Teach me about torque wrenches, please

[Radshooter]

I was in Sears the other day looking at the Craftsman stuff. I am getting the hankering for a torque wrench, but don't know much about them.

What do I need for basic maintenance on the trucks and RV? I don't plan on doing any engine rebuilds, so I don't want anythng expensive or fancy. Sears had some on sale for about $60.

Would I get more good out of a 3/8" or 1/2" drive? I have basic sockets for each size. What about torque range? I can't remember the exact numbers, but some of them went from like 10 to 85 ft/lbs. Others went from 50 to 150. Still others went up to 250 lbs. These all were the micrometer style adjustments. What about the kind that just have a bar and a gage to look at? I can see a drawback to the gage type in that you have to be in a position to see the gage, compared to a clickable one not being position dependant.

What do you guys use for basic tinkering?

Thanks... ..... Steve

 

[JApol]

Torque wrenches are almost specialty tools. It depends on the kind of work that you will be doing.

There are 2 differant types of american tq wrenches

inch-pounds

foot pounds



you can get away with just on if you get a big enough range of values. We have one here at work that goes from 100-1000 in-lbs. We also have one that is permanent 150 ft-lbs.



One thing is for sure, threat tq wrneches with more care than your coffee cup. Tq wrenches do not take to getting moved around in the tool box or dropped. When you get done with your tq wrench reset to the lowest value, it will help preserve the tool.

 

[nickleinonen]

i'd personally stay away from the crapsman trq wrench. had one break on me at 85 or 90lbs/ft. said lifetime warrenty on the box, but not lifetime warrenty. now have a husky [homedepot] one [free exchange for the crapsman]. . 0-250 is good for the average use. at work i have a 0-150lbs and a 0-250 lbs in my box, and i usually only use them for conrods and injectors. everything else is by hand 95% of the time

 

[Nate]

I have a few torque wrenches. 0-100 in/lbs 1/4", 50-250 in/lbs 3/8", 100-1000 in/lbs 3/8", 0-250 ft/lbs 1/2", 250-1000 ft/lbs 1".



I think I have a couple more that I can't think of right now. Most are Snap On, a few are Craftsman.



You want to have what your torquing to be in the middle range of the wrench if possible, since it's most accurate there.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Most frequent use I have for my T-wrench, is getting all the lugnuts at proper and matching torque - helps keep rotors from warping.



They are a must for more in-depth engine work - checking/setting head bolt torque, etc.



One of the very best investments I made early in life was good tools - they pay for themselves - sometimes the very first time you use them...

 

[Nate]

I agree. Most of my tools are Craftsman, Snap On or Matco. I used to make a living with my tools so I needed to have good stuff that would last.

 

[drewRoberts]

I calibrate torque wrenches from the smallest inch ounce you can find all the way up to 2500 ft-lb monsters for the GA National Guard.



of all the wrenches I see CDI and Snap-on are the best you can find and have to be re-set the least. granted you do have to pay a bit more for them, but when it comes to most torque wrenches, price generaly equals quality.



oh, the click type is going to be the easiest overall to use. dial types are good for checking drag on pinions. we even have some that are electronic that buzz when you are within 5% of specified torque and sound an alarm when you hit the torque. they are slick, but the click type are easier to use.

 

[MFalkinham]

I've bought several 1/2" Craftsman torque wrenches, and every one has since broke. Now I use a Harbor Freight model that I bought on sale for $10. It may not be exactly accurate, but for tightening lugnuts it works just fine, and has lasted much longer than those more costly Craftsmans.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem. taf?Itemnumber=239

 

[nickleinonen]

I calibrate torque wrenches from the smallest inch ounce you can find all the way up to 2500 ft-lb monsters for the GA National Guard.

around 500lbs is the most i use a manual torque wrench for. above that, the multipliers come out [4:1, 5:1 25:1] or the hydraulic or pneumatic torque tools come out [tame, hytorc... ] the hydraulic stuff is great. . put the tool on, press the button. once it stops turning [clicking over preset relief valve] she's tight

 

[Radshooter]

Thanks for all the input guys. I didn't realize it was so complicated. I thought a torque wrench was a torque wrench was a torque wrench. #ad
#ad
I guess I need to do some more research.


Thanks again.....

Steve

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

What's everyones opinion on Proto torque wrenches?

 

[drewRoberts]

around 500lbs is the most i use a manual torque wrench for. above that, the multipliers come out [4:1, 5:1 25:1] or the hydraulic or pneumatic torque tools come out [tame, hytorc... ] the hydraulic stuff is great. . put the tool on, press the button. once it stops turning [clicking over preset relief valve] she's tight

the largest dial type we have is 1000lb. only good for tightening either the Jesus nut on rotors, or torquing the cog bolts on the final drive for M1 tanks. we do have some 600lb click type, but even at 4 foot long, 600 pound is a good bit to muster by hand. the 1200 and 2500lb guys are torque packs where about 50 turns of the handle equals one turn of the main spindle.



it would be nice to have some of those hydraulic types, but this is the National Guard. . . we're cheap :{



Tramp-man, we have alot of proto hand tools in the master boxes and contact trucks. I also have a few of their torque wrenches come through my door as well. they arent too bad, but I cant form a good opinion since I dont see that many.

 

[jwgary]

Just remember that the preload in a bolt is only as accurate as the torquing method you are using. Even if your torque wrench is 100% accurate you can still expect a +/-25% error in the actual ammount of preload in the bolt itself, according to the Machinery's Handbook. To make sure you are getting as accurate of a reading as possible, ALWAYS lubricate the fastener with oil, grease, or something that will help relieve the torque you are applying to friction instead of tightening the bolt. Proper torque in a fastener is really important. To remind myself of that I have two bolt heads (1-1/2 and 1-3/4) from two hydraulic cylinders that weren't torqued properly and popped off. It's scarry when a two pound bolt head comes flying off a press.

 

[nickleinonen]

my 0-150 wrench is a proto. . mine is an older model with the plastic handle. . the numbers are nearly invisiable now where to adjust and the head on it is pretty worn out. . other than that it has worked well. . get one with as little plastic on it as possable. i have a new one on order to replace it, and i am hoping to get the armstrong one. . [company buys the tools, so i get what they get the cheapest that day ]

 

[Buffalo]

drewRoberts,



You mentioned the CDI torque wrenches. What does the CDI stand for? I know of Snap-on but, have never heard of CDI.



I have a cheap one from Costco, when it was still the Price Club. Must be 20 years old, or more. Can these cheap ones be calibrated? Where do you have that done & how much does it cost? How often should you re-calibrate them?



Thanks.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[rbattelle]

I have 2 Craftsman torque wrenches. Both are the "Microtorque" type (as opposed to the more expensive "Digitorque"). Both have plastic handles.



My oldest is a 1996 1/2" 20-150 ft-lb model. Still works fine 10 years later.



The "newer" one is a 2000 3/8" 25-250 in-lb model. I bought it because I was rebuilding a transmission that required lower torques than my 150 ft-lb model. Since then, I've found several uses for it on newer vehicles. A couple years ago the plastic locking mechanism broke so I can't lock in a setting. But I can still change settings and the wrench works.



I've never calibrated either. I've taken very good care of them. I can vouch for Nick's point about no lifetime warranty on these, because I tried a few months ago to get them to replace my 3/8" unit... no way.



Soon I will need a 250 ft-lb model (front u-joints are going bad). I've got my eye on the Husky model from Home Depot based on Nick's endorsement. Here's a link.



I've read (here and other boards) that the metal handle ones are much superior.



-Ryan

 

[Ggg]

The clicker type will need periodic calibrating. General Electric in Schenectady N. Y. used to calibrate them, I do not know anymore. The bending beam type do not require recalibration so long as it returns to zero. I have a old 1950's vintage Proto TQ wrench, it is a great tool, one of my favorites because it is old, handed down from my dad, and still accurate. Never go cheap on precession tools, they will last longer, and always be more accurate and thats why you bought the TQ wrench in the first place.

 

[JasonBrown]

I have this snap-on unit. It is fantastic. Absolutely easy to use. A little pricey but worth every penny.



http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...group_ID=17226&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[wlowe]

In my quest for a few good torque wrenches I ended up buying a brand new 40 to 250 inch pound CDI because I needed it right now for a trans. adjustment. Seems like a good wrench, similar to Snap-on but half the price. After that I decided to try and get some new Snap-ons from Ebay. No luck, the snap-on's were expensive even on Ebay. Ended up getting two brand new Ebay Protos, 20-100 Ft. Lb. for $50, 50-250 Ft. Lb. for $70. The Protos are heavier/bulkier than the Snap-ons but seem to be well made. Grainger has a nice selection of Protos if your not into Ebay.