ok, si I've been doing all the work on my car myself, and it's a real pain in teh ass to install/uninstall headers without powertools, so I asked for air tools this christmas, but since I do all my work at my parents house since there is no room at my apartment, and there isn't enough room for the air tank at the parents place, I ended up getting an 1/2" impact wrench from Devalt or something like that.

anyways, my question is: what should I NOT use the impact wrench on? Wheel lugs, exhaust bolts, oil drainage bolts, head cover bolts, pulley bolts? any or all of those? loosening or tightening?

thanks in advance guys.

oh yeah, and I have a tq wrench too for precision tightening, and for situations when it's necesary to be precise I might use the impact wrench to turn it most of the way, and finish it off with tq wrench, bad idea?

I also have a set of metric sockets for 3/8" wrenches, but have an adapter. say I was trying to remove my crank pully bolt, can I use teh adaptor or should I just get a 1/2" set?

 

DO NOT use your normal socket set with the impact gun, it will ruin them all. Go buy a 1/2" impact socket set. You can get a cheapie for $15 or a real set for $150-500.

Unless your socket set is a Craftsman, then carry on, they will replace them

 

ok, I'll probably go out and get a decent set with my xmas $$$, but would it jack them up even if I was just using it to screw things in/out faster, but not to break loose, or tighten?

 

Using non-impact sockets on an impact gun is just as bad for the gun as it is the sockets. Of course the sockets aren't as strong and will break much easier, but the real problem is that chrome sockets will actually wear down the shank of an impact gun. The chrome is harder then the the steel the shank is made of.

 

^^what he said. Just go buy you a basic impact set somewhere. Most are just black steel, they don't look as pretty as your other set but they are strong...

 

My rule of thumb is use the impact wrench to take things off. Use standard socket set and/or torque wrench to put them back.

 

Be carefull if using it to put things on. hand start things, and use a lower power setting going on, then torque them properly. Be carefull on stuff in aluminium

 

That's good advice

 

 

A few years ago, I had some asshat at the local garage put my winter wheels on (it was too damn cold and snowy to put them on myself) and he used an impact wrench and cross-threaded two of the wheel studs. I had to use a cold chisel and my dremel to crack the lug nuts off.

 

If you use chrome sockets w/ an impact gun, the chrome may start to peel off. If this happens while your using the tool, you will probably shred the skin on your hand.

Try not to use impact tools to tighten fasteners into aluminum, it will strip it out, unless the part was machined out of billet aluminum.

Also, try not to use the impact on damaged, rusted or worn fasteners. In these cases try a breaker bar first. A cut off tool or air chisel will be helpful in extreme cases.