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02-19-2009, 02:27 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 509
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Torque Wrenches
I'm going to need one. What's everyone using? What things should I consider? Thanks! David
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David & Donna Driver SKP# 105170 | Fulltimer | 2009 F450 Lariat Plus w/Nav | 2011 MS 36RSSB3
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02-19-2009, 02:44 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Big Pine Key, FL
Posts: 1,424
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I don't think the brand is as important as two rules...
Use the torque wrench 3 times anytime you take a wheel off the hub and second...
When you finish using the torque wrench, take all the tension off the spring
Here is mine...
http://www.harborfreight.com/c...m.taf?Itemnumber=808
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Member # 47 , " squirt", Smart Cabriolet The Newest Family Addition
The Wagon, Excel L36CLO, Overkill, Volvo 610, Venture Out, Cudjoe Key, FL
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02-19-2009, 03:16 AM
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#3
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Registered User
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North of the Mason Dixon Line
Posts: 1,565
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I always use a fine point Sharpie and place a mark on the nut and the rim. That way I can do a visual to see if I need to retorque. Book2
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02-19-2009, 03:23 AM
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#4
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Administrator in Memoriam
Appalachian Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Buladean, NC
Posts: 8,126
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You can't beat this one, if it breaks they'll replace it free.
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'11 GMC Acadia SLT AWD
'11 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Extended Cab
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02-19-2009, 06:11 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: DFW Area, TX
Posts: 2,040
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Richard, I bought the same wrench. It was my understanding, however, that the lifetime warranty that applies to the normal Sears tools does NOT apply to their torque wrenches. I haven't had any problems with mine so there has been no need to take it back to test my understanding. I don't recall where I thought that I got the information, but a year warranty is what comes to mind - and that period for me is past.
Sometimes, in discussions on torque wrenches, the subject of calibration comes up. To me, it is sort of like air pressure gauges - you are never quite sure that the reading that you are getting is accurate. I do turn down my torque wrench after every use but I'd be curious to know if anyone besides me worries about whether their torque wrench is reading correctly. I haven't seen a practical solution to my question. They always tell you to check your air pressure guage with a "master gauge" whatever that is and whoever has one. For torque wrenches, I thought that part of the accuracy was that the fastener was still turning when pressure was being applied. I don't know how you would compare different torque wrenches to the same fastener to see if the calibration was consistent.
Maybe I just worry to much.
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2000 Georgie Boy Landau 36' DP
2018 Equinox toad
KF5-NJY
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02-19-2009, 06:42 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: somewhere in the west
Posts: 1,168
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If a torque wrench is needed fairly often, then a wrench is an asset.
On the other hand if all you need is to torque your wheel nuts every so often, then a wrench is not needed at all!
Lets say you weigh two hundred pounds, and you need to torque you wheel nuts to 200 ftlbs, then all you need to do is use a foot long bar and raise yourself off the ground to your toes (do not bounce), and that nut is torqued.
Or, lets say you use a 2 foot "cheater" bar. In this case you would only have to provide a force of 100 lbs (100 X 2 = 200)! To do this just stand on a bathroom scale while pushing down on the bar and when you appear to weigh only 100 lbs , that nut is torqued.
Or, You have your 50 pound child do the torquing, a four foot piece of pipe for a cheater bar, and the child coming up to their toes while pushing down on the end of the bar, that nut is torqued!
On my rig, the wheel nuts need to be torqued to 500 foot pounds, I use a four foot cheater bar and weigh in a 250, so when standing on a bathroom scale, and reducing my "apparent" weight by 125 lbs (125 x 4 = 500), that nut is torqued.
Lastly, say you only carry a four foot cheater bar but only need a shorter length for whatever reason. Just put your hands at the shorter length making the length from the center of the net to your hands the distance you require (torque = force x length).
Ed
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02-19-2009, 06:48 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 509
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Got it - thanks! (uh-oh, higher math wonder if the batteries are still good in my HP-41CX...) David
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David & Donna Driver SKP# 105170 | Fulltimer | 2009 F450 Lariat Plus w/Nav | 2011 MS 36RSSB3
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02-19-2009, 06:49 AM
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#8
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Administrator in Memoriam
Appalachian Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Buladean, NC
Posts: 8,126
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Quote:
It was my understanding, however, that the lifetime warranty that applies to the normal Sears tools does NOT apply to their torque wrenches.
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Maybe it's now changed at Sears, I don't know.
When I retired from them nearly 10 years ago as an Operations Mgr of 34 years in a large retail store, we always honored the Craftsman Lifetime "Hand Tool" warranty on the Craftsman torque wrenches. Now granted, if the customer was willing and it was available, we'd offer a rebuilt unit as an exchange but when push came to shove, if the customer required it, we'd replace them with a new unit.
I wish I had a dollar for every torque wrench I've seen in the Sears 'Return to Vendor' box.
__________________
'11 GMC Acadia SLT AWD
'11 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Extended Cab
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02-19-2009, 06:59 AM
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#9
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Registered User
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North of the Mason Dixon Line
Posts: 1,565
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They quit making the six foot wooden rule, I'd get a replacement every two years on that and I was trying to get to retirement with out buying another, but I did get two Lufkins for the replacement of my one Craftsman. Book2
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02-19-2009, 08:03 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Somewhere in the lower 48
Posts: 2,312
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I still use my old fashioned torque wrench that I used 40 years ago when I was rebuilding motors and drag racing. Still works for what I need it for.
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John, Joyce and Zoie (our 17# Guard Dog)
2018 Ford F-450 KR (awesome truck) / 2019 Mobile Suites 40KSSB4 (lemon on wheels)
Fulltiming since 2008 and loving it
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02-19-2009, 08:11 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Thompson, MB
Posts: 151
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I have the same Sears Torque Wrench and kept the paperwork and reciept. As far as I can see it is a lifetime warrenty but this is in Canada. I have the Torque Wrench after a friend of mine had their wheel come off their 3/4 ton dodge ram and the insurance company would not accept their claim because he failed to torque them properly with a torque wrench. Just one more reason to do things the proper way.
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Blake Symons & Family
2004 American Tradition 370 Cummins, 2000 Tahoe Blue Ox Aventa LX BrakeBuddy Vantage
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02-19-2009, 11:41 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: DFW Area, TX
Posts: 2,040
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Quote:
I have the Torque Wrench after a friend of mine had their wheel come off their 3/4 ton dodge ram and the insurance company would not accept their claim because he failed to torque them properly with a torque wrench. Just one more reason to do things the proper way.
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Your comment is an interesting one. I've used the "old fashioned" one mentioned by John on my wheel lugs for 30 years and never had one come loose. That torque wrench was a life-time warranty model, I believe. I always bring my vehicles (except the RV) home from any shop where they have to remove a wheel and re-torque the lug nuts. The problem normally isn't that any are loose but that they are over-torqued and take power equipment to remove. That is just wrong. I'm afraid that I'd have to agree with the insurance company that if a wheel came off, it probably wasn't torqued correctly.
I bought the "click" type torque wrench because I was concerned that the precision of the beam type wasn't good enough. There are a lot of things these days that has specific torque specs for them and a lot of situations like the insurance company denial where the precision of the work may be important. I just put my own baseplate on my toad. I'm understandably paranoid about that sucker coming off so I made sure that I torqued the bolts as specified in the instructions. The manufacturer has a label on the baseplate that says all of the bolts must be re-torqued every 3,000 miles of towing. Perhaps I'm just being anal but it seems to me that checking things link the baseplate bolts periodically just makes good sense.
__________________
2000 Georgie Boy Landau 36' DP
2018 Equinox toad
KF5-NJY
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02-19-2009, 11:48 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: DFW Area, TX
Posts: 2,040
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Quote:
On my rig, the wheel nuts need to be torqued to 500 foot pounds, I use a four foot cheater bar and weigh in a 250, so when standing on a bathroom scale, and reducing my "apparent" weight by 125 lbs (125 x 4 = 500), that nut is torqued.
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Ed, your information is helpful but it is an area where I'm still too worried to try it myself. How, for example, to you keep the socket on the lug nut? Perhaps your setup is different but there is a fair "offset" on our rig (from the top of the lug bolt to the point far enough past the side of the RV where the cheater bar and my fingers can pass to apply the force). It appears that there out to be some sort of pivot point to stabilize the resulting corner.
If I were going to be doing my on RV wheels, I'd want one of the 1" impact wrenches. For the times when I've had my wheels changed, that is what they've used and I've never had a problem.
__________________
2000 Georgie Boy Landau 36' DP
2018 Equinox toad
KF5-NJY
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02-19-2009, 12:17 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Big Pine Key, FL
Posts: 1,424
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Quote:
On the other hand if all you need is to torque your wheel nuts every so often, then a wrench is not needed at all!
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"But Your Honor, I weigh 260lbs and I used a 18" cheater bar and hopped up and down 3 times" somehow doesn't sound nearly as convincing as "yes Your Honor, I personally torqued the lug nuts to 95lbs with this torque wrench"
Davydee, spend the money and torque your lug nuts properly. In my not so humble opinion, anything else is not only bad advice but could be dangerous.
__________________
Member # 47 , " squirt", Smart Cabriolet The Newest Family Addition
The Wagon, Excel L36CLO, Overkill, Volvo 610, Venture Out, Cudjoe Key, FL
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