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My neighbor's kid said something about my old impact wrench that made me stop using it
He's in trade school for diesel tech and was helping me pull a wheel. I was struggling with a lug nut and he just goes, 'Mr. Harris, that thing sounds like a coffee grinder full of rocks.' I laughed, but then he said his instructor told them a worn-out impact can actually over-torque and stretch studs without you knowing it. I'd always thought 'it still turns, it's fine.' Checked the specs on my ancient gun versus the torque for that truck, and yeah, I was probably cranking things way past spec. Bought a new digital torque wrench and a quieter impact the next day. Anyone have a favorite mid-range brand for daily use that won't shake my fillings loose?
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white.keith12d ago
That kid just saved your wheel studs.
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jana50912d ago
Yeah like my buddy had his lugs way over-torqued at a shop once. Kid at the next bay actually spoke up and saved him a huge headache, kinda like what @white.keith is saying. Could have snapped a stud easy.
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jamiesullivan12d ago
That's a good point about the over-torque risk. Something else to watch out for is how a worn gun can start to hammer in a weird rhythm. It might not seat parts together right, leaving a gap you can't even see. That false sense of it being tight is what gets you.
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