Another Impact Wrench question...

[Mr R.]

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Well I've been a bad boy after reading this thread. I did the classic justifying it all I wanted, I had to buy it. Checked reviews and this one was the best I could get for the money really. I feel so dirty but I can't wait to try it...

I'm going to do the same, I went to my mot station the other day and while a was there I asked how much labour they would charge me to do my wife's Volvo cambelt.

They came back with £150 ish with me supplying the parts, the only thing stopping me from doing it myself is I have nothing powerful enough to undo the crank bolt, so I may as well put the £150 towards a nut gun of my own.

 

[James H]

Well I got one of these as recommended by @Budgie (thanks for the tip) - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEAVY-DU...MPACT-WRENCH-RATCHET-2-BATTERIES/222408523829 - and it’s a winner! The hubnuts were a piece of p1$$ :tonguewink: (I couldn’t undo them with a breaker bar btw).
I paid £70, and although the eBay advert indicates it’s unbranded, the one I got was a Neilsen which are £85 usually.

Recommended :up:.

Just got exactly the same for my birthday today, can't wait to try it out now. Have you got impact sockets or are you using regular ones?

 

[JamesBryan]

Just got exactly the same for my birthday today, can't wait to try it out now. Have you got impact sockets or are you using regular ones?

For most jobs you can get away with using normal sockets. I've even used a halfords 30mm on Clio hub nuts without issue. It does chew the back of the socket drive though.

 

[oreA]

Just got exactly the same for my birthday today, can't wait to try it out now. Have you got impact sockets or are you using regular ones?

As soon as mine arrived I nipped straight over to the garage and undid the hubnuts :smile:. I was worried at first, it didn’t seem like it was doing the job, but a few moments later the nuts were off :up:.
I use regular sockets. I bought this Lidl socket set a couple of years ago, it has been such great value, and has had everything I’ve needed for everything I’ve done on the Clio so far.

I think it was £40. I am Mr Budget :tongueclosed:.

 

[Vaughan]

Careful with normal chrome plated sockets on impact wrenches. If they break the chrome plating shatters and flies around like schrapnel.

The steel in impact sockets is softer and they are made thicker to cope with the hammering.

 

[Matt555]

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I got one of these for Christmas, it's epic. Hasn't broken a sweat with anything I've thrown at it

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

Careful with normal chrome plated sockets on impact wrenches. If they break the chrome plating shatters and flies around like schrapnel.

The steel in impact sockets is softer and they are made thicker to cope with the hammering.

I agree and disagree with this statement in equal measures. I use an impact driver for 8 hours a day and yes the proper sockets are softer and deform over time and are ultimately a consumable part (I get through around 3 a year) Normal sockets are less forgiving and that force results in the square drive of the impact driver becoming the consumable part (even with an impact socket I drestroy an impact driver a year)

I work on my car most weekends.. Never have I ever had a socket explode on me.. Normal or impact. Has anyone ever had a socket explode on them whilst they use a breaker bar? No and I guarantee you an impact driver can't match half the torque of a breaker bar.

 

[JamesBryan]

That last bit isn’t quite true.

A 15 stone bloke standing on a 2ft breaker bar is only generating 420ft lbs of torque or 570Nm.

The top impact guns have a breakaway torque of 1400Nm.

 

[Budgie]

But a human controlled bar is progressive, a gun is explosive

I've never used impact sockets, but have always used known brand ones with my gun. I wouldn't use a Christmas cracker special. But Draper and above will do it for me.

Split an engine down today and I reckon the cheaply green and red saved me an hour (plus cocking about/achy arms)

 

[iimushroomzii]

I've not had normal socketa explode using an impact wrench but I have split a few, this was working on farm machinery so some stuff is pretty f**king tight and rusted to try and undo

 

[dann2707]

I used mine in anger yesterday taking off rusty corsa suspension components. Had the n/s strut off within 5 mins. This thing is just unbelievable. I'm so glad I opted for this version.

 

[oreA]

Anybody opted for torque sticks for use with their guns? Limited use I would have thought, but might be quick and handy for not over tightening wheels bolts......:innocent:.

 

[dann2707]

Anybody opted for torque sticks for use with their guns? Limited use I would have thought, but might be quick and handy for not over tightening wheels bolts......:innocent:.

What is a torque stick?

 

[oreA]

What is a torque stick?

An extension bar for your impact gun that limits the amount of torque at the nut. They come in various torque settings. Not accurate like a torque wrench, but I thought might be useful in some circumstances.

 

[dann2707]

An extension bar for your impact gun that limits the amount of torque at the nut. They come in various torque settings. Not accurate like a torque wrench, but I thought might be useful in some circumstances.

That's a really good idea. I would probably get one but the first setting on the gun I've got limits it to 100ftlb so I'd say that's fine for me.

 

[oreA]

That's a really good idea. I would probably get one but the first setting on the gun I've got limits it to 100ftlb so I'd say that's fine for me.

100ftlb is about 135Nm, which is a bit much for wheel bolts (105Nm iirc).

Mine’s a cheapo with no settings, so it’s 320Nm or nowt 🙈.

 

[Usr117063]

@oreA
My makita has great modulation and you can always nip them at torque lower than the standard setting

 

[JamesBryan]

That's a really good idea. I would probably get one but the first setting on the gun I've got limits it to 100ftlb so I'd say that's fine for me.

Yours should have a setting which stops impacting when it senses that the bolt has stopped turning, handy for nipping things up.

 

[Amos91]

Anybody opted for torque sticks for use with their guns? Limited use I would have thought, but might be quick and handy for not over tightening wheels bolts......:innocent:.

I've got a Sealey Torque Stick (100nm) which has proved to be accurate on wheel bolts. Always nip it up slightly to 105nm with the torque wrench.

 

[montana]

Just got exactly the same for my birthday today, can't wait to try it out now. Have you got impact sockets or are you using regular ones?

I have also used my eBay special one and really rate it, paid for itself the first time I used it on my mates FN2 with a seized cat nut - spun it off no problem after I had rounded it and tried cutting it with a dremel. Used it on sunday to take calipers off too with ease - next job crank bolt on the V50. I have used both regular and impact sockets no issues.

 

[JP83]

@oreA
My makita has great modulation and you can always nip them at torque lower than the standard setting

Which makita do you have? I am yet to try mine (makita dtw190z)

 

[Usr117063]

Which makita do you have? I am yet to try mine (makita dtw190z)

The dtw1002z, just a blip and the wheel bolts are not to tight but secure. That one has variable speed trigger too so it should be real easy. I happily use mine on undoing small bolts and hex/torx aswell