The Toolkit Thread

[DR. Rock]

I used an impact wrench for the first time yesterday and it totally blew me away. I must say I am smitten. . It pulled the clutch basket nut off in about 2 seconds as if it was only hand tightened but it was actually at some 200 ft. lbs, or kilo cubits or something like that. If you have never experienced the sublime joy of an impact wrench do NOT pass up an opportunity. It was a religious experience. I know you're probably thinking this is off-topic, but I'm brainstorming a way to carry it with my on-bike kit. Seriously.

[header]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

I used an impact wrench for the first time yesterday and it totally blew me away. I must say I am smitten. . It pulled the clutch basket nut off in about 2 seconds as if it was only hand tightened but it was actually at some 200 ft. lbs, or kilo cubits or something like that. If you have never experienced the sublime joy of an impact wrench do NOT pass up an opportunity. It was a religious experience. I know you're probably thinking this is off-topic, but I'm brainstorming a way to carry it with my on-bike kit. Seriously.

How would you carry a compressor? Paintball's nitro tank would be the only resonable thing I could think of.

[hilslamer]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

I used an impact wrench for the first time yesterday and it totally blew me away.
...
I know you're probably thinking this is off-topic, but I'm brainstorming a way to carry it with my on-bike kit. Seriously.

I assume you used a pneumatic impact...IMO, if you need an impact on the road, things have gone pretty bad and carrying even a lighter manual-impact is pretty impractical from a weight and heft standpoint. To each their own, but you have to draw the line somewhere...

[Rectaltronics]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

I used an impact wrench for the first time yesterday and it totally blew me away. I must say I am smitten.

And another Tim Allen is born!

[Gordy]

Impact wrenchs to take off the nut on a hardened shaft can be bad news.
I know some manufacturers recommend against it, that is why clutch holding tools are used. YRMV

[Lil' Steve]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

I used an impact wrench for the first time yesterday and it totally blew me away. I must say I am smitten. . It pulled the clutch basket nut off in about 2 seconds as if it was only hand tightened but it was actually at some 200 ft. lbs, or kilo cubits or something like that. If you have never experienced the sublime joy of an impact wrench do NOT pass up an opportunity. It was a religious experience. I know you're probably thinking this is off-topic, but I'm brainstorming a way to carry it with my on-bike kit. Seriously.

I got this for the holidays and let me tell you, it kicks ass. It's pretty compact and has quite a bit of strength, 125 ft lbs of torque. But the torque isnt adjustable and it will snap smaller bolts if you arent careful. Good around the garage but I wouldnt carry it around with me although it's small enough to put in a side or top-case.


DEWALT Heavy-Duty Cordless Impact Wrench Kit — 18V, 3/8in., Model# DC823KA

[DiscoDino]

Happy New Year, and special regards to the NYCFFers !

A buddy of mine back home has a 24v impact gun that he hooks up to his batteries in his truck (which is obviously 24v)...its pretty insane as far as torque and speed goes...

He got it from some military camp in Lebanon...it has German all over it and we assume it came in the late 70s with the roster of Unimogs that were ordered (by all the militias) during the war...

I keep BEGGING him to sell, but he won't...

Having one on the bike...that's pretty heavy...but I've been thinking of hard mounting an air compressor so we've had shittier thoughts

[DR. Rock]

Originally Posted by Rectaltronics

And another Tim Allen is born!

Brad, sometimes I think you're the only one who truly understands me.

[motosaint]

Are they really necessary on a motorcycle? I can see on bigger bolts. But those should be quite rare.

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

Brad, sometimes I think you're the only one who truly understands me.

[markjenn]

Impact drivers are cool tools when you need them, but you can get in trouble in a hurry with them and I wouldn't use them as a general way to loosen things. I have two in my toolbox and I haul them out for lug nuts, countershaft sprockets, etc, but don't use them except in special circumstances.

Carry one in a on-the-bike toolkit? Sure, right along with a drill press and sledge hammer.

- Mark

[HaChayalBoded]

Originally Posted by markjenn

Impact drivers are cool tools when you need them, but you can get in trouble in a hurry with them and I wouldn't use them as a general way to loosen things. I have two in my toolbox and I haul them out for lug nuts, countershaft sprockets, etc, but don't use them except in special circumstances.

Carry one in a on-the-bike toolkit? Sure, right along with a drill press and sledge hammer.

- Mark

You mean you don't carry a sledgehammer?

[hilslamer]

Originally Posted by HaChayalBoded

You mean you don't carry a sledgehammer?

Otherwise known as rocks? I just find one beside the trail handy when they become neccessity...LOL

[hilslamer]

Originally Posted by vfr870

DEWALT Heavy-Duty Cordless Impact Wrench Kit — 18V, 3/8in., Model# DC823KA

I use one of these aroudn the shop, ad infinitum. They are sooo fast for disassembly and if you are gentle, reassembly too. With a littel practice you can have surprising "torque-dexterity" with them! IN the case of field repairs where you've got a bike stranded, for example, where you can't rescue it with a truck - and only with another bike and known-needed spare parts...these are pretty slick/light and just about as powerful:

http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?ID=26528


...although they would never loosen a clutch-basket nut, countershaft nut, or otherwise. they would make the job faster though.

As I and others have said, if you absolutely need an impact in the field it's mostly because something has gone really, really wrong. These events are very few and far between IME, and in many cases could have been prevented by correct maintenance or assembly procedures.

[HaChayalBoded]

Originally Posted by hilslamer

I use one of these aroudn the shop, ad infinitum. They are sooo fast for disassembly and if you are gentle, reassembly too. With a littel practice you can have surprising "torque-dexterity" with them! IN the case of field repairs where you've got a bike stranded, for example, where you can't rescue it with a truck - and only with another bike and known-needed spare parts...these are pretty slick/light and just about as powerful:

http://www.makita.com/en-us/Modules/Tools/ToolDetails.aspx?ID=26528


...although they would never loosen a clutch-basket nut, countershaft nut, or otherwise. they would make the job faster though.

As I and others have said, if you absolutely need an impact in the field it's mostly because something has gone really, really wrong. These events are very few and far between IME, and in many cases could have been prevented by correct maintenance or assembly procedures.

Got a model # for that little makita? I've been thinking of picking up a mini impact driver, mainly to speed things up, not really to use as an impact gun. More of a fancy and small screw gun

[xcgates]

Okay, so I don't normally do much in-depth vehicle work, so the limit of my impact experience is taking off my lugnuts and opening the drain/fill holes in my diff. But the time I most appreciated an impact gun (air-powered), was taking the wheels off of my friends rustbucket of a truck. Man, the lugnuts were practically welded onto the studs, I coudn't believe how much work was needed to free them!

But yeah, I don't see any place for them in a bike toolkit. I don't think I would use one on the bike in a garage, as I've come close to tipping the bike over just with the breaker bar. And things can go pear-shaped a whole lot quicker with power tools as opposed to hand tools.