Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts

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Wed 5 Feb 2014 09:31
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - flopper

I maintain my own cars and have a decent compressor SIP T3 10 bar and 150litre and the impact wrench i have for wheelnut removal doesnt undo tight wheelnuts. The wrench is an unknown brand and torque i assume it is cheap as it looks and is low toque. of course only tightening wheelnuts with a torque wrench but as tyre fitters never seem to struggle, I wonder if anyone can say if a decent impact wrench, say a Sealey/Ingersoll/Bluepoint with a 450lb torque will do the job to remove stubborn wheelnuts or maybe 600lb ultimate torque?

My airline is 1/4" maybe up the bore to 3/8" too but assume that needs new couplings

thanks for any advice

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Wed 5 Feb 2014 11:00
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - jc2

Had a similar problem-turned out to be flow not pressue-too much restriction thro' the various connectors.I took the big plug out of the storage cylinder and connected airline there(with some adaptors-std. plumbing sizes)-no problem after that.

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Wed 5 Feb 2014 11:20
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - galileo

450 to 600 lb/ft are usual torques for bus and truck wheel nuts, would car size nuts really need so much to undo?

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Thu 6 Feb 2014 12:37
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - Andrew-T

Just put a 2-foot tommy-bar on my usual socket ....

I remember watching a garage-hand standing on one end of a tommy-bar to loosen a nut.

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Wed 5 Feb 2014 12:05
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - flopper

thanks for replies so far, the break torque for stubborn wheelnuts is high, needing more torque than they were originally tightened up with .. but those tyre shop guys never struggle (though Ive known them to snap wheelstuds on tightening with impacts)

I like the idea of taking off from the tank bung, and searched places online but no luck yet, any hints on a supplier? the tank bung is a giant grubs screw and common to many compressor tanks so should be a popular modification. Looking at Sealey website, though hoses can be 10mm diameter, theres no connectors that are also big bore ...

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Wed 5 Feb 2014 16:01
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - jc2

My local plumbers merchant had all the parts.

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Wed 5 Feb 2014 20:30
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - injection doc

its either a cheap gun or poor air flow. The wheel nuts shouldnt be that tight & my rechargable impact gun whips wheel bolts out ok.

I hope your not using an exctension or a chrome socket with an impact gun ?

using a chrome socket is lethal as they can explode under stress or bits of chrome fly off and can tear your eye to shreads in a split second ! seen it done

Chrome sockets do not fit wheel bolts correctly so the impact effect is lost ! Make sure you use impact HD sockets

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Wed 5 Feb 2014 21:35
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - gordonbennet

I do exactly as Injection Doc, impact sockets and short impact extension (if needed) every time and yes my rechargeable will do the business, however i tend to nip round with a long bar and just crack the bolts off first, no point in wearing the impacter out on bolts as easy as wheelbolts to access and very unlikely to break.

The impacter comes into its own i find on rusted suspension/engine ancilliary/exhaust bolts where the vibration helps the bolt to undo instead of shear off...if i'm lucky..;)

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Mon 10 Feb 2014 12:38
Ford galaxy - Impact wrench & wheelnuts - flopper

great advice thanks alot. Im using an impact 19mm socket but a short extension, as proper long reach sockets are about a fiver will get one of those just to be sure. Will take bung to plumbers merchants to match it up so get up the flow, i think hose is 3/8" but prefer to take off from the tank

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