Impact Driver for Wheel Lug Nuts

R

Rich 65

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2009 6 GT, 2014 CX-5 GT
I was wondering if a Bosch 12v cordless impact driver would have enough power to loosen and tighten the lug nuts. I am talking about casual use, not an everyday occurrence. I have some Bosch 12v tools so I would like to stay with 12v if possible. My other option is Ryobi 18v cordless driver. Bosch says "no" and recommends their $400 + 18v driver. Again, I'm talking occasional use for tire rotation or wheel cleaning. Thanks.
 
Your lugs should not be on very tight (85ft-lbs) so they should come off pretty easy with a power tool I would imagine. Not positive though. I use a 2-3 foot racket for mine to make life easy. Even if you need to break them loose yourself you should still be able to save some time using your 12v to undo them the rest of the way.
 
It all depends on the amount of torque the tool has. If your lug nuts are on at 85ft lbs but your tool only does 50ft lbs it won't have enough torque to remove them. If it can it will be fine to use.
 
Not exactly a good idea to use an impact on street cars. Especially factory lugs and cheap factory lug nuts that fatigue easily.
 
Use a breaker bar to break the nut free, and then you can use the driver to remove and mostly install the lug nut. Use the breaker bar, or better yet, a torque wrench to re-seat the nut.
 
It may be acceptable to use an impact driver to remove a lug nut (if your impact can generate enough torque). However, it is bad practice to use such a wrench to tighten a lug nut as you risk over tightening and warping the rotors. Always use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts to the torque specified in the user's manual.
 
I use a breaker bar to loosen the nuts, switch to the cordless driver to spin the nuts off fast. After swapping the tire, start with the driver to seat the nuts and then finish with the bar. Much faster when I'm doing the seasonal wheel swap and rotations. 12v older Dewalt impact driver with socket adapter is my tool.
 
Thanks everyone. My plan is to use the driver to remove and add the lug nuts. I'll use my torque wrench to start and finish the job. After further investigation I see that most 12v drivers have about 77 ft lbs and the 18v over 100ft lbs. The 12v would be safe while the 18v could start the removal but possibly over tighten on the installation.
 
sr12345 said:
Use a breaker bar to break the nut free, and then you can use the driver to remove and mostly install the lug nut. Use the breaker bar, or better yet, a torque wrench to re-seat the nut.
Click to expand...
(iagree) with sr12345 and rjdee.

It's generally considered bad form to use a torque wrench as a breaker bar. In the case of TWs which you twist the grip to set the torque, it can affect their calibration.
 
Bar

halfast3 said:
(iagree) with sr12345 and rjdee.

It's generally considered bad form to use a torque wrench as a breaker bar. In the case of TWs which you twist the grip to set the torque, it can affect their calibration.
Click to expand...

Thanks rjdee - I did not know that. I do have a a TW with a twist setting.
 
Every tire shop, dealer, or mechanic uses an impact driver to losen lug nuts. They use impact to snug up lug nut, so what is so bad about using an impact driver?
 
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