Tell us your tips,tricks for air hammers

[Haveblue]

I searched, but couldn't find this topic...so here it is...how do you find an air hammer useful? There are so many things i can't remember them all..latest one was r and r of ring gear on a truck flywheel. Another was on seized nuts on studs. I hit them counterclockwise with a small chisel...off they came with no damage to the studs. Gotta love that!

 

[bubinga]

use it with a blunt round punch to push front CV axles in through the hub.
Not automotive, but was rebuilding a belt sander, and the shaft was stuck in the drum the belt rides around. Set the drum on 2 old pieces of metal, and drove the shaft out with the air hammer.

 

[nine4gmc]

I used an angle grinder to cut a "+" in ball joint and frame rivets, then use the air hammer chisel to cut the head off and bang the remaining shaft out.

Set the drum on my lathe bed, and drove the shaft out with the air hammer.

That's a good way to f up the lathe ways. ^

 

[bigfunwmu]

Using a round punch on the hex flat of hydraulic fittings to remove them works great, limited access for wrenches just give a little zip to have them loose. Works especially well on the underside of trucks with lots of corrosion to make the swivels stick. Don't overdo it or the female thread caves in and crimps on the male thread.

 

[WhiffySpark]

Water pump fan bolts

Stupid rotor set bolts

Dodge Truck hub removal

Open 55 gallon drums

I love my air hammer lol

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Fan bolts, shearing exhaust pipes, knocking out hubs, separating really stuck ball joints, chiseling off rivets, etc.

 

[bobcatdan]

Using a round punch on the hex flat of hydraulic fittings to remove them works great, limited access for wrenches just give a little zip to have them loose. Works especially well on the underside of trucks with lots of corrosion to make the swivels stick. Don't overdo it or the female thread caves in and crimps on the male thread.

I use my air hammer just about everyday on hydraulic fittings.

 

[dr_clyde]

I use the sheet metal ripping bit to quickly cut the tops off 55 gallon drums. Safer than a grinder or torch.

 

[Bhfear]

Well if you own a jeep cherokee 84-01 the upper rear shock bolts always break when removing the shocks so i use an air hammer with a round bit to get the broken studs out of the uni-body.

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[riscoe]

I used my 4X rivet gun and a chisel set to carve limestone for my front yard landscaping. I think I used it to drive some rivets too!



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[Koken]

Used it to break up small areas of concrete for repair.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

I use them to seperate bodies from chassis's. Basically any mounting plate or point that has succumb to rust and needs to be removed. I use the SO 3050 with a Matco quick chuck.

 

[Dcampbell98xj]

X2 on the cherokee shock bolts. Also good for hub bearing and a pickle fork tip for the tie rods. Also works for separating the balljoint a from the front knuckles

 

[rob0781]

Use them for alot of stuff working on heavy trucks, great for giving something a tap when there is no room to swing a hammer.

 

[RedF]

Using a round punch on the hex flat of hydraulic fittings to remove them works great, limited access for wrenches just give a little zip to have them loose. Works especially well on the underside of trucks with lots of corrosion to make the swivels stick. Don't overdo it or the female thread caves in and crimps on the male thread.

Great idea!

 

[gary300]

Use mine with a chisel bit to remove old mortor from bricks when rebuilding a brick wall. Works super.

 

[firebox40dash5]

Doing unit bearing hubs, once the bolts are out, use a blunt point near the bolt 'ears' to knock it back and forth in the spindle until it loosens. Gets it out without risking bearing damage, good for wheel joint or axle jobs when the bearing isn't bad, or for the customers from the "my mechanic damaged my **** on purpose" thread who'll claim you screwed up their bearing removing it.

Knocks out super-screwed-up bushings and ball joints faster than a press, same with U-joints when combined with the blue wrench.

 

[padronanniversary]

Needle scaler for slag and rust

 

[plinker]

Using a round punch on the hex flat of hydraulic fittings to remove them works great, limited access for wrenches just give a little zip to have them loose. Works especially well on the underside of trucks with lots of corrosion to make the swivels stick. Don't overdo it or the female thread caves in and crimps on the male thread.

I do the same thing, but use a rounded flat chisel on the corner of the hex flat (think flank drive). It also work on gland nut's that are froze on and other threaded item's/fitting's.

 

[tjmonsen5]

Used my crappy craftsman air hammer to break up the 6 inch thick ice on my roof in the winter. It's a
Lot faster and less work than swinging a hammer up there.

 

[wafrederick]

Break loose rounded out torx bolts.I had to do this to wheelbearing bolt in a Chevy Cavalier once.It was so rounded out,a T55 that I could not use a T55 torx bit on it.Got it loose with a Matco air hammer.

 

[Heavymetalmechanic]

Cleaning the ****/mud/rock out from between the grouser bars on dozer/excavator tracks to get at the mounting hardware.

Using a nibbler/shear bit to cut open oil filters for inspection.

With an awl bit to mushroom/stake the end of dowel pins to sieze/lock them in place.

I love my air hammer with the quick coupler, I put a long bit on in and hose clamp paint cans to it for a good shake.

 

[92integra]

When the inner part of c axles don't want to pop out with a pry bar a slight tap with the air hammer usually jars them enough to pop out

 

[mdbeck1]

I used mine last year to put the 10 foot grounding rod in at my house. . Drill a small hole roughly in the center of the top of the rod, put a piece of pipe around the top of the grounding rod to hold the air hammer bit on top of the grounding rod, put a point bit on the air hammer, and drive it down. It took me less than 10 minutes.

 

[garfunkle24]

When using a puller on something tight I wind up some tension, then rattle the housing/assembly/hub/whatever and the pressure screw too. Add tension and repeat.

 

[supersteve]

If I have a broken stud (Ford 4.6/5.4 exhaust manifold I'm looking in your direction....) that is standing out proud from the housing/cylinder head/whatever at least 1/2" (enough to grab ahold of) but will not budge without snapping off, I like to use a hammer bit in the air hammer and buzz the broken stud if I can get a straight shot end-on to it. Buzz for 15 seconds, then douse with PBlaster and let soak for a few minutes. Do this about 3-6 times and the stud will eventually shake loose inside the head and spin out with vise-grips. I guess it breaks up the corrosion between the threads and loosens up clearances and lets the penetrant in. Don't buzz it too hard, some mushrooming is okay, use your own judgement.

I have the guys at work trained to come over and get me so I can do this because it's way easier to deal with it this way than to have to drill it out after they snap it off flush the second time.

 

[bcradio]

I haven't used mine yet... Still looks new in my toolbox.

We don't have rust here and I have multiple electric hammers for the demo stuff.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

I use them to seperate bodies from chassis's. Basically any mounting plate or point that has succumb to rust and needs to be removed. I use the SO 3050 with a Matco quick chuck.

AMEN TO THAT!!

I've been using this trick for years to get those pesky body mount washers removed from the rubber they become fused to. Definitely beats having to burn them out. I have to do that 90% of the time I find myself having to remove the springs out of a leaf spring vehicle.

My background is mostly automobile restoration. I use the air hammer along with a die grinder to bust off 95% of the spot welds I come across. It is a HUGE time saver.

 

[Haveblue]

Lots of great ideas! In the past i have been using cheap short barrel hammers, I am done with that ****,but I do have a quick coupler. I ordered a CP7150, and it came today, threw the coupler on, and I got to use it on a small job.. saved me some work. I'm looking forward to some bigger jobs for it!! I am happy!

 

[Toolhorder]

Used mine today to separate a Subaru engine from the transmission when the dowel pins were stuck. Used a long chisel bit and SO long blow air hammer.
Use it to push axle shafts through hubs too. shear off rivets on ball joints when replacing them, separate ball joints from knuckles/control arms when stuck.

Whenever you get on the phone for an important call some co-worker in the shop pulls one out and decides it's a good time to use one. Most of the time it's not and they will keep pounding the f*ing thing for 20 mins. until people start yelling to cut it out.

 

[Provincial]

I drive ground rods with a gooseneck air hammer. It uses the .680 diameter round shank bits with an oval collar. I cut one off flat and slipped a piece of heater hose over it to keep it from drifting off the end of the ground rod. Unless you hit a BIG rock, it takes less than a minute to drive a six foot rod.

I had to change out over a hundred 1/4" inside diameter bronze bushings one time. I took a surplus long rivet bit from Boeing Surplus and turned the end with a pilot and shoulder that fit through the housing bore. It knocked them out in seconds! I used it to start the new bushings, but I needed to seat them with much care in the aluminum housing, so I pulled them in the last little bit with a fine thread bolt and washers. I used a 4X rivet gun for that job.

I loosen rusted nuts by beating on them with a blunt tool or use a chisel bit parallel to the bolt axis and hit it in the center of the flat. This expands the nut away from the threads and I can then use penetrant and a loose-fitting wrench to unscrew the nut.

 

[nmcqueen469]

Great ideas in here, keep them coming!!

 

[petee_c]

I used an air chisel to lift up old ceramic tile in a small bathroom I renovated. It was tile over a wire screen bed with a plywood subfloor underneath.

Worked well. I was able to get to the bare subfloor, have it all shop vac'd up within a couple hours. The room was only 5x5'.

 

[chris142]

stuck fan clutch nuts.i have a matco set with several sizes for diffrent fan clutches.

 

[Requin6]

I used mine recently to pop a passenger side CV joint out of the carrier bracket.

 

[Ohmthis]

I use mine to peen my weld when I weld cast iron, does an excellent job. I also use the hammer without any bits to work out a crick in your neck. Works the muscle out extremely quick.

 

[ironmutt]

rear shocks on full frame fords and lincolns and mercurys never enough room to get a hold of the top nut and if you do the shaft turns so just use an 18in chisle bit and cut them off dont even try any thing else any more its so much quicker but make sure you leave bottom of shock mounted or when you cut top off your toes are target number one when it falls out