electric impact wrench for PF shock replacement?

[bettingsumo]

Does anyone have experience using an electric impact wrench to replace the rear shocks on a Pathfinder?

I have been told that I should be able to do this using an electric impact wrench, but am very skeptical. It was my understanding that the best you could hope for out of electric wrenches was changing a tire. But maybe the new ones have gotten more powerful now??

As much as I would love to have a compressor and air tools, that just isn't going to fly in my condo association. I can probably get away with occasional use of an electric impact wrench, but don't want to drop the cash if it is not going to accomplish much in the way of changing my shocks.

[fleurys]

Most electric (not battery) impact are stronger than air ones. Only the top air air ones will have a higher torque setting.. I get 280 from mine and did my rear shock with it cause, the air impact of my friend was not able to do the job...

[Densetsu]

The specs for my electric impact wrench says that it puts out 240 ft-lbs of torque, more than enough for most auto repair tasks.

That said, if your condo board is worried about sound, these things aren't quiet either. Under no load they're OK, and you do avoid all the noise that comes when you initially pressure up an air compressor. But once you put it on a bolt and press on the trigger, it's loud. A different sound than an air-powered impact wrench, but about the same amount of decibels.

With any impact wrench, though, it's unavoidable. The socket is hammering at that bolt with a tremendous amount of power, and noise will be made.

[miamiheat3332]

lol i took out my shock bolts with a 1/2in craftsman ratchet.

[01silvapathy]

I check my mounts with a 3/8 ratchet and vise grips before and after each wheeling trip

[bettingsumo]

Thanks guys. Sounds like a halfway decent electric should get the job done.

Densetsu: ya, I guessed there is no such thing as a "quiet" impact wrench, at least not while it is hammering. If I do get too many dirty looks at least it is easier to go over to a friends without having to haul around a compressor and all. Not to mention my current lack of storage space! Damn I need a real garage...

[miamiheat3332]

that is why i hate condos and townhouses. I live where the neighbor to the north is like 300-400-500 feet away, and forest in between, and the other one on the east is like 700-800 feet away. So everyone does what they want, no one complains. Whenever im detailing my car i blast my system full and you can hear it really far away. imagine doing that in a condo/townhouse.

[xnapajx]

electric impact gun definitely can do more than taking out tire lug. My 99 qx4 needs new strut and shock. I was skeptical like you before picking up Harbor Freight's electric impact gun. I used it to take out the top bolt on the rear shock. The bolt came out with minimum effort. I have no doubt that it will take out the bottom one if it has more room. For the bottom bolt, I used some pb blaster and a 1/2 drive breaker bar.

The con of the electric one (cord) is the size, I was replacing my timing belt this weekend and couldn't use it on the crankshaft bolt. But I still found it useful on certain bolts like taking out the camshaft bolt to replace the seal.

Remember to look for a 20% coupon for HF in last few pages of any car magazine. Make sure you pick up a set of impact socket if you don't already have some.


http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-i ... 45252.html

[bettingsumo]

Well for less than $50 that might be the way to go. Even if it lasts only for this one job it would be worth it. With a few exception, I have had 'mostly' good experiences with HF tools.

Nice work on the timing belt (saw the pics in your thread). I just paid way too much to have all that done...

[fueler]

that is why i hate condos and townhouses. I live where the neighbor to the north is like 300-400-500 feet away, and forest in between, and the other one on the east is like 700-800 feet away. So everyone does what they want, no one complains. Whenever im detailing my car i blast my system full and you can hear it really far away. imagine doing that in a condo/townhouse.

hehe ya im in a condo, i bumped my neighbors sound system for like 3 mins (was helping him tune the amp) and sure enough some old hag comes out talking about how rude we are (this was like 2pm on a weekday)

[racerken]

I just replaced my R51 (2005) front and rears.

The salting in Michigan took its toll on my all of my shocks so I had to cut the rears end-bolts and front top end nut. I guess what I'm saying is that an impact wrench would not have made any difference.

I used a 1/2" breaker bar plus lots of break free.

[GRNMACHINE]

lol i took out my shock bolts with a 1/2in craftsman ratchet.

Same Here

[Densetsu]

I used a 1/2" breaker bar plus lots of break free.

That's my initial instinct. If I'm facing a tough bolt, I'd rather go for leverage power than hammering power.

Maybe it's just because the breaker bar is right there. But with the impact wrench, I have to dig it out, the impact sockets out, fumble around with an extension cord, etc. Ya, I'm lazy.

I mostly use the impact wrench if there's a lot of bolts/lugs that require lots of torque to get off -- the cliché example being changing four tires, that's 24 lugs. Or I might use an impact wrench (or a power drill) if the threaded portion of the bolt was particularly long, so I could just *zip* it off. I'd also try it if, for some reason, I couldn't get a bolt off with a breaker bar, or if the breaker bar didn't fit where I wanted it to and I couldn't use an extension.

In short though... it's always nice to have multiple, different tools that do the same job, just in case one fails.

[GRNMACHINE]

You arent kidding Densetsu! The more tools the better! I have alot of Craftsman C3 tools/batteries (not the best but super affordable). Saw the impact wrench add on and picked it up for around $85. All I can say is this thing is totally non awesome.... Will not break any of the lugs. None. I will be looking into the cheap Harbor Freight electric version posted above.

[Chuck Tribolet]

280 foot-pounds isn't much. My air impact wrench (Ingersol-Rand's baddest half-inch) goes to 1000 foot-pounds.

I have a half-inch breaker bar 24" long (the standard Craftsman one is 17" to the C/L of the socket). It's a made in China POS, but it was free (saw it
by the side of the freeway on Saturday, it was still there Sunday so made a quick stop to grab it). Ingersol-Rand has busted loose bolts the breaker bar couldn't get.

There's no substitute for the right tool. When you need it, go buy it. By and by, you'll have most everything.