Impact Wrench Recommendations

[John S. Lagnese]

I use impact to put on axle nuts.
John
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <cobram at juno.com>
To: <mboucher70 at hotmail.com>
Cc: <quattro at audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 12:05 PM
Subject: Re: Impact Wrench Recommendations


> "mboucher at hotmail.com Boucher" <mboucher70 at hotmail.com> writes:
> 
>> I decided that an Impact wrench would be a good investment if I'm 
>> going to continue working on cars.  So I headed out to Home depot
> yesterday 
>> to pick one up.
> 
> First mistake, you're much better served by a tool distributor or
> Internet vendor.
> 
>> They only had one electrical model, a "DeWalt" DW293 for $199 CAD.  
>> figured I'd bite the bullet and make the investment.  I thought that 
>> it 
>> would also double for a torque wrench because, as I understood it, 
>> impact 
>> wrenches usually have adjustable torque settings.
> 
> To a degree, and usually on Air guns.  FAR from precise, only there to
> protect certain fasteners from gorilla torque.
> 
>> So I was surprised to see this $200 tool only have a button for one 
>> direction and one for another.  Since it provides 400+ pound/ft of 
>> torque, 
>> wouldn't this only be good for taking bolts off?  The highest torque 
>> bolt I 
>> can find on the front suspension is the shock piston ring which 
>> lists at 133 
>> pound/ft.  Many others are as low as 20.  Wouldn't a wrench like 
>> this strip 
>> most bolts that you attempt to tighten?
> 
> NOTHING, repeat, NOTHING should be assembled with an impact wrench.  Only
> exception I can think of is lug bolts/nuts which can be installed with an
> impact gun, as long as you use torque sticks. 
> http://www.torquestick.com/  
> 
>> Is this a good buy, or can someone recommend an electrical impact 
>> wrench 
>> with an adjustable torque setting instead?
> 
> What you should do is invest in a compressor, and some air tools.  For
> assembly with air/power tools, a good 3/8 and 1/4 inch air rachet can't
> be beat.  You'll also find that a good whizzer (cutter) and air chisel
> will be items that will have you wondering how you ever got along without
> them.  
> 
> A battery powered impact gun might be handy to keep in the trunk for
> changing tires, suspension disassembly etc.
> 
>> Incidentally, I thought about renting one from the Home depot tool 
>> rental 
>> center.  When I asked for an impact wrench, they pointed me to a 
>> tool that 
>> looked like an electrical drill but would provide a sudden forward 
>> 'impact' 
>> as if to drive a nail in.  Not certain who has the name wrong, me or 
>> the 
>> home depot rental people.
> 
> Home Depot thought that you were looking for an impact drill.  That's a
> drill which spins like a normal drill, but has the option of hammering
> the drill bit while it spins.  Usually used for masonry, stonework etc.  
> 
> BCNU,
> http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/
> I was nothing more than an almost innocent bystander.
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