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Most car owners these days own an impact wrench like all the professionals to avoid the hassle of going to a mechanic. An impact wrench is a very useful tool for daily car maintenance without spending your hard-earned money on professionals. Unlike any other cordless impact wrench, an air impact wrench comes with manual torque control. Most people are familiar with automated torque control as it takes to press a button and BOOOOM! But when it comes to doing the torque control manually, complexity arises.
In this post we'll cover:
What Is a Torque on an Air Impact Wrench?
When you open an intact bottle of soda, you apply a clockwise force on the bottle cap. The force or pressure you put on the cap for rotating the bottle cap can be referred to as torque. In an air impact wrench, the anvil creates a rotational force that tightens or loosens the nuts. In that case, the measure of the rotational force is called torque force. And adjusting the torque force is inevitable for precise screwing.Why Is Torque Adjustment on the Air Impact Wrench Necessary?
Basically, adjusting the torque gives precision to your work. For instance, you may overdrive the screw for extra torque force if you don’t know how to adjust and when to adjust. Extra torque force sometimes stripped the head of the screw while spinning on a hard surface. You will not feel the resistance while screwing. But when you take the wrench off, you will see. Thus it will be impossible to remove the screw without damaging the surface. On the contrary, lower torque forces can make it hard for the screw to stick to the surface. That’s why it’s highly important to adjust the torque force according to the requirements of the project. It will ensure more flexibility and perfection at work.Adjusting Torque On Air Impact Wrench- Simple Steps
Anyone can adjust the torque on an air impact wrench by following three simple steps.Step One: Connect and Lock
In the first step, you just need to attach the air compressor hose with the air impact wrench. While attaching the hose, check the connection point closely. If there is any leak in the joint, the air pressure will be inconsistent while screwing with the impact wrench. Lock the joint adamantly.Step Two: Look out for Minimum Air Pressure Requirement
Each air impact gun comes with a minimum air pressure requirement. Less than the required air pressure can ultimately damage the impact gun. That’s why you must go through the manual book and figure out the minimum air pressure requirement. And that’s where you will set the pressure before you go to the next step.Step Three: Control The Air Pressure Regulator
Adjusting the torque on an air impact wrench means controlling the air pressure that generates the torque force. You can control the air pressure by controlling the air pressure regulator on the compressor. In that case, you will have to start the impact gun from its minimum air pressure requirement and regulate the regulator until you find the ideal torque. While regulating the regulator, you have to assess the pressure you will require for the job.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When is an air tool regulator important for adjusting torque?
If you have several air tools attached to a single compressor, the air pressure penetration through the hose will be inconsistent. In that case, using a simple air tool regulator can ensure consistent air pressure to each hose.How to avoid over-tightening with an impact wrench?
If adjusting the torque seems a hassle to you, don’t use an impact wrench while screwing nuts. In that case, use the impact gun only to loosen the nut faster. However, for tightening bolts, use a torque wrench to be more precise and gentle with your bolts.Bottom Line
The adjustment of torque may seem difficult for beginners. But after following the process a few times, making torque adjustments, on an air impact wrench, will be a piece of cake for you. Though there are a lot of cordless impact wrenches that offer automatic torque control, people still prefer air impact wrenches for their super light and compact body size, affordable price, and to avoid overheating issues. And we hope this torque adjustment guide will resolve the only problem of using an air impact gun.
I'm Joost Nusselder, the founder of Tools Doctor, content marketer, and dad. I love trying out new equipment, and together with my team I've been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with tools & crafting tips.
