Cordless impact for the track?

[Merked M3]

My Ryobi 18v impact driver does NOT break the bolts loose on its own. So I have to first loosen them all with my manual torque wrench. I would suggest spending an extra $10-$20 to get one that can break them loose right off the bat. Its not like the extra 2 minutes is going to kill you, but its just way more convenient! You feel so happy swapping all 4 tires in 10 minutes!!!

[Cidle]

Car& driver review:

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

[surlynkid]

Originally Posted by Merked M3

My Ryobi 18v impact driver does NOT break the bolts loose on its own. So I have to first loosen them all with my manual torque wrench. I would suggest spending an extra $10-$20 to get one that can break them loose right off the bat. Its not like the extra 2 minutes is going to kill you, but its just way more convenient! You feel so happy swapping all 4 tires in 10 minutes!!!

torque wrenches are not recommended to be used in reverse. use a breaker bar to initially loosen them.

I use this cordless unit which will break them loose and will break them loose on my 3/4 ton dodge.

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/T...pid=IWHT180-01

500 ftlbs. it is the real deal. it was #1 in the C&D review.

[signes]

I've got the predecessor to that ^^^ Bosch and it is a monster. On a full charge it's unstoppable, gobs of torque.

[pbonsalb]

The Milwaukee in the C and D test is the compact model and should not have been tested against the other full size units. The good Milwaukee is linked on page 1 of the thread and would out torque the Bosch for less money.

[surlynkid]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

The Milwaukee in the C and D test is the compact model and should not have been tested against the other full size units. The good Milwaukee is linked on page 1 of the thread and would out torque the Bosch for less money.

i was already in bosch with chargers and batteries for other cordless tools that crossed over, so I did not consider milwaukee. all my corded stuff is milwaukee. can't go wrong with them.

[///M Ryder]

Originally Posted by tdott

I always break them by hand, them jack the car up and use my cordless to remove them. Much easier on your impact gun. It will last longer.

This ^^ and this are a winning combo for me................Phil

http://www.portercable.com/products/...roductID=20964

[TXmtrhed]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

The Milwaukee in the C and D test is the compact model and should not have been tested against the other full size units. The good Milwaukee is linked on page 1 of the thread and would out torque the Bosch for less money.

Similarly, don't make the mistake of getting the Hitachi. Not quite enough oomph to loosen the nuts without running the battery down pretty quickly. Nice and compact but it needs more mass.

[pbonsalb]

The Milwaukee (as linked on the first page of this thread), Bosch and DeWalt will do everything you need to do. No need to break lugs free by hand to help your new tool that is not quite good enough all the time to do the job. The only other one that might do the job is the Lowes Kobalt that is rated at 300 lbs. You could always try that one and return it in 30 days if there is a good sale.

Try CPO reconditioned tools to save some money. The Milwaukee is $300, for example, instead of $380 retail.

[LiM3y]

I have a 24v Northern Tools cordless impact wrench. Cheap, powerful and loosens everything once the brushes are worn in. Good deal and had worked flawlessly for the last 4 years. I'd recommend a 80 lb ft torque stick extension to tighten everything up safely before final torquing...although if you are using studs, avoid the all in one 17mm, and get an extension as the hex doesn't fit over studs. Ask me how I know!

[Radiation Joe]

Originally Posted by dogbone

I have the Craftsman C3 cordless impact gun (along with the C3 air compressor which is GREAT for the track and the drill which is a decent drill, and I also have the little C3 shop vac.). The imapct gun works great at the track. I've done hundreds of wheel changes with it.

However, I REALLY really really recommend getting the High Capacity XCP lithium battery for it. ( http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00935702000P ) It's SO FAR superior to the either the Ni-Cad or standard lithium, it's not even funny.

The ni-cad battery and the standard lithium can ALMOST do two full sets of 4 tire changes on one charge. This includes breaking and removing bolts and putting them back on lightly for a final hand torque. Sometimes I used to have to break one or two bolts with a breaker bar at the end of the day if I didn't bring a second battery with me.

The XCP battery-----hehe----that thing goes FOREVER----and ever and ever and ever. You could probably do more than 10 full sets of wheel changes on a single charge with that battery. The reason I can't tell you for sure is because it never runs out. I use it at the track to switch to my track wheels in the morning. Then I'll rotate my wheels. Then someone else will borrow it. Then I move the battery to the air compressor and use it to pump air. Then I rotate again. Then someone else borrows it. Then I switch back to street wheels. Then once I get home, I pull the wheels to switch brake pads......and the thing just keeps going and going.....the only bummer is the battery itself is $85 online. Oh, and the XCP battery gives the tool more torque too because it puts out more power.

But as far as the impact gun itself, it's fine for track use at these torque levels (88 ft lbs). It also breaks the bolts on our X5 which are at 102 ft lbs.

This is the exact set-up I use. When the wheels are torqued correctly (85 - 90 lb-ft) it works like a charm. The Ni-Cad sucks but the extra dough for the Li Ion is well worth it. Excellent value.

[Sleeper519]

Originally Posted by dmw16

I am thinking of getting a cordless impact wrench for the track. Sears has one for sale for $85, but I wasn't sure if 200 ft-lb was enough torque to break the lugs free (especially if the wheel is on jacks)?

I only torque my wheels to around 86-92 ft-lb, so I assume 200 should suffice, right?

You don't need to be breaking the lugs with the impact wrench anyway. I would think that anything over 100 ft-lbs would over-torque the nuts since there's no controlling the torque amount on these drivers. I can't imagine what a 500-lb one would do. Someone please explain how this is not so.

I purposely got a cheap $60 one from Harbor Freight that peaks at only 70 ft-lbs. I break them with a bar by hand, use the driver to just spin them on and off quickly, and use torque wrench by hand to finish.

What's the need for all the power??

[TXmtrhed]

Originally Posted by Sleeper519

What's the need for all the power??

To save time when swapping wheels. Why use a breaker bar when an impact is faster, saves effort and keeps me from sweating so much (pretty hot an humid around here)? I'm usually hustling to get my car ready the morning of a DE and on Sunday afternoon when I'm packing up so any time saver is worth considering. Using an impact to take off the nuts is an easy decision for me. Besides, you can never have too much power.

[Sleeper519]

Originally Posted by TXmtrhed

To save time when swapping wheels. Why use a breaker bar when an impact is faster, saves effort and keeps me from sweating so much (pretty hot an humid around here)? I'm usually hustling to get my car ready the morning of a DE and on Sunday afternoon when I'm packing up so any time saver is worth considering. Using an impact to take off the nuts is an easy decision for me. Besides, you can never have too much power.

Yeah, you never know when that extra 20 seconds will come in handy.

Effort? Sweating? Come on, man, really?

But, my question is how do you not over-torque the nuts with 200 ft-lbs?

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Sleeper519

Yeah, you never know when that extra 20 seconds will come in handy.

Effort? Sweating? Come on, man, really?

But, my question is how do you not over-torque the nuts with 200 ft-lbs?

The Craftsman is variable torque based on how far you pull the trigger, and how long you hammer on a nut. I put the nuts on with the impact gun lightly and finish by hand with a torque wrench. It's not hard to do at all.

[Sleeper519]

^ Thanks, that's what I wanted to know.

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by Sleeper519

Yeah, you never know when that extra 20 seconds will come in handy.

Effort? Sweating? Come on, man, really?

But, my question is how do you not over-torque the nuts with 200 ft-lbs?

It is one of those situations you can't really appreciate until you have have the tool that does the job and have used it for a while. I used to do it the way you did because I just had an 18V Ridgid drill with a ratchet adapter. Loosen by hand then spin off with the drill. Then I graduated to an 18V Ridgid hex drive impact wrench, which out torques the drill but does not come close to a good 1/2 drive impact. It could not loosen or fully tighten the lugs either. Then I bought the 18V Milwaukee 1/2 drive impact and have been happy ever since (the bulkier Ridgid set from 2005 is still in service elsewhere).

A friend and I share wheels so we jack one car, take off the street wheels, install the track wheels, and then later do the same as we swap them over to the other car. The big lithium ion battery can do this with plenty of juice left for another day.

The Milwaukee 1/2 drive impact is definitely one of my favorite tools. With that and the little Milwaukee hex drive input, I honestly cannot remember the last time I have used my air impact or ratchet.

I totally agree you could do some or all of this by hand, and that is what I did for years. If that is what you want to do, it is a free world so you go right ahead.

You get a feel for the trigger with some experience, so you are able to just let it click once or twice and then hand torque. It would obviously be pointless and not good for the wheels or hubs to hammer lugs on to 450 lbs. If you cannot get that feel, buy an 80 lb torque stick and put it on the impact to limit its output to the lugs. Then hand tighten.

[S65V8]

Bosch 24618-01 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Square Drive Impact Wrench Kit with 2 Batteries, Charger and Case

[pbonsalb]

I think any of the big ones will do the job. I would shop either on price or to accompany the 18V tools of the same brand that you already have -- assuming that brand makes an impact that is powerful enough. Bosch, Makita, Snap On, IR, Matco, Metabo, DeWalt, Milwaukee. For the non mechanic options (like Bosch, Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee), try:

http://www.cpooutlets.com/cordless-i...efault,sc.html

[SpiralOut]

I just got this one last week.... haven't even used it yet, but it was on sale and I had an old giftcard so was basically free.

Before this I was breaking em loose first, then taking em off with a socket connected to the end of a old black and decker cordless drill. Worked well for me for the past few years.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-c3-19...05000P?prdNo=2

[surlynkid]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I think any of the big ones will do the job. I would shop either on price or to accompany the 18V tools of the same brand that you already have -- assuming that brand makes an impact that is powerful enough. Bosch, Makita, Snap On, IR, Matco, Metabo, DeWalt, Milwaukee. For the non mechanic options (like Bosch, Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee), try:

http://www.cpooutlets.com/cordless-i...efault,sc.html

I use Tyler Tool but they must be tied to CPO somehow as the invoice is CPO.

[cchan]

Originally Posted by dmw16

For all the guys suggesting the C3, I assume that's with the XPS battery? Is there another LiON battery? The Sears website is a pain, I'll just head to the store and scope out my options.

I just went and bought a heavy duty XPS battery today. It was $85 if ordering online for in-store pickup, but $95 in-store for some reason. There are often Sears coupon/codes for tools, so look for that too, I found a code for another $5 off.

There are four C3 LiON batteries: a standard compact and a standard high capacity, then an XPS compact and XPS high capacity. I ran across this chart which gives a good comparison.
http://c3answers.com/pdf/C3-battery-HIGHRES_v1.gif

Since I only had NiCd C3 batteries for my existing tools, I needed to get a LiON charger. Plus I thought I would get a standard compact LiON battery to use with the household tools, since some of my older NiCds are starting to die.

Funny thing was, the new charger is $40. The charger plus a compact LiON battery is $72. But the 1/2" drill kit with compact LiON battery and the older charger was only $70. Not that I really needed another drill, but for $2 less... While the charger in the kit is older and doesn't charge LiOn batteries as fast as the newer charger, it charges NiCd batteries faster. I'm never in a rush so went with the drill kit. Turns out the new model drill is a good bit more compact than my old one, so that turned out more useful than the faster charger for my purposes. Anyway, sometimes the "cheaper" way to buy a battery might be to buy a tool with the battery!