Can I use a 1/4" impact driver to remove lug nuts?

I've got a 1/4" impact driver and I'd like to use it for removing my wheels but I'm not sure if this job is totally out of its league. I'm trying not to invest more than necessary in tools right now, but I also don't want to break the ones I already own! Here are all my related questions:

1. Will the 1/4" impact driver be adequate or woefully under powered?
2. If it doesn't have the guts to remove the lug nuts, can I just plan on breaking them loose with the tire iron and then zipping the nuts the rest of the way with the impact driver?
3. If I do buy a new power tool for this job in the future, what kind of tool and what size would you recommend? So far, 3/8-inch sockets and torque wrench have done everything I need, so I'd like to stay in that size, however if moving up to 1/2" makes more sense than I would do that.

 

The new 1/4" drivers are powerful but not sure they can break lug nuts loose yet. Personally I stay away from impact to remove them because they mushroom over time.

 

If not impact, what tool do you recommend?

 

Breaker bar? FWIW: I use a 1/2" impact gun to remove lug nuts, it's too much fun and makes me feel cool....

edit: I would not use a 1/4" gun, the sockets are likely going to break on you

 

Welcome. You can break the lug nuts loose by hand, then use the 1/4" impact driver to take the lugs off. Just make sure to use a torque wrench and correct tightening procedures when putting the wheels back on. I personally use a 1/2" torque gun with impact sockets when I take my wheels off. I also use torque sticks when putting them back on, then do the final torque with a torque wrench. Is it 100% necessary for a wheel change, no, but it sure makes it a lot faster and easier.

 

This is what i use: But I'm also lazy, so i crack with a breaker and then remove all the nuts with a drill. Same putting back on, drill to snug then torque wrench.

 

Yes a ¼” impact driver is too small.

If you are trying not to invest too much in tools right now, the breaker bar is your solution. I’ve never seen a lug nut that wouldn’t succumb to a judicious application of leverage.

If you are going to use an impact wrench you should use impact sockets. You don’t need a whole set. I have a whole set and I’ve only ever used a few of the sockets. Just do a survey of your vehicle, see what size bolts are on the brakes and suspension, and buy that half dozen impact sockets.

In the future when it’s time to get an impact gun, you don’t need the most powerful one made if you’re working on SUVs and pickups. Get a middle of the range one which will be smaller, lighter, and cheaper. Get a cordless electric one that takes the same batteries as other tools you already own. And get it in ½”.

Edited to add:
This is a speed wrench. When I was a kid every backyard mechanic had one. You’d use the breaker bar to loosen the lug nuts, and then the speed wrench to remove them. It’s not as fast as an impact driver, but it’s pretty darned fast. Way faster than a ratchet.

 

All good advice so far. If you are still building your tool collection, it’s best to spend the money first on hand tools (sockets, wrenches, ratchets, breaker bars, etc). Buy the basica first, then add as each job demands new tools.

Impact drivers are an expensive luxury, unless you do this for a living. Nearly everything can be done by hand anyway.

I love my milwaukee impact guns, but they can break shit, or just not work in certain situations where they don’t fit. Using extensions in areas there they don’t fit basically neuters an impact gun anyway. They are mostly about saving time and labor, and maybe the occasional really stuck bolt (if you’re willing to accept even odds the bolt will break lol).

 

Gonna have to disagree on someone getting a 1/2" impact first.

I use my 3/8th more than anything. My 1/2" is just way to big to fit in most places. But it does come in handy when you need it.

 

I'll add an additional note to the impact wrench/breaker bar tale. I recently was working on my '03 Tacoma, and removed the wheels, breaker bar to break free the lug nuts, then impact wrench to remove the loose nuts. Upon reinstallation of the lug nuts, snugged up with impact, gently, then torque wrench to tighten in a star pattern. Few days later, took the Tacoma in for an oil change & tire rotation, and one of the lug nut studs broke off. Turns out my torque wrench was out of whack. I did end up recalibrating it, but also bought a new set of 3/8 & 1/2 inch torque wrenches. Point of story - torque wrenches can wear out or lose calibration.

 

If you can splurge.

https://shop.snapon.com/categories/TechAngle-Models-(2%-Accuracy)/682069

 

I have a Harbor Freight and a Cornwell breaker bar to pop them loose then zip them off with my impact driver.

 

DO NOT (cannot stress this enough) DO NOT USE AN IMPACT TO INSTALL THE NUTS! Learned that lesson the hard way. Ended up replacing a stud. Not the most expensive repair but a pain in the butt.

 

1. Woefully underpowered. Also 19mm and 21mm sockets don't come in 1/4" drive, so you'll need adapters, which further sap impact torque.
2. Sure
3. 3/8" makes sense. It's what I use (Milwaukee M12 stubby, 250 ft-lb)

 

I’ve used a 1/4” impact to remove lugnuts before but only because I was curious if it was even up to the task. That said, a better way is to break it free with a breaker bar and then zip them off with the impact if you’re limiting yourself to the 1/4”.

Putting them on, I’ll get the first couple of threads on by hand and then use the impact to snug them up and finish with a torque wrench.

 

To be fair, there are various sizes of 1/2” impacts now. I reach for my 12v 1/2” more anything now. Same body size as a 1/4” driver but more umph and half the weight of my big boy 1/2”.

 

That is true but then you gonna want all the different sizes and soon voltages just because.

Joys of buying tools.

I have all the Makita 18V but they don't really leave my house anymore. I'm finding I like 120V and air tools now so I don't have to keep track of all my damn batteries.

 

Depends on the impact driver.
I always torque the lugs properly so my 166 ft lb impact driver handles it fine. Couldn't say the same for the socket adaptors.
Got tired of replacing adaptors so I got some impact wrenches.

 

I use the 1/2" Ryobi impact, just because batteries are interchangeable with all my other tools. But 1/4" probably too underpowered.
i also have a couple spare wheel studs, cuz being fast and cool comes with consequences sometimes. LOL.

 

Thanks so much for all the feedback and advice! In general, I like the idea of attempting new skills using the most basic approach. That way, in the future, I can really judge the value of upgrades in tools or methods. Keeping it simple like this also helps keep the initial costs down, which is one of my goals here.

I think for the lug nuts I'm going to pick up a breaker bar and a 21mm socket (impact socket for potential future power tools) and that should be enough to get the job done with other tools I already own. The speed wrench, which I had never heard of, looks fun but since I already have a little cordless impact driver... If for some reason I end up removing wheels more often than I'm anticipating, then I may upgrade to an impact wrench.

Unfortunately, it seems like removing a wheel can't be done without a floor jack and some jack stands. That's where my money will have to go for this job.

 

Thanks for the tip on the tools. I'm going to save that link.

 

I’m a sucker for my Daytona 3 ton jack from harbor freight. I have the low profile long reach variant.

For jack stands, get 6 ton. It’s more for the height than the weight capacity. I use ACDelco stands.

 

The jack is every bit of 100 lbs! She stays on the garage floor and is rolled around as needed, as the name implies. I don’t know about the standard low pro but the long reach gets up to about 24”! Lifted my long travel tacoma with ease. Still could go another couple inches here.

I also really love tekton tools. Excellent bang for the buck.

 

100 lbs. Wow. Do you think the standard version of that jack would work for a stock SR5P? I love the idea of extra inches (ha ha) but I have a 65’ walk from my shed to the driveway where the all the work will happen and I’ll have to carry it. This one has a 20” lift and weighs in at 79 lbs.

 

You could also consider the badlands Offroad floor jack if that’s the case. Then you could wheel it from the shed to the driveway versus having to carry it. Downside of course is cost.

 

Not sure you’d want the “low profile” version for the 4R.

 

On the other hand a floor jack is one of those tools you only want one of, and it will last a long time. At some point in the future you may find a variety of vehicles in your driveway and you may wish you had the combination of low profile and high lift. Some floor jacks come with the provision for an extension.



Also, a lot of tire shops offer free tire rotations for the life of the tire.

 

+1 and a massive base that makes it more stable.

 

Exactly. I’ll use my 3 tons if I’m doing rear suspension work and need the axle low and the body high but that’s about all I find them good for anymore. Or on my wife’s car.

 

This is my line of thought exactly, but in this case I may need to just get what works for the time being and if things change in the future, I'll pivot.

I like the extension idea, but I haven't seen any floor jacks with that feature for sale in the usual places.

Actually, the whole reason I'm looking at taking wheels off is because my parking brake doesn't hold. It's like it's not even there. The pedal bottoms out and the truck still rolls easily. I'm hoping to remove the rear wheels and adjust the brake shoes through the hole in the disc brake rotor. Once I have the tools to do that, then I'll be set up for tire rotations too. And after I've rotated the tires a few times, I'll probably take it to the tire shop for free rotations....until that day when I have to wait an hour for a tire rotation; then I'll be back to doing it at home. But with the floor jack and jack stands I'll be able to do brake jobs, too, and I hope that's when those things will pay for themselves.