Community Forums

davydee · 02-19-2009, 02:27 AM

I'm going to need one. What's everyone using? What things should I consider? Thanks! David

MakinSmoke · 02-19-2009, 02:44 AM

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

BookIIRoadtrash · 02-19-2009, 03:16 AM

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

Hitchhiker · 02-19-2009, 03:23 AM

You can't beat this one, if it breaks they'll replace it free.

chasfm11 · 02-19-2009, 06:11 AM

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.

Ed-Sommers · 02-19-2009, 06:42 AM

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

davydee · 02-19-2009, 06:48 AM

Got it - thanks! (uh-oh, higher math

wonder if the batteries are still good in my HP-41CX...)

David

Hitchhiker · 02-19-2009, 06:49 AM

Quote:

It was my understanding, however, that the lifetime warranty that applies to the normal Sears tools does NOT apply to their torque wrenches.

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.

BookIIRoadtrash · 02-19-2009, 06:59 AM

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

Roam America · 02-19-2009, 08:03 AM

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.

Northern-Canadian · 02-19-2009, 08:11 AM

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.

chasfm11 · 02-19-2009, 11:41 AM

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.

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.

chasfm11 · 02-19-2009, 11:48 AM

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.

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.

MakinSmoke · 02-19-2009, 12:17 PM

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!

"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.