torque wrenches

Anybody in need of a torque wrench, I got mine today at harbor freight for $12.99. Just thought I would share and let you know.

I found a coupon in Rider magazine for the same wrenches for $9.99. Coupon expires 9/1. I have been meaning to pick up a 3/8" wrench when I have a chance to ride over.

Jesse

Wow, that's better yet Jesse!

I have to laugh when anyone buys HF torque wrenches and expects them to be accurate and long lasting. Why do aircraft and automotive certified techs not have a drawer full of HF torque wrenches rather than Snap-On?

Torque wrenches are only accurate if frequently calibrated - any one calibrate theirs?

I don't!!!!!!

The discussion of torque setting is a very deep one indeed.
Appears that the only "true" way of knowing that a fastener is properly tightened is to measure its length.
I use my torque wrench to gain repeatability and to get fasteners tightened in their workable range. No bolts have loosened in the use of this method so far.

We used used to use the number of white knuckles in my early days as a spanner monkey!

SCTLVR wrote:

I use my torque wrench to gain repeatability and to get fasteners tightened in their workable range.

SCTLVR - Are you saying that tightening fasteners to the same approximate torque is more important that having them at exact proper torque? How do you know that the fasteners are tightened within their workable range?

General - I have had multiple bad experiences with Honda Dealers severely OVER tightening critical bolts/nuts to the point that I suspect the stress exceeded the fastener elastic range - guessing the dealers did this with impact wrenches. I now avoid dealers for maintenance if at all possible. This forum is re-pleat with folks that have had trouble with loosening the oil drain plug - which I attribute to severe over-torquing - as I properly (I think) torque wrench the oil drain plug and have never had the least bit of an issue with getting it loose (it is a big bolt that requires very little torque and hence is easy to over-torque if using an impact wrench or hand tightening without a proper low-range torque wrench). I have entrusted my fastener torquing to my 3 HF torque wrenches (1/4, 3/8, & 1/2) which seem to adequately cover the range for my SWing. Yes HF are low cost but most of my tools are HF and they seem to work just fine for maintaining my SWing - which is about all they are used for. I am never sure that paying double or triple is buying me more - but if I had the resources I would by better. I don't calibrate my torque wrenches - but may try to 'check' them along the mid-point range at some future date. I try to stay away from using a torque wrench in the lower 20% of its scale as I have found most instruments to be more inaccurate/unreliable at the low range - and better mid to high range (to do this I move down in torque wrench size which sometimes requires an adapter coupling to connect to the appropriate socket - this is especially important for the oil drain plug). I have found that hand tightening without a torque wrench results (for me anyway) in over torquing AND very uneven torque levels - so now I almost always use a torque wrench. If the Honda Maintenance Manual does not provide a torque level for the fastener - then I measure the thread diameter (with HF calipers of course) and use the generic level for the fastener as listed in the Honda Service Manual. Lately I have been using more Loctite type fastener aides (where appropriate) to ensure that key fasteners are less likely to work loose (friend had some fasteners work loose that resulted in a nasty accident - so check those fasteners!). The above is my opinion - I am not a torque expert - just saying this is what I do.

Of course one could use a 'T' Bar - spring balance and a good portion of mathematical know how and do it the old fashioned way!

Used to do it that way when I first started working on Helicopters but I had a 'man' who was good with sums to do the awkward bit! (I simply fetched the tools and made the tea!!!)

I've got a couple of torque wrenches that I haven't used for years, all I know is they're in Nm or lb/ft, you set them and they make a click and stop you tightening any further at that setting. I used to use them to torque up wheel nuts after refitting wheels to the various Paralever BMW's I had back then, or maybe a sump plug.

Dimond,
I put together a big response to your message and clicked send, but the message is in the electron ether! I'm not going to put the message back together but suffice to say, I like analyzing stuff like this as well.

Okay... time for a "war" story...

On occasion while I was in the Air Force, we installed propellers on T-56 turboprop engines on C-130E aircraft. Anyway... the shaft was like 4.5 or 5 inches in diameter as was the associated nut that went on to secure the prop after it was slid on. Well, the nut was turned on as far a it would go by hand and then a special slotted wrench was used to turn it on down as tight as you could get it by hand wrench.

Then... we had this "bodacious, big tri-oval shaped reduction gear tool" about a foot and a half tall, a foot wide, and about 8 inches thick, with a hole that slipped over said shaft and engaged the slotted nut. The other end of the "bodacious, big tri-oval shaped reduction gear tool" had a square one inch drive opening for the one inch drive torque wrench that was some 3 and a half to 4 feet long. The torque wrench was "set" and then used to apply the required torque thru the "bodacious, big tri-oval shaped reduction gear tool" until the required "click" occured.

Then... additional torque was applied on top of that so the "degree" marker on the front of the "bodacious, big tri-oval shaped reduction gear tool" was at its proper setting.

How much torque was that??? I really don't remember except I know it was a whole bunch. Was the darndest most torque I ever put on anything.

Your tax dollars at work!

I once was a gopher in an oil refinery and we "torqued" head bolts with a crow's foot wrench and a sledge hammer. Torque depended on the size of the guy swinging the hammer. :lol!:

rollsroyce250 wrote:

have a drawer full of HF torque wrenches rather than Snap-On?

The old addage comes to mind -- Never trust a man with a Snap on tool.

:flower:

DickO wrote:

Okay... time for a "war" story...

How much torque was that??? I really don't remember except I know it was a whole bunch. Was the darndest most torque I ever put on anything.

DickO, you want to check out the torque on the Jesus Bolt on a helicopter rotor head.

The torque figure it that large a wrench isn't used but a hydraulic ram is!!!!! Imagine if the rotors came off!!!!! Sorta akin to watching your back wheel sailing past you at speed!!!!

Yeah Doug, maybe all those fasteners in those truly critical areas could be called "Jesus Bolts" (or nuts, or whatever). Some things ya' just don't want to come loose, ever!

I was told on good authority that the 'best' torque-wrenches were the ones with a bendy bar, pointer and scale - more awkward to use but retain their accuracy.
I've got the 'click' sort.