55
votes
Accepted
What is the most efficient method of getting your car unstuck from snow?
tl;dr: You can use a spade or similar tool in order to dig the snow out of the way.
What are some methods I can employ to make it easier to get unstuck in snow?
Having said that, there are several ...
- 7,927
51
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to use a hydraulic jack as a stand? If not, why?
There is no such thing as "absolutely, perfectly, 100% safe."
Each tool has its proper and improper uses, and each works either in parallel with other tools to increase safety and dependability, or ...
- 1,587
26
votes
Accepted
Why would I want to measure torque while loosening a bolt or nut?
Sometimes you want to measure breakaway torque. This can tell you if a fastener has started to loosen due to vibration, or was over-torqued and the bolt/stud may have stretched or weakened, or the ...
- 2,301
25
votes
Is it safe to use a hydraulic jack as a stand? If not, why?
TL DR: Nope, I'd say not.
When I was a young man, my Dad always told me, "Use the tool which is designed for the job." For instance, if you are trying to remove a bolt out of your suspension holding ...
- 152k
23
votes
Accepted
What emergency gear and tools should I keep in my vehicle?
Aside from what you mentioned, I always carry:
Portable air compressor (12v)
Small tool set (common wrenches, screwdriver, grips, electrical tape and zip ties).
A good flashlight
Spare cellphone ...
- 3,363
23
votes
Accepted
Tool for impacting screws — What is it called?
It's (to my knowledge) called a screw impact driver, impact screwdriver, hand impact screwdriver, or just impact driver.
- 152k
20
votes
Accepted
Impact wrench on spark plugs?
In a word: NO!
Please do not use an impact wrench on these. You run the distinct chance of stripping out all of the threads in the head, which will cause a huge nightmare for you having to have ...
- 152k
18
votes
Torque wrench or impact gun on large bolts
To answer your question directly, this is a "standard practice" but a VERY poor one. Getting the correct torque is by far more important than getting it done quickly.
With the axle nut it is ...
- 152k
18
votes
Accepted
Why do you need to use a flare nut wrench instead of the open part of a combination spanner?
Flare nut spanners are designed to spread the load on the soft flare nuts.
Ordinary nuts are made of a harder material.
If you use the wrong spanner and round the flare nut off then you create more ...
- 34.6k
16
votes
Accepted
How to keep wheel ramps from sliding?
Duct Tape. Of course.
Take a piece of duct tape and tape it to the lip of the ramp. Run it out 12 inches/30cm and then fold it over and run it back to the ramp. Stick this on the backside of the ramp....
- 276
16
votes
Accepted
Standard Practices for Use and Care of Click-Type Torque Wrenches
The main things I've always heard/done.
Always unwind before storing. This helps to keep stress off the springs. If you leave it wound up, the springs can get weak and give inaccurate torque ...
- 8,443
16
votes
Accepted
Is each turn with a beam torque wrench additive?
If that would be possible, every 3-year old could fasten the bolt. He just has to try 100 times with 0.5lb-ft.
You have to apply the full 50lb-ft, regardless of the torque applied before!
- 7,037
16
votes
Is it safe to use a hydraulic jack as a stand? If not, why?
No, I thought it could as well. One time I had a Corolla up in the air while I battled with a speedometer cable (which meant I was going in from the top of the car, underneath, and through the wheel ...
- 553
16
votes
Why do you need to use a flare nut wrench instead of the open part of a combination spanner?
An open-ended spanner only engages on two faces of the nut. As you can see in the picture below, the inside of the spanner slot is not shaped to engage with the nut. Open-ended spanners are used ...
- 1,509
15
votes
What is the most efficient method of getting your car unstuck from snow?
A hand winch and a tow strap. You need something to attach it to (a tow hook on your car and something sturdy in the surrounding area) but it's about 90 percent as good as calling a tow truck.
The ...
- 1,935
15
votes
Accepted
Does using a ratchet size adaptor on a click-type ratchet wrench reduce the applied torque?
No, it won't reduce the torque. Torque is equivalent to radius x force. As long as A, the force is applied at the same distance from the nut/bolt that you're tightening and B, it's applied in the same ...
- 266
14
votes
Impact vs. Regular Sockets
To my knowledge the difference is down to the material used
Impact sockets look black because the surface is carbonized (aka drop-forged) in order to harden the surface. The surface-hardening enables ...
- 39.1k
14
votes
Accepted
What is a leak down tester and what can I do with it?
There are many leak down testers on the market. You can actually make your own with some hardware store parts and a fish tank.
Operation of "most" leak down testers
The procedure of operation ...
- 3,343
14
votes
Accepted
Spring tensioner safety
I use two part spring compressors like you show here on a regular basis.* I think you'll be fine but there are some good things to watch out for.
Watch out for the threads. If the compressing ...
- 24.3k
13
votes
How to keep wheel ramps from sliding?
Use an old towel underneath the ramp, such that your vehicle runs onto the towel first
ramp
|¯¯¯\
|____\ towel Owheel
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This is possibly the cheapest, simplest & least destructive ...
- 231
13
votes
Accepted
Are there any risks if I use impact wrench to loosen lug nuts while the tire not touching ground?
That would be correct. There should be no issue of using the impact with the wheel off the ground. You are exactly right in that the tire should be on the ground when using a breaker bar or tire iron. ...
- 152k
13
votes
Is it safe to use a hydraulic jack as a stand? If not, why?
NO, and I don’t understand why you don’t refer to standard workshop practise which is to lift the vehicle and then put proper stands under it.
Sadly there are too many accidents of either vehicles or ...
- 34.6k
12
votes
Impact vs. Regular Sockets
Impact sockets are made with a softer steel that can handle impacts better. They are thicker because the steel is in fact softer and easier to bend (but not necessarily break). The reason softer steel ...
- 121
12
votes
Accepted
Multimeter - Basic Functionality and Howto
Basic Functionality
Image In order to illustrate a typical Multimeter
The Multimeter is specifically a multifunction tool. By definition it combines several, well defined instruments and multiplexes ...
- 496
12
votes
How to keep wheel ramps from sliding?
Threaded Inserts in your concrete
I have placed various threaded interference inserts in my garage/shop floor. I've put them in locations where they will be useful to tie down a motorcycle or to ...
- 32.9k
12
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to place wood between a car and a jack stand?
This is a good recommendation
The wood will compress a bit when you lower your car down onto it. The jack stand will dig into the wood as well.
The benefits related to this related to the vehicle ...
- 32.9k
12
votes
Accepted
Impact Wrench Mystery – breaks loose axle nut, but can't undo wheel lugs…
Would I be right an assuming your car is equipped with alloy wheels? Also, have the wheel bolts been fitted with a small smear of grease?
It sounds like the wheel bolts are reacting in a "springy" ...
- 23.4k
12
votes
Accepted
Torque wrench or impact gun on large bolts
Neither.
Just get a 1m long bar (by extending a breaker or similar), stick it on the nut so that it is horizontal and simply hang 250N of mass at the end of it: (*)
250N = 56.2 lbs = 25.5 Kg
250N * ...
- 235
12
votes
Accepted
How can I remove perfectly round locking wheel lugs? What tool can I use?
There are sockets designed specifically for this job. Here is an example of one; they have a reverse thread on them and are made of hardened material so as you turn them anti-clockwise, they tighten ...
- 23.4k
12
votes
What emergency gear and tools should I keep in my vehicle?
To be a little more pragmatic than the other suggestions... what classifies as an emergency can be subjective.
To me the emergencies I have experienced in a motor vehicle typically come in the form ...
- 121
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