Omnilith wrote:

What makes the MB springs unique?

I don't know offhand. I'm guessing it has to do with the kind of steel they use, and how close together the coils are. They just store more energy. And when they kick- oh, they kick.

It may just have to do with the fact that they are all big heavy cars with a suspension tuned for the autobahn.

What makes the MB springs unique?

I don't know offhand. I'm guessing it has to do with the kind of steel they use, and how close together the coils are. They just store more energy. And when they kick- oh, they kick.

The Benz ate two sets of spring compressors while trying to cut the front springs.  It was terrifying when they failed.  Never using those again!!!  And the thumbwheel ratchets suck ass.  We've cracked several sockets, but never fret when we have to grind down a crappy box wrench for a custom tool.  I do hate the smell of the store and it's packaging!

Whoa. Sorry for the tone but seriously:

Benz springs compressed by HF spring compressors: HELL NO.

Somebody's going to the ER over that one.

I have a coworker who lost most of his teeth when a spring hit him in the mouth. That was a Volvo 240, and it was due to operator error.

Benz linear-rate springs... are diabolical. I get nervous compressing them with the $800 German compressor. If I'm ever faced with doing springs on a Benz with HF compressor... that Benz suspension is staying the way it is and I ain't touching it.

I say this as a multi-Benz household, including a LeMon, and as an ASE certified Master Tech. All springs are dangerous and compressing MB springs with one of those... just makes me apoplectic. Please don't do that.

Rant off.

It smells like I can pretend to afford to pretend race cars.

So... The Harbor Freight Smell.... Sounds like a great name for a penalty!!!!  Let's come up with an idea.

There was a team in Charlotte last year that did a "Horrible Freight" theme.  IIRC they gave a bunch of cheap crap to Phil as a bribe.  I think the car was an E30, too.  Somehow I ended up with a plastic-handled Machete that wa spart of the bribe. 

A Horrible Freight Trophy could be appropriate, too...

3-Day parking lot sale starting today!

http://widgets.harborfreight.com/wswidg … ycode=1003

I RAIDED that sale, spent like $120 lol

http://widgets.harborfreight.com/wswidg … ycode=1003

Their cardboard packaging Stinks! The "destruction" manuals stink and that being said yeah everything is packaged in more cosmoline than a cheap Russian surplus rifle.
AND IT STINKS TOO!

another thing about their stuff is the quality varies TREMENDOUSLY usually you get what you pay for

and there is some stuff that is amazing and other stuff that could be deadly... anything in a big set is lower quality than "individually" packed products

I've done quite a bit of wrenching and own a bunch of their tools and a bunch of random better stuff. It never fails I always grab my Pittsburgh 9pc metric wrenches before my Craftsman set... they have "composite" ratchets with 72 teeth that are awesome 3foot jack handle hasn't broken it yet

I bought one of their cheap Orange "Chicago electric" 3/8ths drills. I was a little leery at first but it has great Torque! Using a Phillips screwdriver bit it has broken heads off of heavy wood-screws when they twist into oak too fast. Using a cut off mandrel and 3" cut off wheels it has been a chopsaw and been beat on for several years and it is still awesome!

their 3 ton jackstands are great

Another good buy I found was a "3000lb" aluminum racing jack been using it for years now and is very strong/sturdy lifting its weight limit and then some (lifted the front end of a 1989 Lincoln LSC there wasnt a wiggle from it)

On the other side of things I've witnessed their heatguns lighting on fire in less than 60 seconds. I owned a "2 ton" floor jack that used to bend twist and deform a terrifying amount under a 1996 2door pontiac grand am (not that heavy) just lifting a corner of the car. VERY SCAREY!

THE SMELL!! IT WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE FABRIC.
I THINK THIS IS WHAT CANCER SMELL LIKE

IgnoranteWest wrote:

Is there any harm in using an impact socket set with regular hand ratchets as a primary socket set?

No.  They are just thicker wall, so they don't get into tight spaces as well as standard sockets.  They are also 6 point rather than 12 point like most standard sockets.

they are also not hardened as much.  so they are less brittle and can take the abuse of an impact repeatedly without shattering.  but since they arent as hard, they are fatter to increase the lifespan.