Torque wrench ; Can you use it twice to get the setting needed ?
- Thread starter odie
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I'd take your beam wrench and measure the distance between 70 and 75, then using tape or pencil, mark that distance after 75. Should be close enough to 80.
IMO the OEM's know that lugs are tightened to their spec -20/+8,000%.
But if you are doing this often it's worth spending $20 or whatever to get a wrench with higher torque rating.
Edit: nevermind, somehow I missed a page of posts.
I stand corrected. Thanks for the info Jimmy_Russells. I learned something.
I have never used a digital torque-wrench. I did not know about the + function. I can see the + function doing that.
But there may / or may not, be a problem if the total torque exceeded the range. I suspect that it would not work or at least would not be reliably accurate if the total with the + function exceeds the range.
To my defense, the OP did not talk of using a + function. And the way they phrased it, would of set a digital to 75, and 5. And without knowing about the + function that still would not have worked.
And I question if a digital could be used to set a final torque that was beyond its range by using the + function.
With boron tube pressure gauges it is wise not to exceed 80 % of the total range if you want to maintain accuracy. I would be suspicious of the accuracy of mechanical click type torque-wrenches near the end of the scale. I recommended a brother of mine buy a torque-wrench for tightening the lug nuts on his F-150 truck and told him to buy one that he could set to 150 Lb/ft and not exceed 80 % of the full scale when used at that setting.
I suspect that if it was a very high quality torque-wrench costing hundreds of dollars, that it may retain accuracy for that last 20 % of scale. But I would not rely on it for a low or medium cost one.
I have never used a digital torque-wrench. I did not know about the + function. I can see the + function doing that.
But there may / or may not, be a problem if the total torque exceeded the range. I suspect that it would not work or at least would not be reliably accurate if the total with the + function exceeds the range.
To my defense, the OP did not talk of using a + function. And the way they phrased it, would of set a digital to 75, and 5. And without knowing about the + function that still would not have worked.
And I question if a digital could be used to set a final torque that was beyond its range by using the + function.
With boron tube pressure gauges it is wise not to exceed 80 % of the total range if you want to maintain accuracy. I would be suspicious of the accuracy of mechanical click type torque-wrenches near the end of the scale. I recommended a brother of mine buy a torque-wrench for tightening the lug nuts on his F-150 truck and told him to buy one that he could set to 150 Lb/ft and not exceed 80 % of the full scale when used at that setting.
I suspect that if it was a very high quality torque-wrench costing hundreds of dollars, that it may retain accuracy for that last 20 % of scale. But I would not rely on it for a low or medium cost one.
If you really want to get into trouble, you can put a crow's foot on the end of your torque wrench. Derate the torque reading by the ratio of the length of the center of movement of the crow's foot to the center of the square drive, divided by the length of the handle.
That all said, the 1/2" tq wrench from HF goes to 150 ft lbs and will be in its happy middle range for what you want to do. Be sure to set it back to zero when done, and "warm it up" by clicking it at your setting a few times before use.
That all said, the 1/2" tq wrench from HF goes to 150 ft lbs and will be in its happy middle range for what you want to do. Be sure to set it back to zero when done, and "warm it up" by clicking it at your setting a few times before use.
For lug nuts?
Maybe. I used to see them constantly in company cafeteria/break rooms through the early '00s, long after I already had a digital at home. They lasted a long time because of lack of the more failure prone electronics. That was what you'd expect to get at a sub~$70 price point.
That's what I would have done too.
Had a magic chef at the shop it was iirc a 1982 model, knob on top had to go past 1min to start even if you wanted 30s.
had a selector below with defrost or cook..
iirc about 500w model.. no turntable.
My Grandma had a microwave oven, it actually was a convection oven too... 400w or 500w for microwave part. 1980.
I bought her an oster 1100w with turntable for $70 but she kept reprogramming the clock instead of starting it.. so she wanted the old one back (lol)
Back on topic: at $9.99 just buy yourself a proper torque wrench.
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For the lug nuts in question, 75 ft lbs. then 1/8 turn with a 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar should work fine. Imagine going to a tire shop and them slamming the lug nuts home with an impact gun. You might 5 different torque readings on 5 lug nuts, and none close to 75 ft lbs..
As a BMW tech, my job would be nearly impossible without good digital torque wrenches. We have some torque specs, like for wheel bearings that will require a procedure like the following.
Torque to 40 Nm
Torque to 80 Nm
+40 degrees
-90 degrees
Torque 100 Nm
+180 degrees
And this is on four bolts holding the hub from the backside of a knuckle, while trying to work around the axle. The torque specs for the fuel rail on the new B engines is nearly twice as long.
That example illustrates the point that torque is a poor surrogate for clamping force. Your fasteners in this example are well into yield which is still not a perfect measure of clamping force but is better.
My point about digital wrenches isn't that they aren't convenient, just that the measurement down to the last digital digit isn't improving on the poor measurement that torque represents. Yes you're getting a more precise measurement of the fastener torque (and one that's easier to read) but the greater issue of torque being a highly imprecise measurement of clamping force still looms in the background. By all means use one if necessary but all you're getting is a more precise measurement of an imprecise value.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
First ones were just rotary dials..
Radar Range... By 1981 I was shot.lol
And you can’t measure clamping load 99% of the time,so what’s your point?
The good digital ones are significantly more accurate. From 4% for a clicker to 1% for the electronic.
You really can’t measure clamping force at all, one is always using a surrogate. None of that was my point.
I would suggest you continue as you have been doing.
I would suggest you continue as you have been doing.
For 99% of nuts and bolts, you just need to be in the ballpark area of the torque spec. More importantly is even torque to avoid warping. If you are within 10% of spec, good enough. It's the lazy jerks in shops who have some at 100 ft lbs, and others at 160 while putting on wheels that tick me off. Being 5 foot lbs high or low, isn't going to make a difference. My dad asked me to put the wheels back on a semi truck recently, and torque to 475 ft lbs. I used a large ratchet, with cheater pipe, so i could push down on it approximately 5' from the socket, and used most of my weight, but enough still on my feet for balance, and thought that has to be approximately 474 ft lbs. The driver the next day put some 950 kms on it, then grabbed a torque wrench to recheck the wheel nuts, as per company policy after the tires have been off. He said they were all really close, and he didn't know that i hadn't used a torque wrench, just basic math. Depending on the day I weigh 115 to 117 lbs. If i used 5 feet of ratchet and pipe, the around 95 lbs of my weight, i have 475. So i estimated 20 lbs of my weight left on my feet. The cheater pipe i had wouldn't go over the end of the torque wrench, and I am too small to torque them without a cheater pipe on it. Yes I am tall for a female, but also skinny.
If you had stood on a scale and stopped when the scale read 20 lbs, I bet it might actually be more accurate than most clicker style wrenches.
Lug nuts? 3 uggga duggas
On my IR 2235timax at 150 psi, that may snap a stud.
