Finally ditched the impact driver for a ratchet on rusty bolts. Night and day.

Used to just hammer away at brake caliper bolts with my impact and cross my fingers. Switched to a long-handled ratchet with some penetrating oil and they came loose without stripping a single one. Anyone else made the switch and noticed the difference on older cars?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake1913d ago

And honestly, a lot of it comes down to control with the ratchet versus the hammering action of the impact. The impact tends to just shock the rust loose on some bolts but can also just mushroom the head if it's already soft. Pairing that with a good penetrating oil and giving it time to soak has saved me from having to drill out a lot of stubborn stuff on old project cars.

alices163d ago

Oh man, yes! You hit the nail right on the head. I had this old Chevy truck with a stuck exhaust manifold bolt, and I was ready to go full impact on it. But idk, something told me to just grab the ratchet and soak it in PB for like an hour first. The impact would have definitely just messed up the bolt head, it was already looking rough. I mean, the patience part is so real too, I used to just crank on things until they broke. Now I spray it, walk away, have a coffee, come back and it almost always gives up. It's way less frustrating than drilling out a broken bolt in the dark.