Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

[Terry M.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

Duke,
I thought I was the only obsessive car guy who took unmounted wheels to the shop to avoid their R&R.
My wife thinks it's nutty.

I have found two locations near me that use torque wrenches to lighten wheel nuts. Real hand Snap on torque wrenches and for this reason those locations get my business. These places, I believe, are not nation wide so this information may not help all of us.

Discount Tire and Tire Rack are my go to locations. I believe the west coast Discount Tire is a different business than the one here in the Midwest, but you might check it out to be sure. Discount Tire here uses air powered torque wrenches to remove the wheel nuts, but hand torques to final value on install. Tire Rack does not even allow any powered wrench in their shop. All wheel lug nuts are removed and installed by hand. I used to travel 100 miles and 2 hours to buy tires from Tire Rack for the 2008 Z06 because I was so impressed with their technical skills in R & R the wheels and mounting and balancing the tires. The mounting and balancing the tires is a whole other story, but that is all they do, and if you wheels (known as "rims" on the street) cost $6000 in 2008 dollars you better know what you are doing.

[James W.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

I agree with Terry on Discount Tire's tire removal and install processes. They remove lug nuts with an impact, reinstall them by hand, and tighten with a torque wrench. Knowing the answer, I've even quized them on the torque that is being applied, it's never been different than any written info found in my car's manual.

I am planning to buy the Rigid impact from Home Depot. Much easier than firing up the air compressor or using a 4-way. WalMart... don't get me started on my one time WalMart tire store fiasco.

James

I have found two locations near me that use torque wrenches to lighten wheel nuts. Real hand Snap on torque wrenches and for this reason those locations get my business. These places, I believe, are not nation wide so this information may not help all of us.

Discount Tire and Tire Rack are my go to locations. I believe the west coast Discount Tire is a different business than the one here in the Midwest, but you might check it out to be sure. Discount Tire here uses air powered torque wrenches to remove the wheel nuts, but hand torques to final value on install. Tire Rack does not even allow any powered wrench in their shop. All wheel lug nuts are removed and installed by hand. I used to travel 100 miles and 2 hours to buy tires from Tire Rack for the 2008 Z06 because I was so impressed with their technical skills in R & R the wheels and mounting and balancing the tires. The mounting and balancing the tires is a whole other story, but that is all they do, and if you wheels (known as "rims" on the street) cost $6000 in 2008 dollars you better know what you are doing.

[Gary C.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

James,

Better order quick. Monday it showed 900+ available. Today, Home Depot shows 570 available.

Gary
....

[Mark E.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

I've never seen a Tire Rack store. I thought they were an order and ship business model.

[Terry M.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

I've never seen a Tire Rack store. I thought they were an order and ship business model.

Mark,
That is their business model, but in South Bend IN they had a retail shop inside their warehouse.
I found out because my 2008 Z06 was an early build and they used it for photos of those $6000 Italian made rims I mentioned. For that I got a tour of the place. A warehouse full of tires isn't very interesting beyond the first row, but when they showed me the row of tire mounting machines they had my attention. If you order a wheel/tire combination on-line they mount and balance them right in the warehouse. There also is a race track beside that warehouse that is used by clubs for events and by Tire Rack for testing and tire evaluation.

The shop was more interesting. I drove there several times to replace the Goodyear tires - until I got wise and replaced them with Michelins. I haven't been back since.

I heard that more recently they have moved the shop out of the warehouse, but they still have it in the neighborhood.. If you are a reasonable distance from one of their warehouses, check it out.

[Steven B.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

Mark,
That is their business model, but in South Bend IN they had a retail shop inside their warehouse.
I found out because my 2008 Z06 was an early build and they used it for photos of those $6000 Italian made rims I mentioned. For that I got a tour of the place. A warehouse full of tires isn't very interesting beyond the first row, but when they showed me the row of tire mounting machines they had my attention. If you order a wheel/tire combination on-line they mount and balance them right in the warehouse. There also is a race track beside that warehouse that is used by clubs for events and by Tire Rack for testing and tire evaluation.

The shop was more interesting. I drove there several times to replace the Goodyear tires - until I got wise and replaced them with Michelins. I haven't been back since.

I heard that more recently they have moved the shop out of the warehouse, but they still have it in the neighborhood.. If you are a reasonable distance from one of their warehouses, check it out.

In the late 80's Tire Rack had a store front in Indianapolis but unfortunately didn't last.

[Dan D.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

[QUOTE=Duke Williams (22045);930749]


The Merc uses bolts, not nuts on studs to mount the wheels. Over the years if I needed to remove the wheels for maintenance I never had a problem getting the wheel over the hub, lining up the holes, holding the wheel in place with one hand and starting at least one bolt with the other hand, but last year when installing the wheels after a brake fluid flush I could not do the above due to loss of shoulder strength.

I recalled that the tool kit had a stud that you install into the hub thread, then you can hang the tire on the stud and get the bolts started. I had never used in before, but I tip my hat to the Mercedes engineers that anticipated by loss of shoulder strength 35 years down the road.


I also recommend coating the wheel studs/bolts with anti-seize compound, and also on the mating surfaced of the fasteners and wheel. Have you ever heard "squeaking" as you torqued a wheel fastener? That's the sound of the steel screaming in agony due to the galling pain. Anti-seize will eliminate the pain and allow the fastener to smoothly come up to torque and the final value will be much more consistent than if the threads are dry.

Duke[/QUOTE

Hi Duke

I hear you with shoulder strength. Starting at age 50, you lose 10% muscle mass every decade. I'm 82.

I didn't think you were supposed to lubricate wheel studs/nuts. They are dry right from the factory. Think it is the possibly of coming lose with the shock/vibration wheels encounter - No locking devices.

Dannn

[Terry M.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

Dannn

We lose not only shoulder strength, but also joint mobility.

There are numerous threads here and elsewhere in the inter-web about the use of lubricants on threaded fasteners. Each side is adamant about the righteousness of their position..Start that discussion all over again and I can almost predict where the discussion will go. To each his own is my mantra on the subject.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

FWIW I use Rigid battery powered drivers for anything construction or bolt related - but a Wheel!

They do NOT get the nuts tight, I got 1/2 mile down the road once, and the second time...
The proof is as mentioned above, if they are torqued to spec, the electrics can't break them off, and I have at least 4 Rigids.

I have see TPE us a very large Makita, but for me its a breaker bar given recent 'as in this year experience' thinking as Gary was to ease the back stress.

While here, the other thing to not do is you do not want to torque a lock...they are junk metal and are useless if you do it once, having to have also purchased a second set of locks due to over torquing ... not like they had directions on the package...

[Dan D.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

Hi Terry,

I was just sympathizing with Duke, seeing how he mentioned it twice in the one post. And its not just shoulders, its knees, hips, and whatever else. It's so much fun to get old.

I have been following this forum for several years, but don't recall seeing any discussion about lug nuts specifically, so I thought I would see what others had to say. But I don't want to open up pandor's box or go down any rabbit hole, so I will leave it at that.

Dann

[Terry M.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

Dan

I am sorry if my earlier post came across as a negative comment on your post. I didn't mean it that way.

I could be wrong about the discussions of anti-seize or no anti-seize being on this board.. I lurk on several other boards where this could have been a subject. If you don't recall any such discussion on this board, perhaps it is time to air it here. A separate thread on that subject would make it more likely to garner the diverse opinions on the subject. I would be pleased to offer my two cents on the subject on such a thread.

[Steven B.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

Was Gary ever right about AAA restricted on Tollway. I had a blowout at 70mph and had to wait on Sheriff's rescue vehicle to come. They do a great job. Just call rescue number on back of TX drivers license. I also had a flat on I35 West and Onstar came to to rescue after I could not get lug to budge after trying with car jack and short handle. OnStar arrived and first thing he did was get his electric impact out of his vehicle. No sweat in the 100+ degree Texas afternoon.

[Dan D.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

Dan

I am sorry if my earlier post came across as a negative comment on your post. I didn't mean it that way.

I could be wrong about the discussions of anti-seize or no anti-seize being on this board.. I lurk on several other boards where this could have been a subject. If you don't recall any such discussion on this board, perhaps it is time to air it here. A separate thread on that subject would make it more likely to garner the diverse opinions on the subject. I would be pleased to offer my two cents on the subject on such a thread.

Hi Terry,

I didn't mean my response to be negative either, so I guess we are even.

But I agree, perhaps we should bring it around again. I think it could be interesting and informative, and many of us could learn something from it - there are many new members too.

Anti-seize is good stuff, I use it on most of the fasteners that I assemble. It definitely reduces the friction, and sufficiently so. So if the factory specifies a certain torque spec for their lug nuts, and that most certainly is with the nuts dry, then applying anti-seize will result in over torquing the nuts, which would not be good. I am hoping Duke will respond back after reading this. His comment about "squeaking" means that the nuts archived no where near the required torque value. Most of the force was eaten up overcoming friction.

As a side note, I can also tell you for certain that if you are assembling stainless nuts on stainless bolts, then you darn well better use anti-seize. Because if you don't, it will immediately gall so bad you will destroy the fastener trying to get it apart.

Dannn


If you want to start a new thread (it definitely needs to be a new thread), I will support it and help if I can.

[Terry M.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

Hi Terry,

I didn't mean my response to be negative either, so I guess we are even.

But I agree, perhaps we should bring it around again. I think it could be interesting and informative, and many of us could learn something from it - there are many new members too.

Anti-seize is good stuff, I use it on most of the fasteners that I assemble. It definitely reduces the friction, and sufficiently so. So if the factory specifies a certain torque spec for their lug nuts, and that most certainly is with the nuts dry, then applying anti-seize will result in over torquing the nuts, which would not be good. I am hoping Duke will respond back after reading this. His comment about "squeaking" means that the nuts archived no where near the required torque value. Most of the force was eaten up overcoming friction.

As a side note, I can also tell you for certain that if you are assembling stainless nuts on stainless bolts, then you darn well better use anti-seize. Because if you don't, it will immediately gall so bad you will destroy the fastener trying to get it apart.

Dannn


If you want to start a new thread (it definitely needs to be a new thread), I will support it and help if I can.

I have a lot to say about stainless fasteners. We use them in the field where I work, but they come wax coated.

I'll see if I can get some help to see if we can get the three or four posts about anti-seize pulled out of here and gathered into a new thread. I am not sure how to do that (gather them togetheer), but there has to be someone on here more tech savvy than I am.

[Dan D.]

Re: Impact Wrench - Battery Powered for Emergency Use

I have a lot to say about stainless fasteners. We use them in the field where I work, but they come wax coated.

I'll see if I can get some help to see if we can get the three or four posts about anti-seize pulled out of here and gathered into a new thread. I am not sure how to do that (gather them togetheer), but there has to be someone on here more tech savvy than I am.

Hi Terry again.

We used a lot of stainless in my job before I retired, but mostly small ones.

I have never heard of wax coated stainless, but if it stops the galling then it sounds like a good fix.

We should be able to get the administrators to help getting the anti-seize threads pulled together.

Similar to what you said, I have a lot to say about torquing fasteners, with supporting documentation, and have been going to submit a new thread on it, but I just have not done it yet. With this discussion going on, I'll see if I can get to it next week, and we can apply it to this discussion as well.

And speaking about this discussion, we probably should not be adding to this thread as we have hijacked the OPs thread. Your thoughts?

Dannnn