Changing a wheel cheaply - big breaker bar vs cordless impact wrench?

The lack of needing an air hose and compressor is kinda nice, I have one of those cheapo air impacts, they dont do a very good job of taking those lugnuts off.

 

Another option would be a torque wrench extender. One can be made from a strong flat bar. The bar should be a little longer in the length as the torque wrench, to start with, measured from center of drive, to center of handle. (Near center of handle there’s a mark) one end goes on the torque wrench drive, other end the socket. A square hole in one end, a short (or long) extension for the socket to go on the other end. The measurements between the two should match the effective length of the torque wrench, from center of drive to center Mark on handle. Doing so, Keeping the extension straight in line with the torque wrench will double the torque capabilities of the wrench. So a 300 lb wrench becomes a 600lb wrench. Set it to 250, and it torques to 500. I use doubling the effective length for simplicity. There’s calculations to get different results. Either way it’s scientific, and accurate. Another interesting fact, is that a straight socket extension use doesn’t affect torque settings. Things I learned while looking for other things.

 

I wouldn't trust those torque stick deals, I've known them to be nowhere near accurate and you have wheels fall off.

 

It won’t hurt the wrench, the wrench doesn’t know any different. It’s all in the leverage after the wrench. Look it up on YouTube. Can’t remember what Trucking Company it was. They made one for a job, even test it to prove it works. Using a pipe on the end would damage the wrench. The extension is just the opposite, extending the drive end of the wrench. One end goes onto the wrench, other end on the socket. The key is keeping it all straight,

 

You shouldn’t be using an impact to do anything when putting nuts back on except get them barely snug. Then use torque wrench. Lube the nuts and studs then use torque wrench. The studs have elasticity built In to give clamping force. over torque and you destroy the elasticity and cause micro cracks in studs and over time they break. Only use impact to take them off.