Torquing wheel nuts

[Jay 535i]

What's the general wisdom re: using an impact wrench versus a torque wrench on wheel nuts?

Those cordless impact wrenches are really tempting because they'd make wheel changes so painless. Are they bad?

[632 Regal]

the ideal is to have the tire off the ground and someone pressing the brake, then go round and torque it.

[Zeuk in Oz]

I find the the sign of a good tyre place is if they use a torque-wrench as opposed to the rattling gun.
You don't hear of many wheels coming off cars because of snapped bolts / studs but it certainly makes it easier when you are doing something yourself that requires removal of a wheel later.

[BigKriss]

I've never found one and I would say nearly all workshops use a rattle gun.

I find the the sign of a good tyre place is if they use a torque-wrench as opposed to the rattling gun.

[SRR2]

The impact wrench is fine for removing the fastener. And I use one to put them on, but only with a 'blip' of the trigger, just enough to run the bolt in to where it contacts the wheel. Then I use the torque wrench to snug them up maybe halfway to final torque (by feel), and then once more around to final torque.

I bought a quality (deWalt) electric imnpact wrench a long time ago. It's useful only for light duty. But then, I've run into a couple of things where it was just the ticket, for example removing a frozen nut on an alternator shaft to free the sheetmetal fan, without jamming something in the fins of the fan that would bend it while using an ordinary wrench. The impacts of the electric wrench knocked the nut loose without exerting large net torques on the fan. The other time it came in handy was loosening a steering wheel retaining nut that was similarly frozen in place. But for wheels, particularly when you run into bolts that some moron in a third-rate tire place cranked down with an air gun, the electric wrench is useless.

If I had to pick one, it would be a good quality air wrench.

[Paul in NZ]

late at night in the pouring rain you will curse that impact wrench....

[joshua43214]

At a shop i worked in, we once spent a couple of days checking out torque sticks to see how well they really worked. Admittadly this is not scientific, but it is a field test. Basicaly where would torque the wheels with a stick, put a socket on and mark its position, loosen the wheel with a breaker bar then retorque with a duel bar wrench to see how much torque was needed to bring the socket back to its mark. We then did the same thing with each tech using an 1/2" impact wrench in whatever method he felt most comfortable by feel.

we found that experienced tech's where able to consistantly torque wheel nuts by feel to within 5 foot pounds of spec, and within 3 foot pounds of each other. The torque sticks where all over the place when the gun was used at full power, but when used on a lower setting, where as consistant as the tech working by feel.

My prefered method is to zip them down with an impact, then lower vehicle till the wheels drag and torque them with a wrench. I do this to eliminate the possibility of error due to tool wear or line pressure being a factor.

For those of you that hate impact wrench's, keep in mind that flat rate guides are based on the use of air tools. The cost of serviceing would go way way up, if we had to use hand tools again. Impact wrench's in the hands of an experienced user are a good thing, in the hands of a cave man, they are a club than can ruin someones day.