Tools for working on the Deuce

Ok, I'm fixing to tear into this beast & its obvious I'm going to have to buy some tools. I found the combo socket for the lug nuts & a big 3/4 drive breaker bar is next. Will a 60 gallon craftsmanship air compressor have enough guts to run a 3/4 impact? My other major concern is jack & jackstands. I'm willing to bet my lil 2 ton floor jack ain't going to cut it. I know everyone on a budget seems to flock to Harbor Freight but i have a hard time trusting life & limb to the Chinese bs at Harbor Freight. What are yall using?

Get a 8-10 ton bottle jack that has the screw out extension and get some 6 x 6's and block it with them . Don't use concrete blocks for cribbing.

Seems like this topic just came up not to long ago...

I have jack stands rated at 6t each, 2 I got from HF and 2 from Amazon (which was less $ than HF - and they're better than HF). I splurged on and got a Esco yellow jacket jack rated at 20t.

If you're gonna remove the wheels and get into the hubs you'll need a spindle socket. Usually a special order, but pretty easy to get. If you can use a breaker bar to get off the hub nuts, you're better man than I. You might look into a torque wrench that can handle 450 lbs. Some places rent them (~$60/day), but if you need one they start around $200 at Summit Racing.

Start with a 10 ton bottle jack, add a good set of 1/2 drive SAE sockets with the appropriate handles, and you will be off to a good start.

porkysplace said:

Get a 8-10 ton bottle jack that has the screw out extension and get some 6 x 6's and block it with them . Don't use concrete blocks for cribbing.

Click to expand...

You dont worry bout the wood blocks splitting under the weight of the truck?

sgms18 said:

You dont worry bout the wood blocks splitting under the weight of the truck?

Click to expand...

Wood is used for cribbing on massive loads. I have 3 sets of big jack stands but also lots of 6x6 pressure treated pine and 6x6 oak for when jackstands can't be used (dirt, macadam) for everthing up to my 5 ton. I also have quite a few 4x4s cut up to use as well. If done correctly they won't sustain damage.

Good enough for me, 6x6s it is. I have all basic hand tools up to 1 1/4in & a good 1/2in impact. If theres anything else yall deem necessary or just things to make life easier id love to hear about it.

You 1 1/2 inch sockets for the wheels but the tire tool is pretty good. Wood for cribbing is perfect so long as you lay it down horizontally. I am paranoid so I use overrated jack stands,wood cribbing timber and leave the jack under the truck too.

Your compressor should be good, get a 1/2” air hose with the larger quick connects to run a 3/4” impact, it will work with 3/8” hose and regular quick connects but the 1/2” hose makes a huge difference. Get the special wrenches for the air compressor sheave, they make adjusting the belt much easier. A electric or pneumatic grease gun is s big plus. If working outside I keep a cheap moving blanket from tsc for laying on and as cushion for the knees. I don’t care for most of the Chinese stuff at HF either, but the air/hyd bottle jack has been great so far (even came with a seal kit) not sure if it’s a good sign or not but it’s been used a lot with zero issues. Their jackstands are also good.

I really like the issue geared lug wrench. I like it better than a 1" air impact. Maddawg was selling them cheap a while back. Grab one if you get the chance...

I've used a bunch of different tools on lug nuts, and this is my #1 choice.

I'll second steve's comment on multiple jack stands. When lying under 25,000lbs of steel I want more than one thing to have to fail before it can kill me. (I had a really close call with a chevelle a couple of decades ago. It made an impression, literally....)

I also like the geared lug wrench from Ken Tool. Properly braced it can move mountains. I used a harbor freight crow bar to brace it one time as i did not have both the "bars" that come with it. it easily bent the crow bar in half but broke the lug loose anyway. the long tube bar is hard to get by itself. the smaller bar can be replaced by any quality big truck tire spoon. The spoon handle will fit inside the tube bar(30" long) for easier storage. I think it is heat treated(hardened) so not just any old length of pipe will do. although appropriate diameter DOM might work. Also, if you can find impact sockets they might hold up better than regular due to some of the fastener torques. be prepared to replace a variety of fasteners as they tend to snap off heads due to age and rust. second on the harbor freight jacks, jack stands if you have one near you. the a frame on wheels is a good deal to. if you have a paved work area. Funny thing I have noticed about taking lugs off, when they finally let go with the geared wrench it is very controllable release of tension. no sudden release and the wrench slams to the ground or elsewhere. after that its finger turn. a long handle pry bar or shovel will save your back getting wheels on and off the lugs. or one of those inexpensive(relative) wheel dollies with a pump jack on it. If you can get your hands on a swench set at a reasonable price it can remove / install some pretty serious torqued fasteners with hand power.

I just looked up the lug nut torque spec for the Isuzu NPR & it's 369ft lb. It uses the same 1.5in lug nuts & square drive stids like the deuce. Is it safe to assume the deuce lug nuts would use the same torque?

sgms18 said:

I just looked up the lug nut torque spec for the Isuzu NPR & it's 369ft lb. It uses the same 1.5in lug nuts & square drive stids like the deuce. Is it safe to assume the deuce lug nuts would use the same torque?

Click to expand...

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.

According to TM 2320-209-10-4 the torque value in that document is 325-350 ft lbs for the lugs. I have used 350 as a target. It also depends in my opinion on what lube is on them. With anti seize I think 350 is adequate. Just my opinion.


Eddie

I would add that a good air wrench is a great option as long as you have a good air source. on the road, as long as the truck is running you have a good air source. if parked indoors running the engine may not be practical or safe. sometimes, even outdoors, on the road, running the engine while working on the truck may not be practical or safe. I like electric power tools, battery or cord but mostly battery. however, don't always have access to power for one reason or another. the truck may be having electric problems so that might not work either. so, i like to keep good old hand tools handy and use them enough to be good with them. anywho, its probably best to think about where and under what circumstances you will use the tools. having multiple options couldn't hurt.

The Army issues a 3/4" 24v electric impact wrench that plugs into a NATO slave receptacle Sometimes with really stubborn lug nuts it may be necessary start them with a breaker bar and then spin them off with the impact. Described wrench is visible in picture.

James you are correct in TM 9-2320-361-24-1 it calls for the inner lug nuts torque to be 400-425 ft lbs and the outer nuts to be 325-355 ft lbs. I think this is to help prevent turning the inner nut if not using the gear reduction lug tool that drives off of the square end. I learn something new from you guys. Thanks.

Eddie

That Earthquake 3/4in impact that Rustystud mentioned sounds like a reasonable option. I'm going to have to check that out. I'd like to have one of them 24v guns that uses the slave cable but the 1 place i saw the listed for sale was 500 some odd dollars.

When I had my Airman 185 cfm compressor I would use my one inch. I had the big hose and fittings so I had more than enough air to push it. Now I trust my truck four way and a four foot aluminum cheater above anything else.