Impact Wrench

Firestar_3x · 10 Aug 2009 at 09:18

Over the weekend i've managed to get myself into the situation of needing to remove both my front hubs so i can put the arms in our pillar drill and get rid of the top control arm pinch bolts (Stupid German Design).

I've been thinking about buying an impact wrench to make removing the Hex hub nuts a bit easier, not really got space at the moment to buy a good sized compressor so was thinking about an electric one:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cew1000-electric-impact-wrench

&

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cis126h-6pce-1-2in-impact-hex-key-set

A 230V 440NM Impact gun should be good enough to remove a Hub Nut thats only torqued up to 270NM shouldn't it?

Any other ideas, i've already got a breaker bar that i can slide a pole over but after looking at several snapped bars i feel impact is the way forward.

Matt82 · 10 Aug 2009 at 09:33

ive seen proper air guns struggle with hub nuts before. breaker bar and 4ft of spare exhaust pipe has never failed

paradigm · 10 Aug 2009 at 09:47

Mark, Big Red is available if you need him

duc999 · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:16

Thats the rattle gun I have and I can tell you it definately does the job

Firestar_3x · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:18

Matt82 said:
ive seen proper air guns struggle with hub nuts before. breaker bar and 4ft of spare exhaust pipe has never failed

Ah, that doesn't sound good, never taken a hub nut off before but i've got a good idea on the effort involved.

ROFL big red!

Firestar_3x · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:18

duc999 said:
Thats the rattle gun I have and I can tell you it definately does the job

Ah cheers, you taken hub nuts off with it?

InvaderGIR · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:30

Pansy, breaker bar + tube...'cause I don't like the air compressor and don't have an electric impact gun.

I've never snapped a bar yet and I've used that method a stupid amount of times. Having said that, the electric one would be easier and more convenient in smaller spaces and useful for stuck nuts and bolts else where on the car.

Firestar_3x · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:33

Yea thats what i was thinking, i've got a boat load of bolts to take out the bottom of the car, all 17mm and quite long, could be a godsend for those as well.

I've been looking around and the Hex in question is 14mm and only 110nm + 1/2 turn, thought it was more, hmm... http://www.taligentx.com/passat/maintenance/cvjoints/

wassap · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:36

Ive always removed hub nuts the ghetto way,a big ass chisel and a big ass hammer to get it of, one shock of the chisel and hammer is normally good enough to loosen the nut sufficiently :eek:

I did come across a **** of a hub nut one, where I ended up completely trashing the hub nut, but generally this approach has served 2 generations of my family well. I have compressor tools now anyway.

Dogbreath · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:42

wohoo said:
I did come across a **** of a hub nut one, where I ended up completely trashing the hub nut, but generally this approach has served 2 generations of my family well. I have compressor tools now anyway.

Hmm...I think I may have bought one of your old cars in the past. Hub nuts mashed beyond recognition by someone who's tool kit consisted of a big hammer and a chisel.

wassap · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:46

Dogbreath said:
Hmm...I think I may have bought one of your old cars in the past. Hub nuts mashed beyond recognition by someone who's tool kit consisted of a big hammer and a chisel.

No I did replace that nut, im not that much of a cowboy.

Firestar_3x · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:49

Only ever had to shock one thing off in the past, and that was the nylock nut on the top of my front struts, i ended up cutting off the nylock top and bashing the rest free, whilst fun i'd rather not knock seven shades out of my nuts....