pneumatic under the tree though! I`ve used an electric snap on though and I thought it was pretty nice, although I didn`t try it on hard stuff. I used it at work when the maintenance guys asked for help with the white boards. Working in IT gets interesting sometimes lol.

**2002 Z06** · 12-27-2007, 12:58 PM

I was excited when my soon to be father in law gave me an electric impact from his job, contrustion, but I was not impressed. He said they use it everyday on constrution sites but the thing wasn`t strong enough to get the bolt off the top of a strut tower....I hope that it is better when it comes to putting things back together.

**BigJimZ28** · 12-27-2007, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by 2002 Z06

I was excited when my soon to be father in law gave me an electric impact from his job, contrustion, but I was not impressed. He said they use it everyday on constrution sites but the thing wasn`t strong enough to get the bolt off the top of a strut tower....I hope that it is better when it comes to putting things back together.

Really?

I have used my cheap harbor freight electric impact to remove 20+ year old rusted suspension bolts with no problem

**Stryder** · 12-27-2007, 01:54 PM

Well my GF got me an air compressor for my bday/christmas! :woot2: It`s a 30 gallon oil-lube vertical Husky that delivers 5.5 CFM at 90 psi. Not the most powerful but good enough for what I`m trying to do, which is to run an air impact wrench, a pneumatic fluid extractor, and inflate my tires. I also just bought an Husky impact wrench, 600 Ft. lbs. of reverse torque and 550 Ft. lbs of forward torque. And it only requires 4 CFM. I can`t wait to play with my new toys!

**jshillin** · 12-27-2007, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by Stryder

Well my GF got me an air compressor for my bday/christmas! :woot2: It`s a 30 gallon oil-lube vertical Husky that delivers 5.5 CFM at 90 psi. Not the most powerful but good enough for what I`m trying to do, which is to run an air impact wrench, a pneumatic fluid extractor, and inflate my tires. I also just bought an Husky impact wrench, 600 Ft. lbs. of reverse torque and 550 Ft. lbs of forward torque. And it only requires 4 CFM. I can`t wait to play with my new toys!

You should be good to go with that. The tank size is a bit small, the motor will run a lot when you are working it, but it should work out fine for ya...

**NCZ13** · 12-27-2007, 02:32 PM

go with pneumatic. my friend and i split a impact wrench when we were bolting on my exhaust, and it didnt help do anything. it was heavy, loud, and made nuts nice and round =)

**imported_themightytimmah** · 12-27-2007, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by metload1

lol no they`re not stupid, they probably use torque sticks like I like.

305TSKTA, Extension Set, Wheel Torque, 1/2" Drive

Aren`t those the handiest things ever? My friend`s dad had a set up at his shop, and I don`t know how I ever got by without them.

**BigJimZ28** · 12-27-2007, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by NCZ13

and made nuts nice and round =)

:har: that would be from using the wrong size socket

**metload1** · 12-30-2007, 02:16 AM

Originally Posted by themightytimmah

Aren`t those the handiest things ever? My friend`s dad had a set up at his shop, and I don`t know how I ever got by without them.

yeah! It does it all in one step, no need for the torque wrench. Plus you can do it all with the wheel up in the air. Definitely a nice little invention someone came up with.

Originally Posted by Me

I have a nice snap on one and it`s shot.

I have to say I corrected myself yesterday. Turns out it was just stupidity on my part! So yeah I can`t complain as much about torque wrenches, but torque sticks are still FTW! :up

**metload1** · 12-30-2007, 02:20 AM

oh, and to the OP. I got a Chicago Pneumatic 625 ft-lbs impact wrench for Christmas. It turns lug nuts into a joke. I love it. And I`m only using a pancake compressor

**NCZ13** · 12-30-2007, 03:09 AM

Originally Posted by BigJimZ28

:har: that would be from using the wrong size socket

no we used the right size sockets. 14mm is the size of the top nut on my exhaust bolts. it just turned and turned and turned. it wont even take off lugnuts. that just spins it too.

the key is 3/4 and yes i use the 3/4 socket =P

**BigJimZ28** · 12-30-2007, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by NCZ13

no we used the right size sockets. 14mm is the size of the top nut on my exhaust bolts. it just turned and turned and turned. it wont even take off lugnuts. that just spins it too.

the key is 3/4 and yes i use the 3/4 socket =P

SO it turns the bolts....

and spins your lugnuts...

but you don`t think it dose not work?:bolt

F.Y.I.

if it rounded your bolts it was working

but there was either user error, the wrong size socket, or it was too rusted

**LouisanaJeeper** · 12-30-2007, 11:41 AM

I have a large air compressor and IR impact.

Guess what? I always use a breaker bar and regular ratchet wrench to intall, remove lug nuts. and torque wrench to reinstall. The impact has a tendancy to mess up lug nuts and wheels. I use the impact for suspension, etc.

**NCZ13** · 12-30-2007, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by BigJimZ28

SO it turns the bolts....

and spins your lugnuts...

but you don`t think it dose not work?:bolt

F.Y.I.

if it rounded your bolts it was working

but there was either user error, the wrong size socket, or it was too rusted

nah they were rusted in there tight. we had to take them to my friends mechanic to get them cut off after they were rounded off. (little did i know about bolt outs)

the only thing we use it for now is to tighten lug nuts, and then i use the torque wrench to tighthen them to spec.