• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Tools for working on the Deuce

Eliteweapons

Member
238
5
18
Location
Baltimore Maryland
Keep in mind that the size of the air hose (line) supplying the impact is just as important as having a big enough compressor and tank. I have a 1/2 inch line that I use on my 3/4" gun.
 

sgms18

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
241
85
28
Location
North Augusta SC
So, rustystuds comment on the HF earthquake xt impacts got me to looking at em online & alot of people have good things to say. The 3/4 pneumatic claims 1500ft lb & the 1/2 20 volt battery claims 1200. Does anybody here have 1st hand experience with either?
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,266
2,962
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
So, rustystuds comment on the HF earthquake xt impacts got me to looking at em online & alot of people have good things to say. The 3/4 pneumatic claims 1500ft lb & the 1/2 20 volt battery claims 1200. Does anybody here have 1st hand experience with either?
I do actually. I own several 3/4" impacts from "Chicago Pneumatic" (the made in America one) and "Snap-On" to the new Harbor Freight "Earthquake" . I really cannot tell any difference in performance between them. The only difference I can find is weight. The newer Earthquake is lighter then all the others. The heaviest one is the Snap-On.
I also own several 1" impacts and again the "Earthquake" is the lightest one.
Now I don't own any of the electric impacts except my "Milwaukee" ones. So I cannot help you there.
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
12,123
9,368
113
Location
Mason, TN
The Dewalt 20v brushless 1/2" impact and the 18v Milwaukee fuel impact will do what an air impact can. At double the rate. Air impacts on these trucks are slow unless you add a few more tanks. I carry the dewalt gun with me on the road. It will take lugnuts off that a 1in air impact puts on. Very versatile and a life saver for other work. I feel lost when I don't have it. $205 for the bare tool plus batteries.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,266
2,962
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
The Dewalt 20v brushless 1/2" impact and the 18v Milwaukee fuel impact will do what an air impact can. At double the rate. Air impacts on these trucks are slow unless you add a few more tanks. I carry the dewalt gun with me on the road. It will take lugnuts off that a 1in air impact puts on. Very versatile and a life saver for other work. I feel lost when I don't have it. $205 for the bare tool plus batteries.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
Now I wouldn't say my Milwaukee (3/4" 18 volt impact-new design) is as strong as my air impacts, but it is strong. It cannot take off lug nuts that have been tightened with say a 1" impact though. I've tried and it's a "No-Go" . My 1" impacts can reach power levels of 2000 Ft of torque. No way is any electric impact going to take that nut off. Just saying.
 

Mike944

Member
36
3
8
Location
Haddam, Connecticut
I have one of these torque multipliers. no cords, batteries or hoses, and it's cheap. Works great for breaking nuts loose and tightening them. Not good for running them on and off the threads, but one of the best tools I bought for this truck.

Quality isn't terribly good, but it's perfectly usable, and EASILY breaks lug nuts loose with almost no effort.


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Torque-M...l-Truck-Tire-Remove-Remover-Lugnuts/178541500

there are a bunch of different kits out there. some of them have both the 1-1/2 hex, and the proper square drive for the rears.
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,266
2,962
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
I have one of these torque multipliers. no cords, batteries or hoses, and it's cheap. Works great for breaking nuts loose and tightening them. Not good for running them on and off the threads, but one of the best tools I bought for this truck.

Quality isn't terribly good, but it's perfectly usable, and EASILY breaks lug nuts loose with almost no effort.


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Torque-M...l-Truck-Tire-Remove-Remover-Lugnuts/178541500

there are a bunch of different kits out there. some of them have both the 1-1/2 hex, and the proper square drive for the rears.
I would never take this lug nut tool on the road with me. It is very cheaply made ( I know as I bought one and took it apart ) and can easily break on you. It is not a tool to depend on. Now there are several torque-multiplier tools out there worth having. The first is the military one. It is a sound piece of equipment that will take years of abuse and still work fine.
Then there are the "3 to 1" and "4 to 1" torque-multipliers out there. I bought one off eBay for under $200.00 that is a real nice unit. I also bought a nice 1" drive one with a "4 to 1" ratio that can go to 2000 ft Ibs of torque easily. It was under $300.00 . So you don't need to spend the $1000.00 to $2000.00 "Snap-On" tools wants for its torque-multipliers. I forgot to mention I do have a really nice military one for taking track off tanks that can go up to 5,000 ft Ibs . I bought it off eBay for under $500.00 . Basically brand new ! So look around for your tools . You can find what you need at good prices and they will be quality tools that will last your lifetime.
 

Larry Weibert

Active member
102
119
43
Location
Youngstown New York
To what Rusty was saying about the HF Earthquake XT impacts. If it helps I own an auto repair and towing facility with 4 mechs.
I don't wrench as much as I used to and many times look for value in other than Snap-on. Of course I get the laughs and comments from my employees. So I had a young guy I was starting and bought him some start up tools. I bought him a HF EQ XT 1/2 impact. We do a lot of tires. Within a month I noticed the other guys were steeling his to do tires. When I asked them why they said that they like it better then there snap on and the weight is nice if your using it all day. They now all have HF XT wrenches on there carts and the strap ons are in there lower section of there box. They have been beating them up for over a year no failures.
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,266
2,962
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
To what Rusty was saying about the HF Earthquake XT impacts. If it helps I own an auto repair and towing facility with 4 mechs.
I don't wrench as much as I used to and many times look for value in other than Snap-on. Of course I get the laughs and comments from my employees. So I had a young guy I was starting and bought him some start up tools. I bought him a HF EQ XT 1/2 impact. We do a lot of tires. Within a month I noticed the other guys were steeling his to do tires. When I asked them why they said that they like it better then there snap on and the weight is nice if your using it all day. They now all have HF XT wrenches on there carts and the strap ons are in there lower section of there box. They have been beating them up for over a year no failures.
I bought one when they first came out just to see what it could do. Afterwards I went back and bought another one ! They are a good quality tool and I don't see why they cannot last years in a hard working environment like a tire shop. Just before I retired from the transit agency there where several mechanics who where buying tools form other places then just from the "Snap-On" man. They got some ribbing from the other mechanics for awhile, but then we all saw how these other "cheaper" brands where still holding up well after some hard use. One tool brand in particular caught my attention, that was "Gray Pneumatic" impact sockets from Taiwan. I now own several complete socket sets from them from 1/4" to 1" and they all work great ! So I have pretty much put away my prejudice against cheaper but still quality tools. Of course Harbor Freight still carries some really garbage tools ! But they are slowly changing to better quality items I see.

I forgot to add that that is really nice of you to help your young mechanics get started with their tools Larry ! I had to go into debt for several years to pay off my starter set of tools.
Every payday the Snap-On man would come around and I would hand him a check that was about half my salary. I remember feeling like an indentured servant ! I thought I would never get out from under that debt !
So a hearty "good for you Larry" for helping !
 
Last edited:

8madjack

Active member
416
78
28
Location
Gold country Ca.
I just got one of these military torque multipliers it didn't come with the bars. I have super singles on my m931 A1 and I'm trying to figure out how this would work, I don't have the square studs.
 

snowtrac nome

Well-known member
1,674
139
63
Location
western alaska
You have to have budd nuts for those to work. get a regular 3 to 1 torque multiplier off flea bay for your super singles and other big @$$ fasteners.
 

frank8003

In Memorial
In Memorial
6,426
4,985
113
Location
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
excuse redundancy
I like redundant
You need this stuff
Remember to loosen lugs and nuts on a Deuce always turn them towards the rear of the truck no matter which side you are on. First go look and assure all those on the drivers side are stamped "L" and all on the other side are stamped "R.;
Never can tell what "they" did unless you check first.
IMG_4773.jpgken tool mine photoCAR5E14C.jpgken tool Porkchop wrench.jpgken tool ps460_p24_25_5_ton_lug_nuts_sized.jpgken tool wrench%20break.jpgView attachment Ken-tool brochure.pdfthimble.jpg
 

Attachments

fpchief

Well-known member
1,041
220
63
Location
South Alabama
No. The deuce is over 400 ft Ibs. Most trucks that use the standard 3/4" stud with 1-1/2" nut are torqued to 500 ft Ibs.
Now about lug nut removal, I agree that the military lug-nut tool is great in removing them. Of course since I'm getting up there in years I prefer using my 1" impact tool. Most good 3/4" impact tools can also remove the lug nuts pretty easily.
Harbor Freight now sells the "Earthquake" line of impacts. I have bought several including the 1" to test them out. They actually work really well. I talked with the store manager a while back and according to him Harbor Freight had some "Ingersol Rand" engineers design the new line of impact wrenches. They tested the Harbor Freight 1/2" impact against the Snap-On 1/2" Impact and they came out almost identical in performance. The Snap-On costs over 4 times as much though.
Will they hold up for the long haul, who knows. But for the limited amount of use I need them for, they should do just fine.
This may be mentioned somewhere else in this thread if so....my apologies. I recently purchased the Bauer 1/2" electric impact from HF. It spun the lugs off (with a 3/4 to 1/2 reducer) like it was not a deal at all. I went to my other deuce because i KNOW its lugs have not been messed with in a very long time and it spun them off quickly also...$99 and worth every penny.
 

8madjack

Active member
416
78
28
Location
Gold country Ca.
You have to have budd nuts for those to work. get a regular 3 to 1 torque multiplier off flea bay for your super singles and other big @$$ fasteners.
Thanks, thats what I suspected. I'll keep it in my tool box in case I come across a truck with duals, like my friends deuce.

Besides, I'm kind of a tool whore :naner:
 
Top