I need cordless impact wrench for my car.

Hello: I am looking for a cordless impact wrench that I can use to remove and fasten the lug nuts on the cars I own. I only need something that can torque between 90 and 110 ft lbs. Do you have any recommendations? Do any of the product offer the ability to set the torque, so you do not over torque the lug nuts?

Please advise. Thanks in advance for your time




Thanks for your email.


Cordless Impact wrenches are great for doing just what you described. I personally would recommend the Ingersoll Rand 1/2" cordless impact models. These are built out of the same parts as their air impact wrenches that your auto mechanic would use and comes with 2 batteries and a recharger. I would stay away from the cheaper models. They really are not strong enough and come with inferior batteries. The Ingersoll Rand 1/2" cordless impact models will give you about 360 ft/lbs of torque. That is really what you need to torque a lug nut on a car. 100 ft/lbs is not enough to safely tighten a car's lug nut. Also, none of the cordless models have adjustable torque on them. However, they will not over tighten a lug nut, so I wouldn't worry about that too much. The Ingersoll Rand Cordless Impact kit comes with a set of flip sockets that will fit most lug nuts. So you should be up and running with what comes with this kit. Another product I would recommend getting is a power inverter. You can carry it in your car and plug it into your lighter socket. Then you can plug you’re A/C battery recharger into it. I also use it to run my laptop computer as well. That way you can carry the 1/2" cordless impact wrench with you in the car and charge it on the road.

Help with A/C diagnosis?

Just warmed up enough here to turn the Air Conditioning on for the first time the other
day and it blew hot. It was working fine last season, so I figured it just
needed a recharge.

I bought a kit with the hose, manifold gauge set, and can of refrigerant. Everything
seemed pretty straightforward. It said if the compressor didn't run, to
empty the whole can into it, it said it would only fit one valve, and it had
green (low), blue (filled), yellow (alert), and red (danger) zones.

I start the engine, and sure enough it's in the blue. Compressor not
running.

Attach the can, open it up - goes instantly to red. turn off can, back to
blue. Turn it on, back to red, off - back to blue. I'm sensing a pattern -
just let it fill for a while.

It fills and fills and fills - still nothing from the compressor. I start to
suspect something electrical.

After about ten minutes - the compressor comes on for about 2 seconds.
Well - it's not electrical.

I turn the can off and take a reading - there's a pattern. The gauge goes up
to nearly the yellow zone in the green, the compressor comes on for two
seconds, knocks it to the blue/green borderline, pressure builds back up to
the green yellow line - repeat. Basically the compressor comes on about 2
seconds out of every 15.

I disconnect the can - it's about 3/4 full!

I try adding a bit more - doesn't seem to take it - and the connector
"spewed" when I disconnected the hose.

I realize now I'm probably not looking at a DIY repair. It would be NICE if
I could fix it, as I'm driving 5 hours tomorrow. But mainly at this point
I'd like to have an idea of what to expect at the mechanic - what to say or
what not to say - what to expect, etc.

I have a feeling I shouldn't even mention I tried to recharge it. "Uh - no -
of course that didn't work, because you need a whole new system". I just
don't want to walk in somewhere looking like a gaping billfold to someone.

Any ideas what might be going on - what to expect, what to say?

Can I assume, A) it's charged, B) it's not electrical, and C) the
compressor's not frozen up?

Thanks for any input!


The method they give you is for the first can on a completely empty
system. In your case the system isn't completely empty, its just low.
in a low charge situation this method will never charge the system.
You have to find the low pressure cutoff switch and jumper it so that
the compressor will continue to run while you are charging.

That being said you really should take it to a shop and let someone
who knows what they are doing look at it. Those bargain cans aren't a
bargain. You are only seeing one side of the picture with that can...
You have no idea what is going on with the high side and you realy
have to see the whole picture to charge the system properly.

Air Condition freon charging question

I have a manifold gauge set for charging R-134 vehicles. I'm trying to find out the proper way to use the gauges myself when charging a system with freon. I know you hook up the low side(blue)hose to the low pressure and the high side(red)hose to the high pressure side on my
vehicle but how do I know what valve side I open such as do I open just he lowside(blue) or do I open just the highside(red) or do I open both sides when charging system with new freon? and also what is a good pressure guage reading on the lowside and the highside of the manifold gauge set?


Before you begin, I would first find check out a few possibilities. Is the air conditioning system completely empty(any pressure)? If so,the leak should be located and repaired first. You will need a refrigerant leak detector to do this job. Is the compressor short cycling(turning on and off)? I would highly recommend getting an a/c beginners manual,pressure/temperature chart,and a infrared thermometer. To put in the refrigerant, just put it through the lowside(car running @ medium idle) in vapor form(read the can as to hold it rightside up,or down). till the low side line is "beer can cold". You can also the can in a bowl of warm water to allow the the vapor pressure to raise slightly. I would suggest that if you partially cover the condenser "in front of the radiator" with a piece of cardboard this would simulate driving on a +90
degree day. As for the gauge pressure, a good rule of thumb would be 35 psi on low and not
over 275 psi on high side would be approx. If you are not comfortable with handling this process, take it to a good auto garage. Pressurized freon can be very dangerous and possibly explode.