Deuce Air System vs 3/4" Impact Wrench

Someone on a recent thread recommended the Harbor Freight Earthquake air impact wrenches for Deuce lug nuts & caps. I had an old el cheapo 1/2" impact that I tried using without much success, it just didn't have to power to do the job. I found a few used Earthquakes on Epay, since I already had one 1/2" impact buying a second 1/2" impact didn't make much sense, so I went for a 3/4" wrench which I got for less than half the cost of a new one at HF. Got it yesterday, it is a brute, weighs about 15 pounds, and appears to have had little use. It is rated at 1100 ft-lbs of torque, so it should do what I need.

I was all smiles until I tried to use it on the Deuce. It is set up for a 3/8" air line with 90 psi and 4.25 SCFM of air at the gun. Unfortunately, all I have to power it is the military setup for inflating tires - the one that attaches to the glad hand with about 30' of what appears to be 1/4" hose and the neat combo tire inflater/pressure gauge at the other end. I had already added a 1/4" QD fitting to the end for my 1/2" impact, so I screwed a 1/4" fitting to my new Earthquake and gave it a try. It sucked! Not the fault of the gun I am sure, it just as not getting enough air to do much good. I think I can fart harder than my hose setup delivers air.

So what do you folks with HD tools do to get enough air to run your tools? I realize there is a 3/8" air fitting inside the cab which I could use, but it is a ways from the air tank and I'm concerned about line loss. I'm thinking of tapping into the lines near the air tanks and run a 1/2" line into the tool box and installing a regulator and QD fitting there. Does that seem like a good approach? I know the Deuce air compressor can't keep up with that kind of flow so I'd have to take my time and let the compressor build up pressure while I'm working, but when I'm on the road I won't have much else in the way of options.

Any comments or does anyone have a better idea?

I set up a 11gal tank with a 1/2 t on it and a 1/2 hose running to the gun, then I put a male quick connect on the hole the little hose comes out of so I can fill it with the compressor at home or the glad hand.

works good. I can even remove 4 front spring u-bolt nuts with one tank of air before refilling.

Some one else had a thead on this. They run a hose from the glad hand to the tank AKA THE PIG and then run a hose to the tool.

There was an old military PIG on EPAY...it was silver

Lots of air tools like high pressure but even more important is volume. Air tools like impact guns and ratchets are total loss systems so you need a good sized (1/2" or better) hose and a holding tank 'cause the compressor alone won't keep up.

Air volume is a problem on my deuce also. I've got an old gas powered compressor and am trying to decide whether to use just the tanks to add volume to the truck system or figure out a way to hook the compressor to a pto. The gas motor on the compressor is real hard to start or restart.

Here is how I did mine. I use this with the deuce as well as the house compressor. I use my regular 1/4 hose to feed this. With a little time and this, I can run my 1" impact off the deuce. The hose on the air pig is 1/2". FWIW an inline tank like this also makes a fair moisture trap.

you can often (sometimes) get a 1" impact that is very low on power for as little as $5 at scrap yards and flea markets. the trick is to take it apart and have an automotive machine shop hone the motor housing back round on their rod machine. the fibre seals bounce in a worn housing, thus no power. hone it, clean and oil it and full power again.

Kenny - Like the air pig setup. I wonder if I can find some room under the bed to install one. BTW, is that one of my sockets on your impact wrench?

Lee, just get a section of 1/2 inch air hose and hook up glad hand connections all the way around. It works well and you don't have to spend 35.00 each for half inch air couplers.

Thats a Snap-On socket. I have one of your sockets in 3/4 drive, didn't know you had them in 1"

I run air tools alot off of mine. I do pull the hand throttle to 1500 prm's though. I can bust the 6 lug nuts loose before the pressure drops too much. I have a elcheepo 3/4drive impact that does the job just fine.

I use a 3/4 CP with 3/8 line off the gladhand. It too will bust six loose with little effort, but I gotta let the compressor catch up before I do a second wheel. Ditto on the 1500 RPM.

The Robo tool electric 24 volt impact is made for removing Lugnuts on all M series vehicles. No air. Just a slave connection. Cheap is $100, worst case, $300. with case, with sockets, with nut holder to separate stuck thimbles from outer nuts. Or buy a gear reduction hand wrench, nothing but human power and never a stuck budd thimble, $75 tops. JT out

Mine looks just like kenny's. I borrowed his idea

I disagree with Jtonka's worst case.. Worst case is buying them new from Aircraft Dynamics at $2800 for the kit..

Kenny - I assumed from the photo you had a 1" impact, but the socket in the photo looked identical to my 3/4" socket, which is the only size have. What did the 1" Snap On socket set you back? I bet it was more than the $19 or so I charged you for the 3/4" socket! Kind of interesting though that both sockets look so much alike, they must come form the same (probably Chinese) supplier. I wonder what my 3/4" socket would do vs your 1" impact (with a 3/4' x 1' adapter). I bet the impact wrench would break before the socket!

Lee, got it used on Evilbay for around $15+ shipping. It wasn't too bad at all. I still use the 3/4 incher most of the time. The 1 incher is a last resort impact.

Houdel-

Before you go buying an air pig and such... just try buying a glad hand from NAPA, and use 3/8" fittings, and use a section of 1/2" hose. I mean, you're going to need 1/2" hose ANYWAYS if you do the air pig idea, but try that first, and see what you get. The emergency gladhand comes of a 1/2" pipe that is plumbed DIRECTLY to the tanks. So, you already have the infrastructure - you just need to use a larger hose/fittings combo off the gladhand.

Matt

I still like the air pig idea for volume and will probably do it with my extra tanks. But will also try the glad hand.
Does any one worry about lug torques (325-350 ft lbs)?
Where do you find a inexpensive 350 ft lb torque bar or wrench?