Used to swear by impact wrenches for lug nuts until I stripped one on a BMW last month

Switched to a torque wrench and a breaker bar after watching a YouTube video from a BMW tech explaining how aluminum hubs just cant handle the ugga dugga, has anyone else toasted a hub that way?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellyj2328d ago

You ever just trust the impact gun guy hype for years? I was the same way. Used to think torque wrenches were just for engine builds and anal retentive types. Then I had to explain to a buddy why his Honda Civic lug studs all snapped off in a parking lot. That little YouTube rabbit hole about clamping force vs impact force flipped a switch for me. Now I only use the impact to zip them off and run them down, then finish with a breaker bar and a torque wrench. Feels slow but I haven't had a single issue since.

ericjackson28d ago

Wait, you know a guy who actually snapped all his studs in a parking lot? That's wild. My buddy Mike did the same thing with his Subaru, thought he was being smart by just zipping them down with the impact until we heard that sickening crack sound. Now he's a torque wrench convert too, even keeps a little sticker on his toolbox that says "hand tight plus 90 degrees" as a joke.