Interesting info. I laugh/cringe every time I see one of those car tv show guys double click the torque wrench as they approach the torque value. Sadly it will be gospel to the uninformed because "I saw it on TV so it has to be true right?" STOP AT THE 1ST CLICK FOLKS. I do want to add that I had been informed that instead of returning it to zero when not in use, keep it at 5 or 10 lbs/ft during storage to keep some tension on the spring. It SEEMS that it will stay calibrated longer using this, as that was what I was told when mine were returned from being calibrated. Anyone heard that?
I have a flex torque wrench for home use. During my aircraft maintenance days we learned to always set at zero when not in use and to always use a test break for four or five "clicks" before actually using a break-away torque wrench. We were also taught that you needed to periodically use light oil to ensure freedom of movement. That is why I use a flex beam at home, less upkeep.
One of the things that really torques (sic) me off is some of the tire places I've been in that use an impact wrench to bang the lug nuts on, then to "check" the torque they take their torque wrench and make sure the lug nuts are tight enough to make the wrench click. I tried to explain to one of the dumb ***es that the wrench will click when it reaches it's set torque, even though the damn lug nut is torqued to 860 ft-lbs, and doesn't move. He looked at me like I had a pecker growing out of the middle of my face. (Hey, maybe that's why they call me "rooster"). He said something argumentive yet unintelligible, so I told him that I refused to have a battle of wits with an unarmed man. I guess it's true, you can't fix stupid.......
If enough is good, too much is obviously better, right? I had to change a tire on a late model with puny standard lugwrench, and I was actually shocked to find out the lugs HADN'T been torqued by your friend. Did the tire store actually get it right, or was their compressor regulator broken??
My old Craftsman MicroTork, circa 1979 or so, actually said this in the directions. I couldn't say as to whether this precaution works or not over the long term, though, because one night many years ago it failed as I was re***embling the Hemi for next-day qualifying, and after I tested its aerodynamic qualities by throwing it across the yard and bouncing it off a block wall, I tested its metallurgy by bending it repeatedly over a convenient rock. It failed at that, too. That was the second time it failed in six months; the first time the torque mechanism broke while tightening rod bolts on the same Hemi, the night before....next-day qualifying. My pops taught me to respect tools and avoid abusing them, but there ARE times...
That's why I keep **** wrenches around-I may get around to cleaning them up to return them to daily use........and I may hurl them across the shop into the wall for therapy. Case in point-the pedestal fan that fell when dragging my air hose around and I couldn't get to it in time to keep it from falling. Took it outside and broke it more. Sometimes it's the only way to keep the anger from bottling up. I released it all in about 5 slams of that p.o.s. fan.
I was a TIREGIRL,, and used torque sticks with my impact,,, NEVER over torqued,,, often had to snug with the torque wrench,,,, maybe they weren't all dumb***es? unlike most the dumb***hambboys on here,,, that obviously know it all,,,, xoxoxo miss hellbound hootch
Then there is always the dumb *** that just has to pipe up with "it won't work NOW!" I always have to say "it works just as good now as it did 2 minutes ago before my tirade!" If I can't trust a tool I don't want it in the garage.
Yeah...the first time was under warranty...more fool me. Dunno who made it for Sears, and I don't remember if it was still under warranty the second time (probably not), but it was worth every penny to make that POS ******* wrench sleep with the fishes. Incidentally, the second time I had to torque the rod nuts with a 3/8 breaker bar & a stretch gauge because it was 3:00 am...in for a penny, in for a pound. Held together all weekend & IIRC we made it to the semis, thereby proving that all the shiny new SPS rod nuts were, in fact, up to specifications, even if the builder had a few loose screws.
I'll throw in my two pennies here. Part of my job for the past 20 years has been maintaining the Gage Calibration system at work which includes about 200 torque wrenches of every make and configuration from 6 InLb. 1/4" drives the size of a fat ball point pen to 1" drives 6 Ft. long set to 600 Newton Metres. We check them at least every 6 months using both ****og and electronic ****yzers. At best most commercial grade torque wrenches are only accurate to plus or minus 5% over the total torque range of the wrench. As to beam vs. dial vs. clicker I have seen NO difference between wrenches of comparable price and quality. They're all good as long as you buy a decent quality wrench and take care of it. We have clickers that are 20 some years old and have been left on their setting for most of that time and year after year they check out fine. Having said that I always back my MAC clicker at home back to just above it's lowest setting because that's how I was taught and mine gets used at mutiple settings. I take in to work every couple years and check it, it's 28 years old now and just starting to get off a couple Ft. Lbs. in the upper ranges. For those inquiring minds we require a MINIMUM of 3 pulls at the same torque reading on the ****yzer before the wrench is accepted as In Calibration and of the thousands of tests I have performed I have never seen a "good" wrench change more than a Ft.Lb. or Newton Metre or two from the intial pull. But it is VERY easy to go past the torque setting if you crank on it like it's a lug wrench. SLOW and EASY and as stated by others STOP on the first click and always try to use a wrench with a range that puts your desired torque in the middle of it's range, they are usually at their least accurate at the extreme ends of the range. We have people that use them for breaker bars, pry bars and hammers and that weeds out the weak ones real quick. You would not believe some of the things I have seen done to them. It's normally the ratchet drive that goes first. If you come across a Westward torque wrench leave it where you found it they're Graingers "house brand" and are Chinese JUNK! One of our Industrial Engineers bought a bunch of them last year because they were 2/3's the price of the adjustable wrenches we had been buying. Within 6 months half of them had been s****ped. I have since removed all but a handful from service and the remaining ones are on my "hit list" to get replaced. I've seen the same wrenches only chrome plated and under a different name at Wal Mart. When it comes to a torque wrench the style isn't as important as the quality.
Absolutely. It's even in the instructions for my torque wrenches. (I do occasionally read the directions...) I have both clicker and dial indicator wrenches. For me, both have their place in the toolbox - The dials are essential for setting bearing preload, etc., while the clickers are better suited for general ***embly chores. All my torque wrenches are "certified calibration" models from Proto.
Just saw a recent Harbor Freight ad with an ultra cheap Pittsburgh brand torque wrench, photo is the spittin' image of the Westward junk Grainger sells. Consider yourself forewarned...........
I have a clicker and use it for everything. Mainly due to the acrobatics required to use a beam wrench. I check the clicker against the beam now and then and it's always in spec. I don't unwind it to zero though, seems once you get to 30# everything is loose. For the lower rated stuff, I have a couple of clickers 3/8" drive. And a 1/4" drive inch pound beam wrench for diffs. Got it from Ebay, $12. and it was like new from a government lab....
I didn't say they were ALL dumb ***es. Taking poetic license with a quote from Abe Lincoln "All tire stores have some dumb ***es, and some tire stores have all dumb ***es, but not all tire stores have all dumb ***es".
At work the torpedomen use clickers. They are required to exercise them 5 times each direction before torquing anything, so I always do that. We use dial torque wrenches for the reactor stuff. I always "borrow" one from work when I'm ***embling the short block. For wheels and stuff I use my trusty clicker. I'm just paranoid about engine stuff.
Snap-On click for me! I can,t get my belly up over the hood latch half the time to read the torque on a dial.With the new cab forward design of most Chrysler products putting the head bolts at the back out of reach I can,t rely on my fading eyesight.And I also back it off to zero when not in use.....
I've always wanted a dial type torque wrench, but my dad has an old craftsman beam and mac clicker. He always told me to use the mac, but I found that the twisting of my wrist in awkward positions threw off the calibration every time, even thought the handle was pushed in and supposed to be locked...
Whatever; my first valve job was accomplished without a torque wrench, just an educated wrench (breaker + brain)! Ran for years, but I count on a beam type now. Let me ask a question: If the clicker is set right and after the first click you can pull on it and it will creep around then why would you stop. I've noticed that even with my beam I can be patient and creep that ****er or I can pull harder and get the pointer to value now. Seems to me that on a properly prepared bolt if it will still tighten when you are applying force below the torque value then it is not up to spec yet.
cick type? thats old school. I have one of the new top of the line TechAngle digital torque wrench From snapon. I love it. the handle vibrates when you're getting close to the set point and then beeps when you get there. it's digital readout lets you choose from nm, ftlbs, or inlbs. you can also dial in your angular measurment if you're using tourque-to-yield bolts.
I click. Most of my customers click. I'm seeing very few people buy the digital wrenches. Craftsman only does a year warranty on torque wrenches these days. I have had my pair of clickers for 6+ years now. No problems, ever. If they get stored at zero, no worries. I've never needed it for production work, so the Craftsman has been just fine. A related side note... I had a old woman come in to the store with her grand sons. She has a broken torque wrench in her hand. I ***ume it was grandpas. She says get me a new one, real pushy like. I say it's got a year warranty with receipt, sorry company policy. She throws said torque wrench at me and starts yelling about a lifetime warranty. Good thing she was old, it didn't go very far. It didn't hit me, and her grandson picked it up. He and I exchanged "what the hell?" glances. He knew grandma was bat-**** crazy. Ahhhhhhhh, dealing with the general public.
Can you convert feet/lb to in/lb on a common lb/ft torque wrench? Just divide by 12? Thought this would be the time to ask? Thanks?
This is an awesome thread. I've learned so much. Where could I, a regular guy, go to get my old Snap-On tested?
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