|
|
Post by c64 on Dec 23, 2012 15:38:26 GMT
I don't need to use them often enough to justify replacing what I already have though. If I used them to earn a living, it might be worthwhile. Just get an extraordinary cheap one. There are many applications where the actual torque doesn't exactly matter but tightening everything with the same torque is important. For my car, I bought a €30 torque wrench. It's way too cheap to be accurate but that doesn't mater with steel rims at all. anything between 100 and 130Nm is good, you just need the same torque on all bolts of a wheel in order to prevent warping your hub, brake drum or brake disc and this can be done even by the cheapest torque wrenches. |
|
|
|
Post by watcher56 on Dec 23, 2012 17:16:17 GMT
I've always advocated a very simple method of getting maximum efficiency from a bolted system. "Tighten until it breaks, then back off a quarter turn".
|
|
|
|
Post by srmarti on Dec 24, 2012 15:42:07 GMT
I've always advocated a very simple method of getting maximum efficiency from a bolted system. "Tighten until it breaks, then back off a quarter turn". Sloppy. You are supposed to tighten until it starts to strip the threads, THEN back off a quarter turn. |
|
|
|
Post by srracing on Jan 26, 2013 14:57:19 GMT
No good shop will not use a clicker type torque wrench except for wheel lugs. A beam or dial wrench is all that allowed in my shop (except for wheels.) A beam or dial wrench never goes out of calibration and seldom breaks with proper use. The clickers are inaccurate, need calibration and special care. (ie. setting the adjuster back after each use.) We do have one clicker that is used for 500-550 ft lbs, but its calibration is checked quite often. Required for certain engine types. New engines and machinery are very precise and use many more materials that are torque critical compared to the "old days". Precise torquing and/or stretch to yield methods are mandatory for the new technology. Throw away your vise grips and water pump pliers..  BTW, as pointed out already, an extension (either at the handle, or the fastener does not affect the torque reading. BUT if used at the fastener the extention has to maintain a 90 deg angle to the fastener for the correct reading. A slight offset will make your reading high. Use a short as extention as possible. |
|
|
|
Post by c64 on Jan 27, 2013 16:56:21 GMT
No good shop will not use a clicker type torque wrench except for wheel lugs. Depends on the task. While the actual torque of the clicker can't be set precise, it will tighten all the bolts with the same torque - and in most cases this is much more important than the actual torque. E.g. wheel lugs warp the brake disc or drum when tightened with different torques. Same for a cylinder head gasket, on a stock engine, the actual torque doesn't really matter but one bolt with different torque can ruin the whole engine real quickly! On a race engine where everything is pushed to the limit, the actual torque is also highly important. |
|
|
|
Post by the light works on Dec 6, 2013 0:23:15 GMT
here's an interesting bit of data: my tire shop uses torque EXTENSIONS for their impact guns. it is a set of normal looking extensions (only color coded) that at calibrated torques, twist to the point that the impact gun will not tighten the lug nuts any further.
|
|
