As handy of a tool as an air impact wrench is, every user is aware of the fact that it applies too much torque. Unless the torque is adjusted and controlled, using this tool for various nuts and bolts in your garage can become difficult, not to mention hazardous.
Simply learning how to adjust the torque on your air impact wrench can save you from cracked nuts and overly tight bolts. Trust me when I say that a little tinkering with torque will go a long way. I had to learn my lesson after dealing with the two above-mentioned issues.
Therefore, instead of following in my footsteps, do not use the tool on different nuts with the same torque. Read the article to learn how to adjust the torque of your tool for different projects. I have shared different methods of doing this so it is possible for you to alter the torque without needing any professional help.
How To Adjust Torque On Air Impact Wrench
You will learn how to adjust the torque on the air impact wrench in multiple ways in the article below.
An Air Impact Wrench
An air impact wrench is one of the types of an impact wrench. As the name of the tool implies, it operates on air that comes from an air compressor. The impact wrench gets hooked to the compressor with a hose. As the air comes from a large tank, the airflow level is quite high. This in turn causes the torque and force to be higher as well. Therefore, the unmatched torque and force of an air impact wrench come from the compressor.
Adjusting Torque Of Air Impact Wrench
As the torque of an air impact wrench is higher than an electric impact wrench, it is critical to keep it under control. Otherwise, instead of loose nuts, the garage will be full of cracked and busted nuts and bolts. Normally, impact wrenches do not come with torque adjustment settings, but these days, many air impact wrenches have this nifty feature. There are multiple other methods of gaining control over the torque of your tool. The different methods are presented below.
With The Control Ring
The first method of controlling and adjusting the torque of your air impact wrench is with the control ring. There are many air impact wrenches that come with torque settings control. It is in the form of a ring which is present right behind the head of the tool. The ring comes with different numbers engraved on it. These numbers are the torque levels, and by moving the ring, you can adjust the torque. The number that is at the front, right over the anvil is how much maximum torque your tool will apply on the nuts.
With An Air Pressure Regulator
The second method of controlling the torque of your air impact wrench is with the help of an air regulator. This is a small accessory that you need to add between your impact wrench and the hose. Therefore, instead of the hose connecting to the toll directly, it gets connected via the pressure regulator. This regulator controls the air pressure. So even if the air pressure coming from the compressor to the hose is high, the regulator will lower it significantly. This will decrease the torque output of the air impact wrench.
With The Trigger
Another simple way of adjusting the torque is via the trigger of the impact wrench. This method is perfect for people that do not want to invest in any accessory for their tool. If you press down on the trigger of the tool too hard and too fast, it will apply more torque to the nuts. However, keeping your finger hovering softly over the trigger can decrease the torque a little bit. This method is not as reliable as the others, but as you do not need any additional accessories for it, it is suitable for beginners.
With The Line Pressure Regulator
The last trick for adjusting the torque of your air impact wrench is by adjusting the line pressure of the air compressor. A regulator is added between the compressor and the air hose. This method is different from the pressure regulator, in that, you are adjusting the air pressure that enters the tool. However, in line pressure, you are decreasing the pressure of the air that comes to the air hose.
Importance Of Adjusting Torque
This goes without saying that adjusting the torque of an air impact wrench is a very critical step in using this tool. Every nut and bolt needs different torque, whether you are tightening it or loosening it. As an air impact wrench applies higher torque than its competitors, you need to be aware of how much force your project needs and exert that required amount of force. If the torque is not adjusted, you will be facing a litter of broken and cracked bolts and fasteners.
Conclusion
Before you take out your air impact wrench from the garage and start busting those stubborn nuts, adjust the torque of the tool. Not having control over the torque output can create hazardous situations, especially for novices. Lucky for you, I have listed various ways of adjusting the torque of your tool in the article above.