gracec16•4d agoProlific Poster

Can we talk about using an impact driver vs a regular drill for brake jobs

I used to just grab my regular drill for taking off caliper brackets, but after stripping two bolts on a 2015 Ford Focus last month I finally tried my Milwaukee impact driver. The difference was NIGHT and day honestly, it zipped those bolts off like butter in under 30 seconds each. My regular drill would chatter and struggle, especially on rusty hardware from up here in Michigan winters. Has anyone else found that impacts just make brake jobs way less frustrating, or do you guys stick with hand tools for control?

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_palmer444d ago

Real question for you is why did it take stripping two bolts to make the switch? I mean, everyone knows an impact driver has way more torque for busting loose rusty hardware, especially on a Focus with those notoriously tight caliper bracket bolts. Did you not have the impact sitting in the toolbox the whole time, or was it one of those "I'll just try the drill first" kind of deals?

the_jake4d ago

My Milwaukee impact has been sitting in the drawer for two years because I kept telling myself my old Craftsman drill was "good enough" for everything. That Craftsman drill cost me two bolts and a whole afternoon of swearing on a 2016 Escape last fall. I finally admitted I was just too stubborn to swap tools because I didn't want to admit I spent 150 bucks on a tool that just sits there. Now I use the impact for everything on my car even stuff that doesn't need it, just to feel like I got my money's worth. It's like my brain short-circuits whenever there's a simple solution right in front of me.

spencer7824d ago

@the_jake probably still uses a butter knife for screws.