Cordless Impact Wrench - Worth it?

[TimR]

That's some crazy torque...wheel nuts should be getting put on/off by hand. Some bike spindle nuts (my Yamaha MTO1 Stg3 for example) has 150Nm on the rear wheel spindle nut. That's loads to me...! I dont do stuff that needs much bigger tbh ...
950Nm..what the fecking 'ell for ?!

 

[RobinL]

That's some crazy torque...wheel nuts should be getting put on/off by hand. Some bike spindle nuts (my Yamaha MTO1 Stg3 for example) has 150Nm on the rear wheel spindle nut. That's loads to me...! I dont do stuff that needs much bigger tbh ...
950Nm..what the fecking 'ell for ?!

Maybe on this?

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[CatmanV2]

That's some crazy torque...wheel nuts should be getting put on/off by hand.

I have to say I tend to agree. Apart from anything else, it makes me laugh (more) at people determined to carry a spare wheel

C

 

[Zep]

I have a Ryobi. It’s a bit light on torque (the upgraded one wasn’t available when I got it) but it’s great for wizzing the wheel bolts in and out. I then torque them using the old fashioned route. These guns don’t fit into many tight spaces so I also have a air ratchet 3/8” drive, as that can apply power in a space that a standard ratchet will fit.

 

[TimR]

I have to say I tend to agree. Apart from anything else, it makes me laugh (more) at people determined to carry a spare wheel

C

That'd be me then...!

Something I only realised after Id committed to buying a spare was the fact they are only stowable in the boot space in deflated format..! So you also have to carry a means to inflate the perishing thing once it's mounted to the car...
You will also need to have addressed any discrepency regarding the wheel bolt lengths in use...Then you need a decent jack, sockets, including the lock nut socket, and a bar with 1/2" drive...Its serious business this puncture malarky !

 

[FIFTY]

That's some crazy torque...wheel nuts should be getting put on/off by hand. Some bike spindle nuts (my Yamaha MTO1 Stg3 for example) has 150Nm on the rear wheel spindle nut. That's loads to me...! I dont do stuff that needs much bigger tbh ...
950Nm..what the fecking 'ell for ?!

Cordless electric Impact drivers and wrenches were spawned out of the construction and engineering sectors. For use on cars the high torque is needed more as a nut/bolt breaking force (rather than driving and tightening)... think undoing hub nuts, crank pulley bolt or rusted subframe bolts

 

[RobinL]

Range Rover Sport 2007, Forth Road Bridge on a dark wet Friday night, spray everywhere and Bang!
Proper blow out.
I'd only owned it a week so was a little disappointed when I checked the tool kit. Jack yes, long handle with windy bit on?
So using the supplied screwdriver, riled up sleeves (collar and tie meeting!) and set to.

Have you any idea how high you have to go to get range rover wheel off the ground??

I kid you not I was sitting under it sheltering from the rain!

I now carry minimum two cans of tyre foam. Anything more than that - RAC (or the wife)

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[CatmanV2]

That'd be me then...!

Something I only realised after Id committed to buying a spare was the fact they are only stowable in the boot space in deflated format..! So you also have to carry a means to inflate the perishing thing once it's mounted to the car...
You will also need to have addressed any discrepency regarding the wheel bolt lengths in use...Then you need a decent jack, sockets, including the lock nut socket, and a bar with 1/2" drive...Its serious business this puncture malarky !

And, of course, you now have no space in the boot. And have you thought about where the wheel you've take off is going?

C

 

[TimR]

And, of course, you now have no space in the boot. And have you thought about where the wheel you've take off is going?

C

In the car, obviously...wet and dirty, and on the leather seat !

 

[conaero]

The Hitachi I have has a high and low torque setting so I generally use high to get the nuts off and low to put them back on again along with anything else I am doing then torque wrench to 100nm the final bit. The only way to be sure.

 

[RobinL]

One other thing I forgot in my earlier post on Oil n Gas Torque/Tension.

We always specify a check against a torque analyser before and after the job.

Bet most people have never even seen one!

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[FIFTY]

The Hitachi I have has a high and low torque setting so I generally use high to get the nuts off and low to put them back on again along with anything else I am doing then torque wrench to 100nm the final bit. The only way to be sure.

What do you think of "Torque Sticks"? Seen a few people swear by them, my 1/2" torque wrench is probably 20 years old if not more, I do wonder how accurate it is...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004748J3K/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

 

[TimR]

So c'mon then Robin..lend us your professional insight as to when we should be replacing our wheel bolts...
I know we are relying on the correct torque settings. This to achieve "Optimal Load Capacity" ( or is it "tension"?) and this matters because of the application materials used and the relationship with each other and the elasticity inherent in the shank...this is what holds fast at the end of the day..
Its obvious then that this elasticity is finite & not a constant..but when can/should you discaard your wheel bolts..?
Im tempted to suggest they are a single use item..but what do I know !? Ramp up the torque and it should achieve the same thing whilsts overcoming the loss of elasticity in the shank...How much? who knows....so bin it ?! I mean...strictly, this is a better outcome than discarding the other parts involved ( wheels etc?)

 

[CatmanV2]

Ramping up the torque / tension will only work so far. OTOH having never put my wheels on with anything other than hand tools, and (almost(1)) never replaced the bolts on a set of wheels, I've had precisely no wheels fall off a car in my life.

(1) In the interest of total accuracy I replaced the bolts on both the 4200 and the GT. The 4200 with longer items for the spacers, and the GT with shinier items with security caps.

C

 

[RobinL]

So c'mon then Robin..lend us your professional insight as to when we should be replacing our wheel bolts...
I know we are relying on the correct torque settings. This to achieve "Optimal Load Capacity" ( or is it "tension"?) and this matters because of the application materials used and the relationship with each other and the elasticity inherent in the shank...this is what holds fast at the end of the day..
Its obvious then that this elasticity is finite & not a constant..but when can/should you discaard your wheel bolts..?
Im tempted to suggest they are a single use item..but what do I know !? Ramp up the torque and it should achieve the same thing whilsts overcoming the loss of elasticity in the shank...How much? who knows....so bin it ?! I mean...strictly, this is a better outcome than discarding the other parts involved ( wheels etc?)

The main variable is the material buy key is also if it has ever been overstressed.
https://www.portlandbolt.com/technical/faqs/rules-for-reusing-bolts/

This page gives a good enough insight.

Practically for Maserati they would have to be certain of the potential risks.
In the vehicle maintenance planning certain things will be use once then throw away, such as (frequently) brake caliper bolts.
If any ' wheel off' activity specified changing the studs then you would worry.
As that's not the case then masrati have determined that in normal maintenance, allowing for some variation wheels studs don't need changing
It needs to be recognised however that Maserati's responsibility likely ceases when the car goes out of warranty.
So a good safe bet would be to replace once the warranty expires? Or at that sort of frequency.

If you buy a car out of warranty and you don't know the history it's a value judgement.

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[jasst]

One other thing I forgot in my earlier post on Oil n Gas Torque/Tension.

We always specify a check against a torque analyser before and after the job.

Bet most people have never even seen one!

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Certainly never seen one, or heard of one, but then we are living in the 'real world', understandable that the oil and gas industry has very high standards because of the very nature of what you are dealing with, certainly don't want another 'Piper alpha'. On the subject of torque, according to an electrician I ocasionaly work with, the 17th edition of the wiring regs states that they should use a Torque screwdriver for tightening up the terminals in consumer units!

 

[RobinL]

Certainly never seen one, or heard of one, but then we are living in the 'real world', understandable that the oil and gas industry has very high standards because of the very nature of what you are dealing with, certainly don't want another 'Piper alpha'. On the subject of torque, according to an electrician I ocasionaly work with, the 17th edition of the wiring regs states that they should use a Torque screwdriver for tightening up the terminals in consumer units!

Which is to protect the terminals from damage and then a new unit. And this is exactly where tensioning could practically not be applied. Hence torque (which imparts tension)

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[philw696]

I have just but this pair to complement my others.
Only thing to note now made in China and not in Germany like my others but they certainly work well.

 

[FIFTY]

It arrived yesterday, had a quick go (by which I mean buzzing one wheel bolt off and back on again + manually torque up) and it's pretty swanky. The fast charger is definitely worth it too charged it from 1 bar to full in 25mins, also got the rubber protector as I have no case for it and a set of deep impact sockets (needed 1/2" deeps anyway).

I registered the wrench and battery on the main website to extend the warranty from 3 years to 5 but hopefully it will go on for 15 years plus like the cordless drill I have. Plans to expand the collection have already started - M18 impact driver, angle grinder and a smaller impact wrench maybe the M12 line so I can get the ratchet - all over the next few years of course! I think next will be the angle grinder to help with rust removal from underneath the car.


First I need to buy a roller cab tool box as I only have a 4 drawer top chest and it is massively overflowing. This is the problem with wrenching on your own cars, start off with what you think is "enough" tools in a nice tidy tool chest (couple of ratchets, wrench set, screw drivers etc. etc.) and one by one you pick up an extra spanner, lever bars, puller, selection of clamps, wire brushes, multimeter, crimping tools, different sized torque wrench, deep sockets and so on. Anyway I know what I am asking for a Christmas present

 

[2b1ask1]

They can become addictive...