Socket Size for Semi Truck and Trailer Lug Nuts?

The Dewalt 1/2-inch (or 3/4 inch) drive (20V battery powered) Impact driver will take off the nuts if they are torqued correctly. 20v MAX* XR High Torque 3/4" Impact Wrench w. Hog Ring Retention Pin Anvil (Bare) - DCF897B | DEWALT
I have both and the only difference is that the 3/4 drive weighs more. I had a tire that must have been put on with a 1" drive air gun. I could not break the nuts free with the Dewalt (used a breaker bar and pipe) but once the nuts are installed and torqued to 450-500 ft lbs, the Dewalt takes then off with no problem.
I always torque the nuts - that is important so if you do your own work, get a torque wrench like this one, Don't cheap out on the torque wrench.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RT8ENE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

No. There is torque loss in the gearing so you can't trust (can't know) what the actual torque applied from the multiplier is going to be. So, for example, if your input torque is 100 ft-lbs and the multiplier is 3:1, your output torque would be more around 270-280 ft-lbs (not 300). That's not accurate enough to use for a main cap or head bolt, but maybe close enough for a wheel nut.

 

I just got caught up on this thread, so I’m going to skip around alittle.

About wheels loosing up after installation. I’ve only had a few come loose, but her’s what I’ve learned
1. Make sure all the mating surfaces are clean from packed dirt or heavy rust. Dirt can pack on the rim mating surface when it’s dropped/layer over.
2. heavy rust from rims/drums (corrosion aluminum rims) should be removed before reassembling. 3. And proper torque.
4. (And not to bring this fight up again) No anti-seize!

Moving on!, I’ve found that with impacts of any type, (battery or air) the tighter the fit of the socket at the impact, the better they work. Sometimes a looser fit at the nut will work better.
Also the heavier the socket the better they work.
And don’t use extensions or adapters. My old snap-on (2007 model) would do it as long as I followed these rules (and prayed) My Milwaukee fuel brushless 1/2” will do it much better.

As for torquing, yes you can get a 4:1, 1/2”to 3/4” torque amplifier (TA), 1/2 breaker bar (to loosen), and a 1/2 250 ft/lbs. torque wrench (to tighten and get by with it. (It’s also small enough, to pack around in a truck. I could get into this deeper, but to torque a nut to 500. You would set the torque roughly 145lbs (there are usually instructions with the TA to adjust for loss and variance), just make sure on you final stroke the torque wrench clicks before you stop pushing. If your lug nuts aren’t over torqued or stud threads stretched from anti seize, this will do the job. Don’t try to run the TA with an impact, you’ll lose to much hammer through the TA and you’ll tear up the gears in it!! (Even to finish removing the nuts after they are broke loose)

With that said, you have to turn your ratchet 4 times around to get 1round when using a TA. A 500 ft/lbs 3/4” torque wrench is a much better plan.

But you do what you can with what’s available and what you can afford!

 

It is not the same, they are close but if you are not careful you can strip the lugs

 

Yep. And if you are not careful you can strip the lug. Especially if you are not square on the lug....which would be probable if you using an socket extension.

 

You would have to have a wore out socket to strip the lugs, I have used them with 1 in guns since hub piloted wheels came out at the shop and on 3 service trucks, have never, ever even had a nut even think of rounding.

 

Guess you have been lucky then.
Had it happen yesterday morning in a skid steer axle I was removing. One lug was extremely tight and the impact gun rounded the lug.

 

The very first hub piloted wheels I ever laid eyes on came out of michigan and were rusted. My 1 in gun would not touch them, I went back and got a 4 to 1 multiplier and all that did was twist off a couple of 1 in extensions. I made one more trip and brought the torch, I heated them cherry red then the impact got them, there was no evidence of them even trying to round, and back hen I didn't even own a 33 mm socket at all.

I had read about the hub pilots were going to be the best thing since sliced bread and would shortly be taking over making buds non existent, that first experience, had me thinking, this is going to be a mess, but I never got another one like that one. It was rusted bad, and I think rust between the nut and washer had them locked up tight.

 

I made this extension to use my 1/2 torque wrench to torque my wheels.
Yes it is accurate as far as I can tell by where it retorqued the nut to where it was before loosening.
There's a formula to use depending on the length of the extension.