The Automotive Thread

[Road Guy]

Are you rotating your own tires? or doing your own brakes? I used to do my own brake pads but just lost the energy to give up a Saturday to do that anymore.. That's why I bought the impact hammer originally, I rotated the tires on my older jeep but even with an impact wrench and a hydraulic jack it was still a PIA considering they usually do it for free where you buy your tires..

 

[knight1fox3]

Thanks for the advice - based on what you say, i will return the small gun and look at getting this or a bigger and better one.  Because what's the point in having the compressor, if I'm just using it to fill tires every few months.

So size does matter then? :dunno:

 

[Supe]

Thanks for the advice - based on what you say, i will return the small gun and look at getting this or a bigger and better one.  Because what's the point in having the compressor, if I'm just using it to fill tires every few months.

There is absolutely no reason that any 1/2" impact gun won't handle lug nuts.  You need to bump up your air pressure before you do anything.  

 

[Ship Wreck PE]

I have a "POS" 1/2" air impact wench, and I always have to pre-loosen lug nuts with a 1/2" socket wrench and a 18" Cheater bar.

 

[Road Guy]

Honestly for just normal garage stuff at home I just always use the four-way lug wrench

 

[Dleg]

^I really don't have that much problem using it, but now I have the compressor so I might as well get the impact wrench working.  I'll try bumping up the air pressure first.

Are you rotating your own tires? or doing your own brakes? I used to do my own brake pads but just lost the energy to give up a Saturday to do that anymore.. That's why I bought the impact hammer originally, I rotated the tires on my older jeep but even with an impact wrench and a hydraulic jack it was still a PIA considering they usually do it for free where you buy your tires..

Changing between summer and winter tires, mostly.  I would have just stuck with the 4-way lug wrench, but after driving all over town trying to find a gas station that had a convenient air station, and then freezing my ass off putting air in the one I found (which required fitty cent), I decided I might as well get a compressor for the convenience of it. Years ago - no make that 3 decades ago - I worked in a Target auto shop (when those existed) and got real used to using an impact wrench to remove wheels.  Just the sound of an impact wrench makes me nostalgic.  All I need now is the smell of that green degreaser powder to clean the shop floor, and "Life in a Northern Town" blasting from a cheap car stereo to really take me back to 1985.  

 

[Road Guy]

The Salvation Army band played......

 

[snickerd3]

driving on 4 full size tires again is great!!!  Holy shit the road rage I was victim too this week while driving the interstate with a doughnut tire.  compact spare = slower speed.  I made sure I stayed in the slow lane and in higher traffic i put the hazard lights on but I was still getting honked at, flipped off, and being blinded by people driving up right behind me and flashing their brights.  The spare was on the rear so it was completely obvious my car was crippled.  

 

[snickerd3]

Bonus from buying from discount tire was i got a $103 credit  (~55% discount)for the tred still left on the tire that got a nail in sidewall.  

 

[snickerd3]

anyone know a good place to get an inexpensive wheel?  I want to turn one of the tires i replaced last week into a full size spare.  Discount tires was quoting $120 as the cheapest they had.  I didn't want to spend that much.  

 

[envirotex]

Costco or Sam's.  Or craigslist.

 

[thekzieg]

Junk yard?

 

[Road Guy]

www.quadratec has some black out "rims" for around $59.

Also see if you have a 4 Wheel Drive Parts store close by to you, they also have a similar rim for around $50 bucks- and they can mount your spare tire to it.  They work on just about any truck or SUV.  I had them put a set of new rims and tires on my durange even though it wasn't "lifted"

 

[knight1fox3]

Saw this little gem on my walk to lunch yesterday. Woody Harrelson must be in town...

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

 

[MA_PE]

I refuse to believe that those are attached.

 

[Road Guy]

I'll snag a pic next time I am up that way but along I-70 in the mountains there is an old yellow firebird that not only has a snow plow but it's also been converted to 4WD...

 

[knight1fox3]

Hey it worked on the '73 Charger from the movie Out Cold... :dunno:

 

[MA_PE]

I'll snag a pic next time I am up that way but along I-70 in the mountains there is an old yellow firebird that not only has a snow plow but it's also been converted to 4WD...

you mean like this?  This one is from Copper Mountain in CO back-in the day

 

[Road Guy]

it may be the same one   you can see it from google street view, but today it is painted yellow, but its the same vehicle..

 

[MA_PE]

The red one looks like a Camaro to me.  I don't see any fender vents (visible on the Trans Am) and the rear spoiler doesn't wrap on the sides like the Firebird one.

I doubt it's the same car as the red one is a truck frame with the plow attached and the Camaro body bolted to the truck frame.  I believe the Trans Am Plow that I posted was just a promotional vehicle and has the plow affixed to the car but the plow doesn't actually work.