Big impact wrenches

[tractorman1234]

Not sure if this is the right forum or not but here goes.

I have a 1991 International 4800 truck. It is a 5 ton I believe.

We use it out in the pasture and cut tires on occasion and due to the remote location the service call for a new tire is very expensive. The tires are only $300 each but to have them come out and replace it runs nearly $800. Anyway I have decided to buy a spare wheel and tire and the tools necessary to change it my self.

I have purchased a 20 ton jack that picks the truck up nicely and I bought a 1" drive impact from harbor freight. The lug nuts require a 1.5" socket. The impact will not break them loose. My air compressor is 12.3 cfm at 90 psi. A little low for the big impact which has a 1/2" inlet but fully charged up it should be at least able to break one loose I would think. It was a no go so I went and bought the 3/4" drive "earthquake" impact which is advertised at 1300 ft lbs thinking that it being smaller my air comp could drive it to the full potential but again to go.

I hate to go buy a $600 impact for this as the only thing I would use it for are the tires on this truck but I do not know what else to try. I tried using a breaker bar and getting them loose by hand but they are too tight. Any recommendations on a impact that will get the job done and not break the bank?

 

[NuBota]

I had a similar issue dealing with changing hitch balls

I went with a torque multiplier - works great. Hitch ball torque is supposed to be about 450 ft-lb and this this worked with no effort at all.

I got this one at Northern Tool - least expensive I could find

Torque Multiplier | Torque Wrenches | Northern Tool + Equipment

I would expect this would do the trick for you

-Eric

 

[Bird]

My air compressor is 12.3 cfm at 90 psi.

But you didn't say what size air hose you're using; both diameter and length. You need half inch hose and couplers.

 

[EddieWalker]

...I bought a 1" drive impact from harbor freight. The lug nuts require a 1.5" socket. The impact will not break them loose. My air compressor is 12.3 cfm at 90 psi. A little low for the big impact which has a 1/2" inlet ...

I agree with Bird that you need a bigger hose. That will help. I also think that 90 psi might be a little on the low side. The impact gun should say on it someplace what it requires for optimal power. There are also settings on some guns for how much power they have. Be sure you are set at the most powerful setting. Did you add oil to the impact gun? This helps too.

I've found that with really tight bolts and nuts, that the first few seconds is when I have the most power, then the air preasure drops and I'm just wasting my time until I get full preasure again. My compressor is set at 120 pounds, but it's just an Emglo wheelbarrow compressor that's not designed for constant air supply. It might take me half an hour to get off a really tight bolt with my 3/4 impact wrench, just because I have to wait on the air compressor to keep up.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[Egon]

Add a piece of pipe to the breaker bar.

 

[Bird]

Eddie, all those impact wrenches are "rated" at 90 psi, but you do get more power with higher air pressure. And a good dose of air tool oil into the air intake really does help. A few drops is usually adequate, but you cannot hurt the tool with too much; the surplus just blows out the exhaust.

 

[Willl]

They're running 3/4 @ 120psi at my work place doing semi trailer wheels all day long.

Somethings up if you can't get that 1" to bust em loose.

 

[tractorman1234]

Thanks for the replies.

My air hose is 3/8" 25'. Maybe that is the problem.

I was just wondering if it was a problem with the cheap harbor freight tools, or something else. I had a similar experience years ago with one of their 1/2" impacts. It would not bust the lug nuts on my truck loose and I got a Ingersol Rand and it removed them like butter.

My compressor is rated the 12.3 @ 90, but I had it turned up to 120 when I was trying to get the lug nuts off.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Something is wrong with your setup. What is the size of your compressor tank, what pressure are you running in it, does the output from the tank go straight to a 1/2" hose or does it go thru a regulator and a plug in connector???? How long and what size is the hose youre using? How many connectors in the hose line, is there 1 at the tool?
larry

 

[tractorman1234]

Tank is 60 gallon. Pressure is at 120 psi. It does go through a regulator, then a quick connect. To that a 25 foot 3/8" hose is connected, with a quick connect on the end and a quick connect on the impact.

We also mounted a quick connect on the air tank on the truck and ideally were hoping to use the air from the truck to run the impact but we tried that and it did not work either.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Tank is 60 gallon. Pressure is at 120 psi. It does go through a regulator, then a quick connect. To that a 25 foot 3/8" hose is connected, with a quick connect on the end and a quick connect on the impact.

We also mounted a quick connect on the air tank on the truck and ideally were hoping to use the air from the truck to run the impact but we tried that and it did not work either.

Good sized tank - not the problem. Regulator, connectors and hose are the problem. Try this with just what you have on hand. Temporarily install your 3/8 x 25 hose directly to an unregulated port on the tank. Thread the other end directly to the earthquake tool - no connectors [yould be surprised at the pressure losses at demand flow thru the regulator -unless a large one - and those small connectors used on 3/8hose]. Pressurize the system to 120 and use the tool. That should work. The Earthquake 3/4 is a powerful tool and the ensured good delivery to it should give at least 1kft# impacts. If this doesnt work your lugs are tighter than they are meant to be. More torque is available from the tool [up to about 1300#] by using higher tank pressure and/or a 1/2 hose.
larry

 

[BigE_]

Like Spyder said, you have an air delivery problem. Of course, the other problem is the HF impact wrench. If you look at the specs on the HF impact wrenches (or the cheaper CH wrenches), you'll see the ft-lb / cfm is much lower than on the higher end wrenches. No, they don't list this rating, but they do list the ft-lb, and they do list the cfm requirement. You can do the calculation yourself.

So, you'll need to either upgrade your wrench to a better brand (with higher ft-lb / cfm), or upgrade your hoses / quick connects / regulator setup. 1/2" hose gets expensive fast, as do the connectors, so it might be cheaper to take the HF wrench back and get an IR wrench.

-Steve

 

[Redbug]

I have never seen nor heard of a torque multiplier until now. I looked at it on the Northern site. Just how does it work? Like a cheater bar and pipe?

 

[Willl]

Just how does it work?

More like dropping a gear range in your vehicle. It's a gear reducer of sorts.
The handle of the torque multiplier must be against an immovable object.

 

[Redbug]

Oh, and then you attach your wrench or socket to the multiplier? Sort of like a gearbox? Seems like one of those is a good way to really strip or wring a nut off.

 

[AlanB]

If I remember right, there are two 1" impacts from HF. The one I have works well, but you MUST feed it with the big hose and proper couplers (which fortunately HF now carries as well)

I use mine regularly, while certainly not an IR or CP, I regularly shear off 3/4" pipe threads when frozen.

Picture trying to drink your iced tea through a coffee straw. That's what your impact is doing on the small hose and couplers.

 

[Willl]

Seems like one of those is a good way to really strip or wring a nut off.

That's why you use quality 6-point impact sockets to keep from rounding the corners off your bolt heads.
If ya strip threads, well that would of happened regardless of what you used to turn it with.

Side note; DO NOT USE IMPACT GUN on any torque multiplier. You'll destroy it in no time flat.

 

[NuBota]

Regarding the torque multiplier

The reason I bought mine was because I bought a hitch receiver with a ball already on it. Went to change it and couldn't budge it. The specs call for a hitch ball to be torque to 450 ft-lb. Try getting there with your torque wrench by hand or off with a breaker bar. Any way I now fell pretty comfortable that the ball won't come loose.

The multiplier uses planetary gears. So on mine every full turn of the input wrench turn the socket 1/3 of the turn, but with 3 times the force. I did some research before buying and found most info from heavy equipment mechanics for removing wheel lugs.

Here is one I liked
http://www.vannattabros.com/saw48.html

As far as rounded heads, I would only imagine a problem if the nut is frozen, rusted, stripped, or whatever - but imagine any method would have the same risk. One that is just tight should not be an issue.

And I always pictured an impact wrench - trying to remove a nut that is heavily torqued - twisting and ripping my hands off of my wrists

 

[schmism]

when i was at the retreat camp i helped change tires on the full size dump truck a time or 2. started off with the 1" rachet, but finished with the 4 way and a 7' cheater bar. one guy would hold the end of the 4 way that was parallel to the lug nut while i got to run the cheeter bar. like doing pull ups. bout the time i couldn't pull the end of the bar up anymore, "ok good".

removal went similar although it often ment standing on the end of the bar and bouncing a few times, after that you only had to put ALMOST all your weight on it till the 1" impact would start to run them off.

 

[Redbug]

Very interesting NuBota. Thanks for the link. It shows some serious force being used. Now I know I could have used a torque multiplier a time or two.