jamesf

iTrader: (1)

Taking off wheel lugs and other types of bolts is getting too repetitive to do with a traditional wrench. Plus in other spots I think I have less chance of breaking bolts/nuts if I had an impact wrench.

I have not used one before but I know shops use them.

Does any one have any recommendations for a cost-efficient ones? on home depot.com I saw ones that were 40.00 and ones that were 400.00.

I know I need a tank to go with it as well.

If any one could offer suggestions as to what set I should I look at (wrench and compressor), let me know or link it.

I dont wanna spend over 300.00 for both honestly. But hey maybe that's too strict of a budget.

And it is an impact WRENCH i want for the bolts/nuts right? not an impact driver or a bunch of other names i've heard.

thanks guys, unnoob me plz

invasion08

iTrader: (7)

Craftsman 8 Amp Electric Impact Wrench: Power Up With Deals at Sears

EDZRIDE

iTrader: (1)

Other then removing wheel lugs, what other kind of work do you plan on doing?

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

Only vehicle related stuff. Getting all those bolts from the bottom of the car like on the oil pan.

I cant think of too much off the top of my head but all the bolts/nuts underneath the car. Exhaust, mounts, pan, wheel, etc.

I like the light on the base but wish there was that had a light more near the top so it shined right where it was going

EDZRIDE

iTrader: (1)

You may need a 3/8 impact for those.

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Pretty useless for car work, I have two and never use 'em.

I keep the threads on wheel studs nicely lubed, so once they are loose they spin off by hand, and you are insane if you put them back on with the air wrench.

Otherwise you'll just do damage, especially to a pan bolt - you can crack the engine block by putting them in wrong!

I wouldn't bother.

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

The only thing I would put on with the impact is the wheel lugs. Other than that I would only be using it for unscrewing things. I run into a LOT of bolts that I cant torque off with a socket wrench. I'm not looking to blast away bolts and going breaking them, but I DO think an impact wrench would be way more convenient for certain tasks.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Buy a high voltage battery powered one.....18V and up...they work very well and have enough power for wheel lugs and stuff...they are a bit big to use in tight spots but will be great just for wheels

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...tested-gearbox

Buy a good name one though...the cheap ones are crap

kevinande

I suppose electric impacts have their place, but mine are pneumatic. I have a 3/8 drive that resembles a ratchet that is good for removing oil pan and transmission pan bolts, as well as a host of other uses. Not nearly the torque of an impact wrench. Mine have settings where the torque can be adjusted to a certain degree any way. I have removed many pan bolts on several cars with it and never had an issue. One of the largest expenses is the compressor. If you cheap out, your tools may not work properly. I won't get into all the technical mumbo jumbo, but if you buy a 120 volt unit like most do you are limited to 15 amps which limits horse power which in turn limits volume. Just try to get one that has the green check mark for Impact wrench and you should be ok. If you want to up the stakes and get a 220 or a gasoline engine powered unit then this conversation is mute.

BlueRoadztr

1) Harbor Freight for your cheap, occasional use driver
2) Never lube your wheel mount studs, it throws off your torque readings

BlueRoadztr

Follow up; yes, I have been lurking here since 2003 and this is my first post I am now looking for an RX8, preferably 2009+ in the Ohio area

godesshunter

As a mechanic, I use impact guns literally on an almost minute basis. I use SnapOn battery guns. CT6850, Impact Wrench, Cordless, 18 Volt, Slide-on Battery, 1/2" Drive (U.S.) We have a few of them at the shop. By far the best tool I have.

The thing with impact guns is, they can be disastrous in the hands of an untrained finger. On the flip side, they are the most crucial tool in the box for someone who knows how and when to use one.

Speed is the name of the game. A well versed mechanic with an impact gun can cut the work time in half. A novice however can easily add many hours to the job by making a simple mistake.

I say stay away until you feel that your skill level has progressed to the point that hand tools are slowing you down to an unacceptable speed. As a hobbyist or a DIYer, the gains don't outweigh the cost/risk that comes with an impact gun

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

2) Never lube your wheel mount studs, it throws off your torque readings

Never lube the face, where the lug meets the wheel.

ALWAYS lube the threads, or find out why there are already seven threads on how to change a stud after it breaks off.
Agreed that it will increase the effective torque, but I'll take that risk over fighting a rusty lug, on the side of the road, at night....

First job I do on a used car.

BlueRoadztr

Perhaps your environment is different than mine but I have never had a seized lug nut, I understand it happens though. A dab of anti seize with the excess wiped may off be acceptable, but when using lube, one would be wise to adjust torque values to compensate. Lubing your lug nuts and using the same torque value is like greasing your tires and expecting the same traction values, that is if you use a torque wrench. If torque values are not adjusted, then the wheel stud is getting stretched and weakened, luckily the usable load values are considerably less than the failure limits. Engineering manuals will back all of this information. Did you know that the first 3 threads hold about 75% of the load?

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

Well thanks for the ideas guys. I am more leaning towards the wired one for a couple reasons. Mostly because it seems like you can get a higher quality gun for a better price because all you need to do is buy the wrench. you dont have to buy the battery as well. I'll go to home depot tomorrow and see what they have. After looking online it looks like they have the same brands your mentioning here.

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

So i ended up buying an 18V Lithium ION battery operated Kobalt impact wrench (1/2'').

Kobalt 18V Li-ion Cordless Impact Wrench Review - Pro Tool Reviews Discussion Forums

I had my heart set on a makita one but they didnt have it in stock at home depot. It was online order only.

I went to lowes and picked this up. It comes with the impact wrench, 2 battery packs and the charger for $270.00.

I havent tried much with it yet, but it seems like a good wrench. I'll let you know how it is when I get to using it.

godesshunter

300 ft lbs leaves much to be desired. But good luck with it.

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

I want to inspect my cat to see the condition of the inside. I know there are heavy duty bolts to get off. I'm gonna see if this can do the job.

kevinande

Spraying a genorous portion of WD40 on those bolts and a set of wrenches it's all that's needed to remove those bolts. Using that thing may just end up braking them.

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Can I watch when you impact gun your exhaust?

It's like a New England fall, as every last flake of rust cascades down on you!

maskedferret

iTrader: (1)

I got a 200 ft-lb 1/2" Ryobi battery powered impact wrench for Christmas a couple years ago. I only use it for taking off the wheel lugs, and I very much appreciate the convenience as opposed to previously always doing it with a breaker bar. I'll use it to quickly screw the lugs back on, but will tighten with a torque wrench.

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

So i tried out my new impact wrench on my wheel lugs, and it worked fantastic. It takes about 1.5-2 seconds of knocking to get it going but I think thats partly due to how my lugs are. They are gorilla locking ones, and the lock you use does not have as good of a grabbing surface imo then if you were just gripping a standard bolt. Plus you have to use an extension because the socket goes on the lock, lock goes on the bolt, etc.

But all in all it seems like a fantastic tool. A little bit heavy, but when you think about how much some1 can spend on this stuff, I kinda lucked out getting 2 batteries and a charger with it for a decent deal. I guess I bought it for convenience but in retrospect I feel like after the posts that people have made, traditional socket wrenches are favored and end up working better.

I guess I can just save it for my lugs or if I really have an issue. I guess I just felt if I upgraded some tools a bit I'd be able to take on more difficult DIYs in the future once I get comfortable.

Regardless though, gotta give the product a thumbs up for value. We'll see how long it lasts.

godesshunter

Glad to hear you like it and it works good for you. However I wouldn't suggest using an impact on the spline sockets for the Gorilla lugs. They are paper thin and can bend/split open pretty easily.

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

yeah i kinda figured as much. I am going to replace them with regular lug nuts. I am moving in november and I will be parking in a garage as opposed to outside now so I dont really have to worry about wheel locks any more.

And actually, I was reading today about Kobalt (I bought this at Lowes and I believe this is their store unique brand) and I saw that Kobalt's tools were once made by snap-on but were just recently starting to be made by another company who also make the craftsman brand. Those are both 2 good brand names.

04Green

iTrader: (1)

Warning, thread revival...

Different option.

Most track folks I know have the battery ones, and most say the batteries are going bad. I am trying one of the 12 volt ones, plugged into my jump starter. This is the kind that spins a weight, then hammers. With a tight bolt, you get one hammer every second or so, then it just spins it off. Came yesterday, undid my 90 ftlb wheel bolts with one impact, did the wife's Expedition, 130 ft lb I think, in 3. Good news is it was $50 bucks, came with a nice case, had 2 reversible sockets for 4 lug sizes, and had a built in light. All it really needs is a hand warmer. I will still torque with a torque wrench, but I think the tire change at the track just got a lot faster.

I use Motegi nuts at the track, I am trying to figure out if I need an extra key....

More data to follow.