I think what he said before is that he presses down on it until it 'snaps', just like when you use a hammer on it.
I know what was meant mate
😉
There is no reason to strike it with a hammer and bottom out the internal spring and risk damage to such a small part. Just push it in until it snaps and rotates, the pressure you apply by hand will be enough, hammer is not necessary.
I didn't mean turn it like a screw driver, haha!
Bottom out the internal spring? Crikey, are you thinking of hitting the driver with a sledge hammer? lol
An impact screwdriver without the impact
is just a screwdriver.
Forcing down by hand, an impact driver is no different to using a normal screwdriver, the driver uses a spiral spline between the outer case of the driver (the handle) and the inner core with a spring in the centre to return the driver back to fully extended position after each cycle.
As you force down on the driver and the spiral spline forces the centre core to turn, this causes the handle of the driver to be forced in the opposite direction (Newtons third law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction), this downward force converted to twisting force by the spiral spline would need to be counter acted by your hands to make it loosen the screw, so in reality, instead of turning a screwdriver, you are holding the handle of the impact driver with equal force to turning a standard screwdriver, to prevent the handle of the impact driver from turning.
Push down on an impact driver without holding the handle, the handle will just turn without turning the inner core.
There is no mystical magical force that using an impact driver by hand provides, you would, obviously unknowingly to you, be doing the same thing as a using standard driver, providing by hand, equal down and turning forces.
Plus it would be hard to hold the diff with one hand... hold the impact with another hand... and swing the hammer with your third hand 🙂
No problem, I could do that
😉 spending 7 years as a HGV diesel fitter then another 8 in the building trade teaches you to do jobs that require two pairs of hands with just one, with a vice it would be even easier.
The diffs are pretty tough too, lightly using an impact driver, with an impact lol wouldn't damage the diff at all, I'm not talking about roundhouse swinging a 2lb club hammer on it lol but a couple of light blows on the driver would do the diff no harm whatsoever.
no rag, so the ring gear can really dig into your skin and stay gripped tight
I recommend the use of a thick rag to hold the diff and partially cover the exposed parts of your hand while doing this for a couple of reasons.
When the diffs ring gear gets worn them teeth can be pretty sharp, I have thickened skin on my hands so its not much of a problem to me, but your average office worker say, with baby soft skin would find it extremely uncomfortable and hard to grip the diff with the teeth cutting into their skin, with a rag the teeth bite into it instead of your skin, and you can gain much better grip than trying to hold a greasy slippery diff with bare hands.
If the screwdriver was to slip under the amount of downwards and turning force sometimes needed to release these stubborn screws with your hand so close holding the diff, then a thick rag doubled or trebled up could make the difference between a minor injury, cut/graze or whatever and having the screwdriver penetrate through your hand and sticking out the other side, I have seen it happen.
:smilie8:
