Impact wrench for 7 build - worth it?

[tomwoodis]

I've had my date for delivery confirmed for later this month so am feverishly getting everything I can think of together in anticipation. I've picked up lots of useful tips in terms of what to get but one thing that nobody has mentioned is a cordless impact wrench.

Is this because they'd be fairly useless for the task in hand? I'd only get one if I thought it could help speed up the build but wont if I'll barely be able to use it given tight spaces etc.

Thoughts?

[HustleRussell]

Pointless... Everything needs final tightening with a torque wrench.

[Tango7]

HustleRussell said:

Pointless... Everything needs final tightening with a torque wrench.

Agreed from the build POV. Useful though for changing wheels in the future!

[uremaw]

I wouldn't bother. I bought a £30 torque wrench from amazon and used it for every nut and bolt apart from the hubs. Any time i'd have saved with an impact wrench would have lost in dealing with stripped/threaded bolts.

Save your money for the inevitable trips to SBFS/Thundersport once the car is build.

[BertBert]

An utter abomination for a 7 build

[tomwoodis]

A lot of love for the impact wrench then

Thanks guys, will throw the MachineMart catalogue in the bin then.


as you were.....

[SystemParanoia]

bloody awesome for use on regular cars though!

getting those stupid rusted nuts off in tight spaces that would take you all day to remove otherwise

also brilliant for tightening things that would otherwise need a 2nd tool to "hold" the other side.

[jackh707]

Best tool in the garage.

For getting wheels off in under a minute including jacking up. Very useful.

Great for seized nuts and bolts, particularly motorbike front sprockets.

Obviously a torque wrench is better for a caterham build, dosnt mean you don't need one though .

[BertBert]

jackh707 said:

Obviously a torque wrench is better for a caterham build

They are different. An impact wrench is really for undoing stuck stuff. A torque wrench is for getting the right tightness on doing up. Doing anything up on a new car build with an impact wrench is just plain wrong.

jackh707 said:

dosnt mean you don't need one though .

Wouldn't be without my L7C bulk buy battery one and also the air one when getting serious is needed!!
Bert