Can I torque my wheels with an impact?

Breakover 36-48" torque wrench is what I see in the shop. Not sure on the length so I figure 3 to 4 feet.

 

Might check reviews, but should work for occasional use
https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-...0-750-ft-lb-digital-torque-adapter-58707.html

 

Only sure way to know is a torque wrench. I could use a 4 foot pipe on a breaker bar with my granddaughter on it. 4 feet and 100 pounds is about 400 Ft Lbs.
I pretty mush know where my 1 inch air gun is running by double checking with a torque wrench some times. When the air compressor turns on it is time to stop. I run a pig ( small tank on wheels with about 10 feet of 3/4 hose to the gun ) so I do not have to have 1 inch line ran through the whole shop. Just plug the regular 3/8's hose to it. This gun is too much for inner Budd nuts but I just swag those.
The only way to really know is to check behind yourself sometimes.
Could talk about torque sticks, and over tightened . We usually heat them with a torch. Give up on sending the pic of ten feet of pipe on a jet fuel trailer and it just breaks tools.
You have to check them and and have a good handle on how much you are torquing them.

 

https://www.princessauto.com/en/3-4-in-dr-heavy-duty-click-type-torque-wrench/product/PA0008002384

 

They’re hard to find under $600. A friend just got a nice one though. Only $200 maybe? Amazon or eBay not sure. It’s nice. Like to get one myself. He got after I explained everything I learned (mostly here.) There’s published material explaining procedure # ??? He’s just been hammering them on old school. Got a few of mine too tight. The theories about stretching studs, etc. are no doubt true. Worst thing ever happened on my Trucks is snapping a stud while removing the lug nut. Usually because the stud had rust and air pockets inside. You could visually see them. Outside looked fine. Never lost a wheel that was hammered on too tight. It happened once after being “properly “ torqued at the Loves. They get loose, and before you realize it ( on the rear axle of trailer) snap all the lugs, and away they go. Since then I’m paranoid about it. As far as stretched lug bolts/studs. I’ve since seen examples of that. They’re visually stretched and even narrowed out. I still don’t trust 475 ft lbs. especially if they’ve been previously hammered on with a 1”. Air gun. Maybe threads stretched a tiny bit? Then won’t stay tight? That’s my theory. Still don’t know. It’s all about Liability with the Truck Stops. They require a signature after torquing requiring a retorque in 50 miles. Re torque is very important. Often get a little more out of at least 2-3 lugs.

 

Clean threads are important and also where a metal nut meets an aluminum wheel (dissimilar metal corrosion). Any corrosion will mess things up. Recently had this happen on the car after rotating tires myself. Torqued to spec but it was not smooth, sometimes a bit jumpy when tightening. Should have known better. Got a mild noise driving 60 - 65 in heavy traffic, got much worse fast, even after I got off an exit. Found some nuts finger loose, a few not as bad. Pulled them all off when I got home, cleaned them up, and applied Fluid Film to the coned part of the nut, the pitted aluminum on the rim, and a little on the threads. No problems since. Any specs I have seen for wheels is torque dry. But when tightening it should be smooth and consistent which it was with the lube.

 

Had to replace a front lug stud recently, when I noticed it, there was no rust indicating a crack, it was fresh steel all the way through.

And my truck doesn’t have those little 33mm like modern trucks, it’s the much larger Oldskool lugs.

The problem with most guys and an impact is they only know to let off the trigger once the socket stops turning.

Was watching a guy at a tire shop recently put a wheel back on. He hammered the crap out of those nuts, then put a torque wrench in it and heard click, click, click,..,, and not one of those nuts turned. So what were they torqued at..? 500, 550, 600,??

 

My torque wrench goes to 1000. Snap-On 2 piece handle, but you don’t need nothing that big. Just shop around a little and it will come to light….

 

I have a small soft wire cup brush about 1 1/2” diameter in a cordless drill. Good for cleaning that corrosion out before remounting the wheel….

 

Did it look like he had a short extension on the impact? Torque sticks act as a torsion spring and are tuned to absorb all the hits at the proper torque. So it does actually work like that. Keep going til it stops.