Torque wrench

[Michael]

Well Whats the best torque wrench for under $250 dollars ill be replaceing my steering wheel with a new one soon and i need a accurate torque wrench to tighten the steering wheel bolt. I was thinking a Snap On torque wrench what do you guys think?

Topic

[Kenneth]

I’ve got a couple, but I can’t recommend these particular wrenches. What I can say, is that click type torque wrenches have to be calibrated every few years to be dead accurate. But if I’m not mistaken, the beam type, just work.
On the other hand, in the cheap brand market, harbor freight makes one that gets surprisingly good reviews. However I wouldn’t expect it to be a long term thing. At around ten bucks, a guy could buy it for a project, then use it as a loaner, or to torque wheels.
With a budget of $250.00 I’m guessing that you’re looking for a top quality, best of the best kind of thing. You really can’t go wrong with snap on, and they make a nice split beam. But be aware, that just like everyone else they’ve started asking for more proof of purchase, if you want warranty work. If you work at a place that has a tool truck, it’s not really much of a problem. If you buy used, or mail order… you’ll be keeping up with that 250.00 receipt for years.
That’s another reason I go cheap, because other than wheels, I don’t use these much.

[Ben]

I have used the Harbor Freight torque wrench and my opinion is that for a few uses, sure, it’ll usually work just fine. However, if you’re going to rely on it for months or years, spend a little more on a name-brand wrench; the lock bolt on the HF torque wrench tends to break loose to where you can’t accurately set the torque. Again, just my experience.
I also have experience with the Snap On 1/2″ torque wrench, and it is worth the money (comparatively speaking). Instead of a cheap lock bolt, it has a locking collar, which I think works better. I think that Snap On tools are very over-priced, and I own many Harbor Freight tools, but the HF torque wrenches aren’t that great.

[Bob]

A story I wrote about torque wrenches. Long ago, different web site. Some may be amused.
http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forum/off-topic/whatever/140718-torque-wrenches.html

[Ben]

Ah, you have to be a member of that website to read.

[none]

Are you sure this bolt really requires a torque wrench? I know any manufacturer can spit out a spec for every fastener on their car. But I just can’t see anything so critical in a steering column that would need you to be so fussy in the real world. Whatcha working on?

[zero]

[quote=”no_common_sense” post=117414]Are you sure this bolt really requires a torque wrench? I know any manufacturer can spit out a spec for every fastener on their car. But I just can’t see anything so critical in a steering column that would need you to be so fussy in the real world. Whatcha working on?[/quote]

That’s what I was thinking, “You want to actually torque what?” Assuming the head of the nut is relative to the thread size you can generally safely estimate the amount of force using a “standard” sized ratchet. 1/4 drive: be careful, apply almost no extra force once it stops. 3/8: Give it a little pull, just the forearm not the whole body. 1/2: Unless you’re using a huge cheater or the bolt is crap your pretty safe against breaking it by hand. Most 1/2 ratchets are about 12 inches long. So assuming about a 200 pound person using it, if you put your whole body into it that’s about 200 ft lbs. Same estimation can be used for 3/8. Most of the ratchets are about 6 to 8 inches long, so assuming the same person applying the same force it’s half as much torque. At this point I will point out that 100 ft lbs is an excessive amount of torque for most (if not all) fasteners that you can fit on a 3/8 ratchet without adapters.

Or if you have an impact, just give it a good blurp. Just a tap’ll do it.

[Michael]

[quote=”no_common_sense” post=117414]Are you sure this bolt really requires a torque wrench? I know any manufacturer can spit out a spec for every fastener on their car. But I just can’t see anything so critical in a steering column that would need you to be so fussy in the real world. Whatcha working on?[/quote]

Im working on a 03 Accord EXV6 Sedan i just want to torque the steering wheel bolt to spec and have peace of mind. I think its only around the 40 50lb range of torque

[Ben]

There are rarely any bolts that I actually break out the torque wrench for. Sometimes for lug nuts, if the customer is picky. And for anything internal in the engine, like head bolts and main bearing caps. Like the others have said, snug it up and you should be alright. For peace of mind, put a drop of Loc-Tite on it, or a locking washer.

[none]

If you’re only going to need that torque wrench for this one use, consider saving a large chunk of money and hitting up a local parts store with a tool loan program. That’s something they should have readily available. A nearby rent-all store might have one too.

[James O’Hara]

This is what I use:

1/4″ 10-50in lbs Snap On QD150

3/8″ 25-250in lbs Craftsman Older Version of 31423

1/2″ 25-250ft lbs Craftsman 75001

Leaves a 5 lb gap between 3/8 and 1/2 you could buy craftsman 75000 instead of the 3/8 I have but that is up to you. It is very rare there is a torque spec in that range that I have seen. Regardless most important part is that you always unspring the spring in these type torque wrenches and the battery ones take them out if you are not using it. Read the directions they will explain best way to keep unsprung. With that being said you also need to get them calibrated after so many uses as it is spring steel i believe its 300-1000 uses. Anyway with that being said most mechanics do not torque things unless its needed. If you practice you can feel for when the bolt threads stretch and add just a tiny bit passed that we are talking like a 16th to an 8th of a turn and that is normally spec for torque. There are things like engine parts, trans parts, and lugnuts that you want to torque regardless. Though that bs of not snapping half inch bolts is hilarious i have done it more times than i can count and we use 10.9 or grade 8 bolts.

[JoeCool]

noob reply …

I got one of those cheapo torque wrench, few years ago, it works well until I got the feeling that the clicking limit didn’t work properly, test against my old torque beam gave me sometime spot on , sometime +/- 15lbs-ft more/less ! so it is too worn, it will never be right calibrated…

since then I got this at half price… always spot on against my torque beam wrench and also against my friend’s high end torque wrench …

so get this or an old fashion torque beam (it will last for centuries)

🙂

Torque adptor

[Michael]

Thanks for the information on torque wrenchs everyone i think ill get the Snap On torque wrench clicker style one. I had craftmans torque wrenchs the digital one and a click style one the clicker one broke and the digital wrench became unaccaccurate. So i returned them. Actually I didn’t like them the digital wrench was okay for a couple of uses then the other one to me was just junk. So i think getting a Snap On torque wrench would be better expensive but better.

[Neil]

Norbar are a good reliable torque wrench easy to et and accurate . I have had one for years

[James O’Hara]

Make sure you run it all the way down to the min spec or past mins pec one full turn on non electronic ones. Leaving the toque wrench on any other setting will keep the spring under constant tension. that tension over time will stretch the spring making it inaccurate.

[Author]

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