Impact driver

[kythri]

My Lisle works fantastically - even used it for the same application as the OP, did the brakes on someone's Acura Legend that had screws in the calipers.

My Lisle impact driver worked great, super-easy.

 

[May Pop]

Another vote for the Proto from Zoro. Got the sons and son inlaws one when on sale and all rave about them. Like others say a good set of bits is also helpful.
Also the Craftsman purchased in the 70s still works great.

 

[Mikeske]

Do it like a aviation mechanic. Use a Lester tool attached to rivet gun. This uses the standard harden bits that can be purchased separately. Just seat the bit give a couple taps with heavy pressure against the gun and unscrew that fastener that will not come out. That fastener will come out. I purchased this off eBay recently.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Never used a drum brake puller. IMO all they are good for is breaking stuff that doesn't need to break.

Never used one either, but now that I am old, if I had to do a drum brake job I would want one !

Have you had the pleasure of doing the last generation focus drums?

Nope. I saw a video on those new fangled GM drum brakes with the giant spring. Looks "challenging" !

I hope to NEVER have to do a drum brake job again. It has probably been about 40 years since I last did one.

 

[driftpin]

Please provide more info about the Lester tool, thanks.

Do it like a aviation mechanic. Use a Lester tool attached to rivet gun. This uses the standard harden bits that can be purchased separately. Just seat the bit give a couple taps with heavy pressure against the gun and unscrew that fastener that will not come out. That fastener will come out. I purchased this off eBay recently.

 

[Codejack]

This thread is baffling to me.

I had about 5 Hondas in a row back in the 90s/00s, and my mother still drives one. I must have done a couple of dozen brake jobs on those and friends' Hondas over the years.... and I have never even heard of this tool that you are talking about.

So, the rotors are held on with philips-head screws (if you're lucky; if you're not, they're #^@%ing captive rotors and you have to disassemble the hub), you spray them down with wd-40 or liquid wrench, come back in 5 minutes, put a screwdriver on the screw, and sometimes you might tap it with a hammer to seat it or get it started with a wrench on the screwdriver handle.

In 25 years of working on Honda brakes, I have never had a problem with this.

 

[ocloc24]

Those are just one example. Another is door hinges in the rust belt. Allen head bolts that strip easily. It's a pretty common tool, not used commonly but when it is it's invaluable.

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[Tonyuk]

VW's have rotor screws also. They can be a pain especially if they've been on for years and never touched. Hand impacts work well for Phillips and pozi screws, for torx a good quality bit and a tap with a hammer to break any rust loose is helpful. I'd recommend replacing the screws and putting in a bit of copper anti-seize so they come out easily next time. You could also use stainless screws of the same size. Don't over tighten, i've seen techs tightening the screws with the same hand impact drive that they used to take them off, guaranteed problems next time. 5Nm max which is nothing.

 

[928'er]

When doing rotors, I use anti-seize and snug up the screws to make sure the rotors are seated against the hub. Then I back off the screws about a ¼ turn. Makes it much easier the next time you're in there.

 

[LB-1911]

This thread is baffling to me.

I had about 5 Hondas in a row back in the 90s/00s, and my mother still drives one. I must have done a couple of dozen brake jobs on those and friends' Hondas over the years.... and I have never even heard of this tool that you are talking about.

So, the rotors are held on with philips-head screws (if you're lucky; if you're not, they're #^@%ing captive rotors and you have to disassemble the hub), you spray them down with wd-40 or liquid wrench, come back in 5 minutes, put a screwdriver on the screw, and sometimes you might tap it with a hammer to seat it or get it started with a wrench on the screwdriver handle.

In 25 years of working on Honda brakes, I have never had a problem with this.

You need a few rust belt vehicles to work on and it would no longer be a mystery and you would understand the value of a hand impact driver.

Until then enjoy your mild winters and the limited use of ice melting materials on the roadways.

 

[knobby]

I did a drum brake job on my 95 F150 a few months ago. I didn't have any phillips screws or anything difficult to remove. The primary specialty tool I used was the spring pliers.

You reminded me of why I bought mine 40 years ago. I had to rebuild my first motorcycle, a Honda 305 Scrambler. I didn't know there were "cheap" brands back then but probably got what I could afford which wasn't much. I saw it in the garage a few weeks ago. I will have to check the brand.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's discount stores sold a ton of koken brand hand impacts.
koken impact drivers are regarded as higher quality tools so you may have bought a higher end tool than you thought at the time.

 

[Codejack]

You need a few rust belt vehicles to work on and it would no longer be a mystery and you would understand the value of a hand impact driver.

Until then enjoy your mild winters and the limited use of ice melting materials on the roadways.

Um, I'm in the mountains of Tennessee; winter means ice storms, even in years that we don't get snow. We don't have snow plows, but we do have salt & sand trucks, and they get a workout.

We also get 54" of rain per year and wild variations in temperature, from single-digits in the winter to triple digits in the summer... and those seasons occasionally overlap.

 

[Den69rs96]

I had to buy one of these a couple weeks ago. I was replacing the brakes on my wifes acadia. Gm uses t-30 torx screws to hold the rotor on. Well the first one came out ok. The driverside was a pita. I broke to torx bits. I went to napa, bought a couple t-30 bits and the impact tool. I had no idea how hard to hit the tool, so I grabbed a 2-3 mini sledge and gave it a couple of hits. The bolt came out easy. I think I hit it too hard, but I was kind of pissed off at that point.

 

[tonyprovo723]

Is your good reason to have the 1/2 over 3/8, or vice versa?

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[shop guy]

No different than any usual situation where there's more than one way to get the job done, just a matter of how you go about it. Last week I had a stubborn bolt inside a crankcase, sure I could have clamped it down or heated it or use an air impact, but the manual was right there so I grabbed it and gave it a lil whack and off it came. Do you NEED this tool? Maybe not, but screw it I have one so I'll use it.

 

[aka Larry]

My only comment is if you put those stupid screws back in after you are done, you need to be hit with an impact. They are used hold the rotor in place on the assembly line and that's it.

 

[pdxgearhead]

I bought a Lisle to do pads on my Civic over twenty years ago. Since then, I've only used it a few times, but it's a life saver. I think I paid $25 or $30 for it, not bad.

 

[Eric29]

Maybe it's the difference between sand and salt. In the northeast, at least where I am, I'm driving in salt from November until late March. I remember when I did my first Honda brake job. I couldn't believe the problems I had with those screws. I ended up drilling them out. Now, I use a hand impact driver.

I could be wrong, but I recall also seeing screws holding rotors on a Ford Windstar.

Um, I'm in the mountains of Tennessee; winter means ice storms, even in years that we don't get snow. We don't have snow plows, but we do have salt & sand trucks, and they get a workout.

We also get 54" of rain per year and wild variations in temperature, from single-digits in the winter to triple digits in the summer... and those seasons occasionally overlap.