I keep seeing people use impact guns on lug nuts too much

Been at this 15 years and I swear every new guy in the shop cranks lug nuts down with the impact on full blast. Had a customer last week come in with warped rotors on a 2019 F-150 because some tire shop zapped them on at 150 ft-lbs. Spec is 100. I know it's faster but you're just asking for broken studs and stripped threads. Hand tighten with a torque wrench and save yourself the headache. Am I the only one who still bothers with a torque stick?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake_dixon13d agoMost Upvoted

One thing I notice is that impacts actually hide whether a lug nut is cross-threaded until you've already damaged the stud. Had a kid at my shop wreck three studs on a Honda Accord last month because he couldn't feel the resistance. A hand tool lets you feel that slight grab and correct before it's too late.

lucas_grant8312d agoMost Upvoted

That's the exact kind of mistake that keeps happening with impacts. The feeling in your hand is the only way to know if the threads are lined up right before you start cranking. I always tell people to start every lug nut by hand for the first couple of turns, then use the impact to finish them off. A 10 second habit that saves hours of having to drill out seized studs later. The torque numbers don't matter if the threads are already stripped before you even get there.