prior to working on anything I spray profusely with liquid wrench and go have a beer. I then go back and pound at it relentlessly with my craftsman impact wrench and socket set. It's yet to fail me. I must say though, I've found a new favorite toy.

While installing my headers jdmmax introduced me to his makita electric impact wrench. While it doesn't possess the brute strength of the air wrench it sure does have a lot more finesse. I don't get random extensions and adapters flying off in random directions when the socket slips off the bolt. And it's smaller and can get into tighter spaces. The electric impact can get off 90% of what the air impact can get off.

I have the 400ft/lb model craftsman impact wrench though. And it pretty much can move any bolt. I got my crossmember and motor mounts off in less than 2 minutes flat.

I can't justify the cost of snap-on tools, and i've yet to have a craftsman impact socket fail on me. I'm happy as long as they stand behind their products, which they do.

 

BTW: Air tool are not as effective as muscle and a good braker bar!

3/8" drive ratchet with extension is totally normal to break something! luck that was not the wrench!
extension though is really surprising!

everything over 15mm that need some force need an 1/2" drive with ratchet!

I've got a very good impact air gun that deliver a great punch and sometimes I can't take nut loose so 1/2" drive with 16" ratchet makes it!

 

Update:

I got all four bolts off with the following:

—17mm impact socket on the bolt
—1/2-inch drive socket wrench
�—19mm wrench on the nut (box end) with towel wrapped around it so it didn't hurt my hand
—2.5-foot pipe (part of a jack) that served as my "breaker bar", on the end of the wrench
—PB Blaster on the bolt and nut
—lots of force

I did it all by myself, but it would be very easy if you had two people to do it.

BTW, I tried the impact wrench dialed up to 400 ft-lbs (with a ****ty air compressor, but the gauge seemed to be reading over 120 psi so I don't think that was the problem) and got nowhere. So I have to agree with Maxpat82—leverage is all you need. Air tools have their place but aren't that much more effective. Pretty much anything that doesn't have to be torched off can be loosed with a lot of leverage. If you start stripping the bolt, then there's no option but torching and replacing the bolt.

Thanks for the tips, all! My new suspension is on (thread on that to follow).

 

You mean a breaker bar? Ratchets are not meant to break loose stubborn fasteners. That's where breaker bars and cheater pipes come in. After you break it loose, it's time to use the ratchet to remove it.

 

Yeah, don't have a real breaker bar. Should buy one. The 1/2 inch drive ratchet's pretty strong, though.

 

Yes, the ratchet is strong but it has teeth in the racheting mechanism that will strip if you apply too much force to it. You can also bend a ratchet if you use a cheater pipe with it. "The right tool for the right job."

 

Dude that crap is hard to do i Tried on my 3rd gen. and i slit my hand open then i had get some guy with a impact wrench to fix it

 

Totally agre with you!
1- I've use to have a breaker bar before I break it! (12 year old front axle bolt of civic of my friends (8 of them) and a complete suspension change of 14yrs Ranger kinda become hard on a breaker bar)
Should buy a new one soon

2- If the ratchet got a 16" lever on it, it for something! I don't have to put cheater bar on this one!!

You don't have to worrie guys! I have tool that a lot of you don't even know why is it for! If you don't find the right tool in my tool box, you're not thinking of the right one, period!!(almost )