Am I the only one who quit using impact wrenches for lug nuts?

I stopped using impact wrenches on lug nuts after I saw a few stripped threads. Now I hand-tighten first, then use a torque wrench every time. The results? Zero cross-threaded studs in the last year. My coworkers laugh, but my comeback rate dropped big time. It takes a bit longer, but it saves hours on rework. Honestly, I think we rely too much on speed over care in this trade.

3 comments

3 Comments

lisa_jones211mo ago

What about the vibration shaking stuff loose you can't even see? I had a customer's wheel bearing fail way early, and the mechanic asked if we used an impact on her lugs every time. The constant shaking might mess with more than just the threads. Are we trading five minutes now for a bigger problem later?

masona621mo ago

Ever notice how that shaking gets into everything... saw a buddy's truck where the impact vibration messed up the little sensor for his tire pressure system. Took forever to find that gremlin, and it was just from rattling the lugs on too fast. Makes you wonder what else we're shaking loose without knowing.

the_vera26d ago

My own truck's radio only picks up static now (probably from me going ham with the lug nuts last winter). Guess I'm the gremlin.