Old timer at NAPA told me to stop using impact guns on lugnuts

He said hand torque only or you'll stretch the studs. Blew it off for 2 years until I snapped a stud on a 2015 F-150 last month. Now I hand torque everything. Anyone else ditch their impact for lug nuts?

2 comments

2 Comments

karen_hart25d ago

Yeah, I hear you on that. "Hand torque only or you'll stretch the studs" is exactly what my buddy told me when I started working on my own truck. I laughed it off for a couple years too, figured impacts were fine. Then I had a stud snap on a Toyota Tundra, right in the middle of a trip. It was a huge hassle to fix on the side of the road. Now I use a torque wrench every time, no exceptions. It takes a little longer, but I'd rather do that than replace studs or risk a wheel coming off. That old timer knew what he was talking about.

smith.ray25d ago

That Tundra stud issue is common on the 2007-2013 models because Toyota used a 12mm thread instead of the standard 14mm on the front hubs. I had a 2012 and found out the hard way that even a cheap Harbor Freight torque wrench is more accurate than guessing with an impact. The real kicker is that overtightening actually makes the stud weaker over time because of metal fatigue. So you're not just risking a snap right then, you're setting yourself up for failure 20,000 miles down the road.