impact wrench

which size should i buy??? 3/8" or 1/2" is there a big difference?

also, do most guns have torque control on them, or is that something i should be looking for, or will i need to purchase a separate torque wrench?

also, are there certain sized sockets i'll need that are more popular than others?

thanks for the insight.
scott

i think i'll buy a 1/2" with a broad selection of sae and metric sockets. i don't think i'll buy an air ratchet, but i will get a torque wrench.

thanks again

For the occasional user, a "throw-away" impact will work fine but you can't beat the quality and value of something like I-R's Model 231 or their Model 2131.

And, yes, a 3/8" ratchet is an excellent companion.

I know I am going to catch it on this, but if you are an occaisional user, the attached one does a decent job for not a lot of money. I have had it in the barn for about 6 years of lug nuts and tractor fixing as a hobby. Two things--it is Chinese and it is disposable. It is not an Ingersoll, but for the hobbiest that doesn't want to spend $300 it will work.

As far as wrenches, get one that goes about 450 lb ft of torque. The 240 lb ft ones will be too wimpy to break stubborn lug nuts loose (although they shouldn't be torqued that tight). That being said, when you put things on, be gentle. These things can twist bolts and studs off. Same thing in removing bolts, as in shock absorbers. At 450 lb ft you can twist off mounting studs.

FWIW.

JU

• Harbor Freight

I needed two tires on my Ranger. I'm cheap, so I went to Wally world where I told them what I want. Usually I remove the wheels and take them to have tires mounted, I've had too many problems in the past with tire monkeys and impact tools, dinged hubcaps, cars nearly dropped off lifts, etc. But this one time, I drove the truck up to them. In a hurry and having only one running auto (the truck) caused me to do this. Sure enough the guy ran the nuts down with an impact (good tire shops use 4 ways to tighen the nuts going back on) anyhow, I got home and jacked it up, to break the nuts loose and retorque the wheels so I could get them off in an emergency. The nuts required an impact to run them all the way off! The softer steel of the nut had "pulled" and the threads were nearly stripped. Ten new lugnuts later I retorqued the wheels properly. Did I mention, the clown dented my hubcaps too, had to straighen them best I could too.

Charles

However, I have to mention here that the "good" tire places don't always put a lugnut back on with a 4-way anymore.

Nowadays, they have what are called "tourque sticks", designed especially for tightening lug nuts. What they are is a essentially a spring steel rod with a socket formed on the end. Different thickness of rod equals different tourqe value. They'll tighten a lug nut to the specified tourque value, then, at that point, the hammering of the impact wrench will simply twist the spring steel and the nut won't go any tighter. A full set of them for the common applications is not cheap, but I would imagine most decent-sized tire places have them these days.

They're sure a time saver, and, provided they start the lugnuts a few turns by hand to make sure they're not cross-threaded, I don't think even the most brain-dead shop flunky could mess up a wheel install using them(hubcap installation is another story).

Slowpoke, NO, from what little I read in the description on Ebay, the sticks only work due to the hammering effect of the impact, which they asorb above the calibrated level (due to how thin or thick the stick is) and they flat state they will not work with hand tools such as rachets.

Charles