Old Nick wrote:
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 00:06:08 -0800, Winston
vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email


Gunner wrote:

(Snip Winston whining about cheap air impact wrench)

My rebuilt Ingersoll Rand 1/2" is often defeated by lug nuts.

That is wierd. The guys installing wheels can get the nuts tight
enough to require a breaker bar *and* cheater.

They must be using an uber wrench.

Well I am regularly seeing 500lb and even 1000lb ones for sale in the
papers, but they're 3/4 drive. Maybe 350 is just not enough.

350 is probably *plenty*, if they are real pounds instead of Sears pounds.
350 ft. lbs would spin off lug nuts easily.

Back of envelope arithmetic:
Distance from center of spindle to end of handgrip ~0.7 ft.
(350 ft. lb. of torque) / 0.7' = 500 lbs. of force to counteract.
The wrench I owned wasn't supplying that kind of force to my hands even
on a good day. More like 20 lbs. of force to counteract. On a good day.

So, no more than ~14 ft. lbs. of torque at the spindle. Heck, the torque
spec on my lug nuts is more like 70 ft. lbs.

No wonder it didn't work.

As Brian said, my wrench was probably a cheap knockoff of the real Chicago
Pneumatic brand. I got that for which I paid, unfortunately.

--Winston