I bought my '07 used and its for me to check the brakes on my truck. This is my first 3/4 ton and decided to buy an impact to make maintenance like this easier. I know i don't want to over-tighten the lug nuts when putting the wheels back, so I was thinking of getting some of these torque sticks.

Anyone have any experience with them, good or bad?

http://www.torquestick.com

 

I just spin the lugs on with my 3/8" butterfly impact then use my Craftsman 1/2" drive torque wrench for final tightening.

 

When I worked at the GM dealer we used them every time we put a wheel on whether it was steel or aluminum. Never had a wheel fall off or a stud brake.

 

Ehhh, I just send them home with my Snap-on 1/2" gun. 3 steps..1st lightly to seat the rim... 2nd round torque...3rd round final torque... deep socket right on the anvil, no extensions. Too much torque is lost in an extension for my liking. Ofcourse you have to know your gun and this takes experience... I have never seen a Tech anywhere torque a lugnut with a torque wrench

 

are you just hitting it with the gun and socket no torque stick? that is a huge no no. especially with a high torque gun.

i always use torque sticks unless its a corvette with after market rims than i pull out my torque wrench.

never had a wheel fall off from the torque sticks. broke a few though. my gun puts out over 500 ft/lbs

 

I always use a torque wrench on lug nuts, whether cars, light trucks or heavy trucks while at work. People that rattle lug nuts fairly good with an impact (car and light truck) should be taught better than that. I will use my 1/2 inch for cars and light truck lug nuts, but I turn the "power" down. Once I have them to what I feel is close to the ft lbs, I will stop, set the vehicle on the ground and torque using a torque wrench.

Not torquing Lug nuts is like not torquing U-bolts IMO.

 

I use a 150 ft/lb torque stick for lugs, never break out the torque wrench anymore, it's a waste of time.
Checked several times in the beginning with a manual torque wrench and they are always within 5 ft/lbs even if I keep hammering on it with a 300 lb wrench.
Lightly spin them all down with the impact then criss-cross with the torque stick.
Only way to go.

 

Yea, I just nail them with the gun...and my gun is a 700 pound gun, Snap-On XT7100...Like I said...all about experience.

 

I just hit 'em with the gun, never had one come loose or fall off, never even knew what a torque stick was till about 2-3 years ago.

 

I really like torque sticks. They can save a lot of time and I've never had an issue with them.

 

never use them on any of our trucks even with 1150 # impact gun

 

Dito

 

I torque every lugnut I touch. In my line of work, when your dealing with tires and rims that weigh 1000+lbs, you make dang sure that things are torqued properly with the right tool JMO. Scares me that a lot of guys just trust their impact to torque it down.

 

I have been working on cars for 35+ years I just run em home( don't beat them till they snap) with my IR titanium 1/2 .never broke a stud or lost a wheel!

 

Torque sticks are the only way to go! I use them on the 22.5's at work every time I have to install a wheel, never had a problem. I have used them on cars and light duty stuff when I worked @ a Chevy dealer and that is the only way we would put them on. IMHO I would pick up a set they are very handy and once you "trust" them it will save you a ton of time.
DS79