Impact Guns and Extensions Do Not Mix
I am sure this is old hat to most but it is something I learned last week after 71 years of not knowing. I tried to remove wheel nuts using an 1/2" air impact gun with a 6" extension. It just sat ther...
Forum Discussion
smkettner wrote:CJW8 wrote:Use a beam style over the clicker.
This has been interesting. How would one measure the torque applied by an impact gun? Could you tighten it till it stops turning and then use a torque wrench set on a low setting and keep adjusting the torque wrench up until the bolt moves before it clicks?
Not according to the training I've had. Clicker beats beam. It's actually hard to get accurate, consistant torques no matter which you use, because it's difficult to judge tightening torque by using loosening torque. And you can't really use where the head clicks or the beam stops as a barometer because you just changed it again by checking it.
We had torque training some years back using the digital calibrator which we calibrate all the torque equipment in the shop with, and beam would get within 15 ft/lb or so, clicker would do around 5. Even with digital processor controlled it is usually off by 2 consistantly. With click and digital, it takes out the human error of judgement and environment influences like angle. Another biggie is whether the fastner is lubed, clean or new/used. Don't forget, we're not really interested in torque per se, other than a measureable parameter of bolt stretch. Stretch is what we're really interested in. Just that it's almost impossible to guage in most cases, so we use torque as a relative measure.
