Torque Wrench Reminder!

[Tommyboy57]

Just a reminder to newbies to torque wrench's such as myself. Make sure you buy one with foot-pounds NOT inch-pounds if your using it for lug nuts. I bought a nice craftsman 25-250inch pounds thinking it was the right wrench merely because the word pounds was on it. My lugs call for 75 foot-pounds of torque. That setting on this wrench would have only yielded 75/12 = 6.26footlbs!!! instead of 75 footpounds. A recipe for disaster. It would take 900 inch pounds to make 75 foot-pounds on that wrench which was impossible. I knew something was wrong but it took 6 youtube videos and a lot of head scratching. Hope I helped somebody.

[fielro]

Wow, thanks for the heads up

[Tunce the traveler]

Thank you soo much for this post. We forget after a while to pass this very,very important information on. I know you'll never know but I'm sure you just saved someone from disaster .

[cariboocreek]

.....or just tighten them up until their good and tight......

[SkyBound]

Also, remember when storing a torque wrench to back off the tension to the ZERO mark. Most trailers have 13/16 lug nuts on them - I bought a dedicated 13/16 deep socket (YOU NEED A DEEP SOCKET TO CLEAR THE TIRE).

[Plowtoy]

Good Reminder!

Being in the auto repair industry, I will add that many torque wrenches also have "Newton Meters" as well as foot pounds. They are close, but not quite the same, so you will want to make sure when setting the torque wrench, you are using the foot pounds!

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by SkyBound

Also, remember when storing a torque wrench to back off the tension to the ZERO mark. Most trailers have 13/16 lug nuts on them - I bought a dedicated 13/16 deep socket (YOU NEED A DEEP SOCKET TO CLEAR THE TIRE).

... and be sure the socket you buy is the correct DRIVE size for your torque wrench (3/8" or 1/2" square).

Also, buy the 6-point socket (6 flat surfaces contacting the lug nut) as opposed to a 12-point: Why? Because if the socket is not square on the lug nut, the 6-point socket is less likely to round off the corners of the lug nut; or, if your lug nut corners are already rounded, the 6-point will still work when a 12-point won't.

Also, buy an 'impact' socket. Those sockets are a bit more expensive and have thicker material. On the side of the road with a flat tire, having the socket break is one more thing you don't want to have happen.

And I'll include this: Unless you have tightened your lug nuts yourself, and you plan on put on your spare tire by yourself, you'll need a way to jack up your trailer (Attention newbies: Jacks are not usually included with trailers) and be sure YOU can remove the lug nuts.

Short story: I had tires rotated on a class-B. When I went to install my mounted snow tires a few weeks later, I could not remove the lug nuts by hand. I had to go back to the 'service station' and have them use their impact gun to loosen the lug nuts on all 4 wheels. I was glad I found out before I had a flat tire, but that was the last time I ever went back to them.

[eldermike]

I have several torque wrenches but I never use one on lugs. I have turned so many bolts in my life that I just tighten them up. If I lean my upper body weight on a 1 foot moment arm T shaped lug wrench it's about 75 to 100 foot lbs. Close enough. Torque is important, it's a method of insuring your lugs are seated, but what's really important is they are not lose. You can check them with a simple lug wrench if you have a feel for what you are doing. If you don't then by all means use a torque wrench.

But, Torque tools need calibration, read the fine print on the tool you purchase. Where I work we calibrate torque tools monthly and in most cases they need adjustment and these are the best of the best tools. I don't actually trust cheap torque wrenches. But I suppose they are better than nothing if you don't know that 1 lb of force applied 1 foot from the center of rotation = 1 foot lb.

[SecretCoveDave]

Have a torque wrench. Never been calibrated; let alone monthly.

Thanks for the information. Will buy a tire iron and donate torque wrench to someone who wants to maintain it.

PS if I just dial it up to the top can I use it as a breaker bar instead?

Dave

[eldermike]

Originally Posted by SecretCoveDave

Have a torque wrench. Never been calibrated; let alone monthly.

Thanks for the information. Will buy a tire iron and donate torque wrench to someone who wants to maintain it.

PS if I just dial it up to the top can I use it as a breaker bar instead?

Dave

I would keep it as a torque wrench. I have several myself. I use an inch pound one on aluminum stuff like spark plugs because stripping is a real issue there.

Calibration on a new tool is good for some time if it's not used to often. But springs are springs and things do change over time. There are methods of calibrating a home use tool.

here is one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdHzbwCZcF4

[SecretCoveDave]

Wow! Thanks 'elder mike', very cool to still be learning at 65.
Dave.

[eldermike]

Originally Posted by SecretCoveDave

Wow! Thanks 'elder mike', very cool to still be learning at 65.
Dave.

I am still learning at 65 myself.

[fielro]

Yep, me too

[etex211]

Originally Posted by eldermike

I have several torque wrenches but I never use one on lugs...

I recommend always using torque wrenches on lug nuts. The unequal torquing of lug nuts is what causes rotors to warp.

[Paintinfool3]

With rotors it is more important than with drum brakes it seems uneven torque on rotors can warp them from the start ... Myself on the road when I have a flat I am wanting to get the tire on and tight ,but I am not torquing on the roadside with drum brakes on trailer ..... Also with the aluminum rims on some of these trailers make sure if you have an impact socket it will fit inside the lug nut cavity .... One set of trailer rims I have won't allow a thick wall socket or a thick wall 4 way. Just make sure what you have will fit before you find yourself on the roadside without the tool to remove and install you flat tire.... Also depending on who put the tires on you might want to check sometime while your at home base if you can get the lugs loose. I have had shops that just use some gorilla impact to tighten to some 3 or 400 ft lb amount and actually stretch the threads ... Then when you are on the roadside you are not going to get that wheel off .

[eldermike]

Originally Posted by etex211

I recommend always using torque wrenches on lug nuts. The unequal torquing of lug nuts is what causes rotors to warp.

I agree to an extent. Poor manufacturing processes also lead to rotors warping and nothing you can do will overcome that. What is considered warpage is often stess relief which should have been done before final finishing in the manufacturing process.

[etex211]

Originally Posted by eldermike

I agree to an extent. Poor manufacturing processes also lead to rotors warping and nothing you can do will overcome that. What is considered warpage is often stess relief which should have been done before final finishing in the manufacturing process.

Talk to any brake parts manufacturer, and he will tell you how vitally important the proper torquing of the wheel (and subsequently the rotor) is to any brake job.

[Nighthawk 96]

Wow! Guess I am old school. My torque wrench is a 40 year old Craftsmen which has a pointer that deflects up the 150 ft. lb. scale the harder you pull. No calibration here.
Use it mostly when adjusting the chain tension on the back wheel of the motorcycle.

[jenoble99]

Originally Posted by SkyBound

Also, remember when storing a torque wrench to back off the tension to the ZERO mark. Most trailers have 13/16 lug nuts on them - I bought a dedicated 13/16 deep socket (YOU NEED A DEEP SOCKET TO CLEAR THE TIRE).

Not always. My torque wrench manual says to store with it set to about 20% of the max. I always put it back to zero until I was glancing through the manual one day and saw that 20% deal. Check the manual for your particular torque wrench to be sure of best practices for storage. I am contemplating buying a beam type torque wrench for lug nuts. If it is pointing to zero then you know it's calibrated.

[WhiteHawk]

Great information for a rookie such as myself. Not just about the torque wrenches but that we need to routinely check the lug nuts on our trailers and TV. Thanks.