I keep breaking 1/2 ratchets on my lug nuts.

[ray66v]

My whole life in the repair business, I saw people struggle trying to remove tight fasteners, with inadequate equipment.

If you do, buy a 3/4" impact. They can be had at a good price, if you are a savvy shopper.

I think I paid like $100 for mine, and it was like brand new. It just took some patience.

Nothing I encounter slows it down.

Chinese 3/4" impact sockets kits are reasonably affordable, and adequate for occasional use.

Pro tip: Do not run a 3/4" or larger impact, on a 3/8" air hose. You lose much of it's power if you do. You need a 1/2" hose, and high volume couplers.

 

[California]

Harbor Freight's 3/8" couplers, needed for the 1/2" drive Earthquake impact wrench.
1/4" brass couplers were literally strangling the tool.

 

[Up to the Axles]

Decades ago, a friend owned a Flxible bus and tried to get the lug nuts loose. He was using a Budd wrench. A Budd wrench then[1] was a HEAVY ~18" long solid steel cylinder about 1.5" dia with a socket ?cast/machined? into each end. It has a hole at the 9" point for the hard solid rod that slides in and you crank on.

He used a 6 ft cheater pipe and could not budge the nuts.

After some thought, he put a bumper jack under the outbound end, propped the cheater end on a steel plate on the ground, then started the bus and eased it into gear.

The Budd wrench promptly split in half.

He called a truck tire company, and showed them the Budd ex-wrench. The tire guy had a 3/4" impact wrench, air compressor and socket. He banged away to no avail. He then called his boss, who came out with a new impact wrench, and after lots of rat-a-tat/wait for the compressor/repeat, they finally got them loose.





1] I see other ilk of tools now being called Budd wrenches. Accept No Substitutes!

 

[5030]

I have a 10 hole Bud impact socket that works just fine with my IR 3/4 drive air impact wrench. The wheels on my grain trailer and my Class 8 tractor are all 10 hole Bud style but they are all pilot mount. Loosening only. Tightening is via a 3/4" drive torque wrench.

 

[5030]

My whole life in the repair business, I saw people struggle trying to remove tight fasteners, with inadequate equipment.

If you do, buy a 3/4" impact. They can be had at a good price, if you are a savvy shopper.

I think I paid like $100 for mine, and it was like brand new. It just took some patience.

Nothing I encounter slows it down.

Chinese 3/4" impact sockets kits are reasonably affordable, and adequate for occasional use.

Pro tip: Do not run a 3/4" or larger impact, on a 3/8" air hose. You lose much of it's power if you do. You need a 1/2" hose, and high volume couplers.

You need adequate CFM as well and no 'wenie' air compressor will be capable of delivering adequate CFM to run any air hog tool like a 3/4 or 1" drive impact. Why we have a minimum 35 CFM @ 135 psi air delivery in the shop and contrary to most opinions about compressed air delivery, 135 psi is more than adequate to run any air tool, so long as the delivered CFM is available. Your compressors as well as your entrained moisture will be a whole lot less at 135 psi as well and I run an IR Refrigerated air dryer between my Quincy QP reciprocating compressor and my main air supply line as well as point of use filters (Motorguard 2 micron) on the plasma cutters. You'd be amazed at how little downtime is required for removing carbon from the compressor valves when running 135 psi, versus the normally set 175 psi, plus the compressor will last a lot longer, use less electricity and produce less entrained condensation. I also have a timed condensate valve on the bottom of the receiver, that way I don't have to manually drain the receiver.