Topic: Impact drill for seasonal changeover?

[Noto]

Thanks to many of you fine folk since 2016, I've been doing more and more DIY stuff, of which my most appreciated is seasonal tire changeovers.

I bought a 3 ton floor jack, made a rail saver from a hockey puck, got all the impact sockets I'd ever need, and of course a breaker bar and separate torque wrench (along with anti seize, etc).

I find that the "manual method" requires 2-3 re-torques for my cars, but my dad's 2006 RX seems to require mid-season re-torques (they loosen considerably after a few weeks).  I SUSPECT this is because the rims are 15 years old and my dad always went to a Green and Ross location that perhaps has less than a stellar record of wheels flying off - lately they've been way over-torquing wheels to avoid further fines and lawsuits.

Any way, question is: would an impact wrench make the changeover perhaps a tad safer?  If so, which unit should I get?  If it's just for convenience, then I'll stick with the manual tools as I don't find them that bad.

Thanks for any help!

[EV Dan]

I wouldn't use an impact wrench to tighten lug nuts because I heard it may warp rotors among other things. I do use an electric Kobalt impact (bought at lowes a few years back). It is heavy but very powerful and make the process super fast and easy. These things often go on sale at CT, just research the specs since they have a Mastercraft and a Maximum line IIRC.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-8-5a-impact-wrench-1-2-in-0544275p.html#srp

[tortoise]

I'm not sure how it would make it safer, you'd still need to set the torque properly using a torque wrench.

I use my regular impact driver (18V Ryobi, nothing heavy duty) to get them tight, lower the car and finish with the torque wrench. I do make sure to go over each one twice to be sure.

I've never a lug nut come loose.

I've debated getting a heavy duty electric impact but my system of using a breaker bar to loosen the nuts and my impact driver to remove them works well enough.

[blur911]

I use a corded Mastercraft electric impact and torque sticks, they limit the torque applied and don't "warp rotors".     That or I just run them snug with the electric impact and finish with a torque wrench.

If you want a cordless one powerful enough, you'll have to spend money.

[Noto]

My process is to use the breaker bar to loosen, raise the car, then I have a non-impact drill (the Black and Decker one that is often $70 at CT) that I use to remove the already-loosened nuts (just to save time and energy) and then I use the drill on a low setting to tighten before lowering the car.  Once down, I use a torque wrench twice around in the star pattern.

I was just under the impression that an impact drill would help seat the wheels better while still up on the Jack.

[blur911]

My process is to use the breaker bar to loosen, raise the car, then I have a non-impact drill (the Black and Decker one that is often $70 at CT) that I use to remove the already-loosened nuts (just to save time and energy) and then I use the drill on a low setting to tighten before lowering the car.  Once down, I use a torque wrench twice around in the star pattern.

I was just under the impression that an impact drill would help seat the wheels better while still up on the Jack.

You're doing it about as properly as it can be done.     I don't go around twice with the torque wrench (or torque stick), but I do hit the first  nut I tightened again, if it's good and doesn't move, I assume the rest are tightened and the wheel is properly on the hub.

[Fobroader]

Do it right, get the proper tool

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[Noto]

^^ but what would make the job "right" with the M18 over just using a torque wrench?

[rrocket]

^^ but what would make the job "right" with the M18 over just using a torque wrench?

No

[jamie1]

^^ but what would make the job "right" with the M18 over just using a torque wrench?

No, you still need to do a proper wheel torque. The Milwaukee cordless is one the best out there. The Dewalt 1/2inch [the one I use] is very good too.

[Fobroader]

^^ but what would make the job "right" with the M18 over just using a torque wrench?

All the ugga duggas....

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[JayStack]

Are you applying anti-seize to the threads of the wheel studs?  I can't see why your lug nuts are loosening so much.  Be careful applying the anti-seize, don't coat the threads.  I've been doing my own seasonal change overs since the 1970s (yes, used snow tires back then too) and haven't had a lot of issues with nuts backing off.

[blur911]

I find that the "manual method" requires 2-3 re-torques for my cars, but my dad's 2006 RX seems to require mid-season re-torques (they loosen considerably after a few weeks).  I SUSPECT this is because the rims are 15 years old and my dad always went to a Green and Ross location that perhaps has less than a stellar record of wheels flying off - lately they've been way over-torquing wheels to avoid further fines and lawsuits.

   Don't know why this is happening.     What torque values are you using?   What torque wrench?

Are they hubcentric rims?  Is there hub ring adapters involved?    Mating surfaces reasonably cleaned off?

[rrocket]

I find that the "manual method" requires 2-3 re-torques for my cars, but my dad's 2006 RX seems to require mid-season re-torques (they loosen considerably after a few weeks).  I SUSPECT this is because the rims are 15 years old and my dad always went to a Green and Ross location that perhaps has less than a stellar record of wheels flying off - lately they've been way over-torquing wheels to avoid further fines and lawsuits.

   Don't know why this is happening.     What torque values are you using?   What torque wrench?

Are they hubcentric rims?  Is there hub ring adapters involved?    Mating surfaces reasonably cleaned off?

He also had lugs fly off his girlfriend's buddy's car he did.

I'm starting to think maybe he shouldn't be doing this.

Have literally never, ever had a lug come loose.

[Gurgie]

I find that the "manual method" requires 2-3 re-torques for my cars, but my dad's 2006 RX seems to require mid-season re-torques (they loosen considerably after a few weeks).  I SUSPECT this is because the rims are 15 years old and my dad always went to a Green and Ross location that perhaps has less than a stellar record of wheels flying off - lately they've been way over-torquing wheels to avoid further fines and lawsuits.

   Don't know why this is happening.     What torque values are you using?   What torque wrench?

Are they hubcentric rims?  Is there hub ring adapters involved?    Mating surfaces reasonably cleaned off?

I'm thinking new lug nuts might be in order as they may have stretched out over time, same with the studs.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

[blur911]

I find that the "manual method" requires 2-3 re-torques for my cars, but my dad's 2006 RX seems to require mid-season re-torques (they loosen considerably after a few weeks).  I SUSPECT this is because the rims are 15 years old and my dad always went to a Green and Ross location that perhaps has less than a stellar record of wheels flying off - lately they've been way over-torquing wheels to avoid further fines and lawsuits.

   Don't know why this is happening.     What torque values are you using?   What torque wrench?

Are they hubcentric rims?  Is there hub ring adapters involved?    Mating surfaces reasonably cleaned off?

He also had lugs fly off his girlfriend's buddy's car he did.

I'm starting to think maybe he shouldn't be doing this.

Have literally never, ever had a lug come loose.

I had many years ago when I had lugnuts that didn't match the rims, angles were different.

Also seen acorn nuts bottom out....

[Railton]

I find that the "manual method" requires 2-3 re-torques for my cars, but my dad's 2006 RX seems to require mid-season re-torques (they loosen considerably after a few weeks).  I SUSPECT this is because the rims are 15 years old and my dad always went to a Green and Ross location that perhaps has less than a stellar record of wheels flying off - lately they've been way over-torquing wheels to avoid further fines and lawsuits.

   Don't know why this is happening.     What torque values are you using?   What torque wrench?

Are they hubcentric rims?  Is there hub ring adapters involved?    Mating surfaces reasonably cleaned off?

I'm thinking new lug nuts might be in order as they may have stretched out over time, same with the studs.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

^^
or....possibly the wrong type altogether.
Railton

[ArticSteve]

In the "olden days", before personal cell phones, but in the era of "bag" cell phones (circa 1990), there was a transition from standard to metric lug nuts and if an air gun was used no difference was felt at time of install.  However, it didn't take long for the wheel to fly off.

Never in my long sordid life have I had a lug nut loosen.   

[PJungnitsch]

In the olden, olden days some vehicles had lug nuts on one side of the vehicle that were left hand thread. We had a tire shop snap off a number of studs on a '50's grain truck we had before they figured that one out

Likely something Dent runs into occasionally

[tpl]

THat must have been the really olden olden days.   The Lotus I had in the UK of course had left and right threads on the knock offs  but they wouldn't go on the wrong way and they were marked.