Electric Impact Wrench???

**Stryder** · 12-13-2007, 05:02 PM

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** · 12-13-2007, 05:13 PM

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** · 12-13-2007, 05:40 PM

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** · 12-13-2007, 07:00 PM

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.

**smokin180** · 12-13-2007, 08:12 PM

Front or rear suspension

**Stryder** · 12-13-2007, 08:50 PM

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** · 12-13-2007, 09:05 PM

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

**jshillin** · 12-14-2007, 01:58 PM

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** · 12-14-2007, 02:16 PM

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** · 12-14-2007, 02:22 PM

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** · 12-14-2007, 02:30 PM

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...

**BobD** · 12-14-2007, 02:32 PM

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.

**BigJimZ28** · 12-14-2007, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Danase

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.

2X

and if you catch it all on sale you can get it and 2 sets of sockets for <$70

**Stryder** · 12-14-2007, 04:57 PM

Aw man, went to Home Depot to check out electric impact guns by Dewalt and Rigid today... and those things are HUGE. The air ones are a lot smaller. Hmm decicsions, decisions.

**jshillin** · 12-14-2007, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by Stryder

Aw man, went to Home Depot to check out electric impact guns by Dewalt and Rigid today... and those things are HUGE. The air ones are a lot smaller. Hmm decicsions, decisions.

They have to be huge! If you have a decent size compressor, pneumatic is the way to go!!! If you do not, suck it up and get a big heavy electric one!!