Will an impact wrench handle heavy duty bolts?

Soldato
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17 Jun 2012
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A cordless impact wrench, will it be able to move say caliper carrier or suspension to axel bolts?

It just depends on what brand and model you buy I assume or will bolts like a caliper carrier bolt just be too much in general to move?
 
I'd like to know if you can easily shear bolts too, so have to be extra diligent on plus-gas etc to soften them up , drilling out a bolt is something I want to avoid at home.
 
I have a MAKITA DTW1002Z that I bought for working on my E92 when bolts were giving me trouble. It has been fantastic. I was having trouble removing my stub axle nut which should be torqued to 300nm with a long breaker bar. The impact wrench took it straight off in seconds. It has 3 power modes for when you don't want to absolutely rip something off. I did a bunch of rusty suspension bolts and caliper bolts with it with 0 trouble. Best thing I have ever bought for working on my car.
 
I've only got a cheap 400nm one, the Ryobi impact wrench but i've yet to see a bolt on a car it couldn't shift. I've not needed to do hub nuts with it though but for anything suspension or brake related it's managed fine.
 
A cordless impact wrench, will it be able to move say caliper carrier or suspension to axel bolts?

It just depends on what brand and model you buy I assume or will bolts like a caliper carrier bolt just be too much in general to move?
The biggest problem with calliper carrier bolts is some of them are Allen key heads and they are prone to rounding so be careful.
 
I used my Milwaukee M12 Fuel right angle wrench with absolutely no issues. Also used it to replace them as it has adjustable speed/torque settings so you don't strip everything, I can then torque the bolts afterwards.
 
I've only got a cheap 400nm one, the Ryobi impact wrench but i've yet to see a bolt on a car it couldn't shift. I've not needed to do hub nuts with it though but for anything suspension or brake related it's managed fine.
I have a Ryobi too and it's managed all suspension bolts and a hub nut - it did struggle on a crank pulley bolt, but in fairness got there in the end.

Wouldn't be without one for car work now, so long as you can get to the fixing either directly or with an extension it's a great tool to have.

I'm also really tempted to buy an electric ratchet - as I am lazy
 
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Ok ta.

So I bought the Ryobi from Halfords. For a slightly rounded bolt, what's the best power setting to use out of 3, should I try on the lowest power setting or just go full blast from the start.

I obviously don't want to round the bolt anymore but I feel there's enough grip on it still for the wrench to take it off.
 
It won't wreck the thing any more or less to just start on one of the lower settings (2 probably) and work up - if I'm honest tho I rarely use it on anything less than full power.

Sounds like you'll end up with a sacrificial socket a size smaller hammered on to the fixing anyway.

Edit also to reply to the earlier question about shearing bolts - no if anything it's less likely with an impact but you do need to be careful not to attempt to buzz every rusty fixing all the way out as you'll thread and or partially weld rusty threads to their housings
 
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Sounds like you'll end up with a sacrificial socket a size smaller hammered on to the fixing anyway.
isn't part of the story getting a good quality socket / male hex.

as I wailed on the BMW tyre iron again last weekend I had forgotten, again, my resolution to use the facom 6-pan socket that fits like a glove, also to put a rag over the iron in case it breaks.
 
I've only got a cheap 400nm one, the Ryobi impact wrench but i've yet to see a bolt on a car it couldn't shift. I've not needed to do hub nuts with it though but for anything suspension or brake related it's managed fine.

I have a Ryobi too and it's managed all suspension bolts and a hub nut - it did struggle on a crank pulley bolt, but in fairness got there in the end.

Wouldn't be without one for car work now, so long as you can get to the fixing either directly or with an extension it's a great tool to have.

I'm also really tempted to buy an electric ratchet - as I am lazy

Any idea the model number of your Ryobi, I seem to have got the cheapest model and it's not very good.
 
The battery you fit makes a moderate difference as well - as confirmed by more than one YT video on the subject across multiple brands.

I have the Ryobi R18IW3 which is 400nm, the lower powered one is the R18IW7 which is 270nm. I've found there are nuts that mine won't undo but they've needed ridiculous torque to undo. The Dewalt XR does 950nm if you want something that'll snap off whatever you need to :D
 
The battery you fit makes a moderate difference as well - as confirmed by more than one YT video on the subject across multiple brands.

I have the Ryobi R18IW3 which is 400nm, the lower powered one is the R18IW7 which is 270nm. I've found there are nuts that mine won't undo but they've needed ridiculous torque to undo. The Dewalt XR does 950nm if you want something that'll snap off whatever you need to :D
Yeh the R18IW3(P261) is a lower powered model, the higher powered is the P262 and the pbliw01b is the highest powered model. Also as you said the battery rating also makes a difference to power delivered.
 
I have the DeWalt XR and it met its match with the rear brake caliper carrier bolts on the GFs Astra. It just made the bolt hot and gave me pins and needles. An extended breaker bar was beginning to lift the car off the stands. I've left it for the moment and am considering risking using some heat, but there are some wires going into the hub which I'm concerned about burning.

It's easily removed everything else though.
 
I have the DeWalt XR and it met its match with the rear brake caliper carrier bolts on the GFs Astra. It just made the bolt hot and gave me pins and needles. An extended breaker bar was beginning to lift the car off the stands. I've left it for the moment and am considering risking using some heat, but there are some wires going into the hub which I'm concerned about burning.

It's easily removed everything else though.
Just cut the carrier bolt head off with a Dremel and hammer the carrier off at a last resort.
 
Just cut the carrier bolt head off with a Dremel and hammer the carrier off at a last resort.

Yes, cutting off the bolt will be the last resort, but I'll need to buy replacement external torx bolts of the correct size first.

Edit: I don't see why I couldn't just find hex bolts that fit from my box of odd bolts, but I'd prefer to replace like for like
 
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