Impact Wrench

[clivvy]

hey chaps!

I need your sage advice please, with regards electric impact wrenches.

I need to change the CV on my Mazda MX3, and of course need to remove the hub. No surprises, I cant loosen the hub nut. Tried some heat but I dont have a decent blow torch, and of course tried a breaker bar with rather heavy 4 ft pole. I have so far broken one head on my breaker bar (replaced now) and bent the same breaker bar!!

so, I figure I need an Impact Wrench, but as I wont be getting my air compressor till xmas, I need one now. Are electrical Impact Wrenches suitable for this application? Im looking at some on ebay, such as the Clarke ones for around £60 and they seem ok with 450nM of torque...

what do you think??

 

[solarman216]

I doubt you will find a DIY impact gun that will deal with your hub nut, what torque is the nut set to in lb ft, Rick

 

[clivvy]

think about 280 nm.....??

 

[solarman216]

well something is not right if you cant undo it with a 4 ft bar, I cannot relate to n m but that is about 200 ft lbs and I can pull that easy with a 2 ft bar, but if that gun you were looking at can really go 400 odd Nm then it should be OK, Rick

 

[rustic]

I had the same problem with an Ambassador, 220ft lbs and I found loctite on the threads as well.
I broke 2 breaker bars, and in the end I bought a new nut, and chiselled the old one off. :doh

I now have an impact wrench, and to be honest it wouldn't touch it.
What you need is a 3/4 " socket set or a hammer and chisel.

Heat may help to breakdown any loctite.

 

[Deleted account DD]

Your job sounds bang on for a scaffy bar extension :thumb2

The diy 12v impacts are brilliant (i used one of the cheapest of the cheap and it was great) but I tend to agree with rick.

You may find ( and this isnt as daft as it sounds) whatever youre using, use it to try and tighten the nut first. Oldest and simplest trick in the book and often does the biz :thumb2

 

[BIGSEAN]

Are they all right hand thread? seem to remember something about one side being left hand threads (probably something completely different but just seems to ring a bell.)

 

[clivvy]

thanks for the replies chaps. Im not the strongest man, nor the biggest, so I do struggle with tight nuts and bolts. However, I have a 22" power bar and a very heavy steel pole, and that simple bent the bar or broke the end. As for the direction of thread, good point, so I need to find the answer. I have had a look online, and it seems some people have used electric impact wrenches with success on hub nuts, others havent!

I think it might be worth me trying to chisel it off, as I dont care about damaging the CV since its that I am replacing!

 

[makeitfit]

Just stick your finger nail on the thread and see which way it goes Simples :thumb2

 

[solarman216]

drill it before you chisel it so much easier then it will split with a couple of good blows, Rick

 

[clivvy]

drill it before you chisel it so much easier then it will split with a couple of good blows, Rick

cheers rick, i will do that.