Just realized most people are torquing lug nuts wrong with impact guns

I was helping a buddy swap tires on his F-150 last weekend and watched him zing all the lug nuts on with his impact wrench at full speed. Told him he needs to hand start them and use a torque wrench for the final tighten. He looked at me like I had three heads. Said he's been doing it that way for 20 years and never had a problem. I showed him a wheel stud I snapped off on a Dodge Ram last fall from over-torquing. Cost the customer $150 for a new hub assembly. Anyone else run into mechanics who just rely on the impact gun and skip the torque wrench?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_anthony1mo ago

The real risk isn't just over torquing, it's warping the rotor from uneven clamping force.

kelly_craig1mo ago

Wait, did I just flash back to my first brake job where I confidently used my dad's old impact gun and sent a lug nut flying across the garage? I was 16 and thought I was hot stuff till my dad made me retorque everything with a beam style wrench and I realized I'd basically been doing the hulk smash on every stud. Now I always hand start them because I've seen a wheel come off a tow truck from overtorqued studs snapping at 70mph. My goofy ass still forgets to use the torque wrench sometimes though, especially when its cold out and I just want to be done.