Torque Wrenches

[AE86Trueno]

Hello fellow ETCG forum members, I am looking into purchasing a good quality torque wrench that I can use for swapping out summer to winter tires whenever need be but have no idea where to start. Any brand suggestions?

Topic

[steven jacobsen]

If it is just for wheels then get the cheapest click type torque wrench you can get in a 1/2 inch drive, a couple or even afew pounds off are not a big deal. If you use it on an angine part or something that needs total accuracy then get a good one and take care of it.

[steven jacobsen]

and for wheels that are usually 80 or 100 ft lb, i suggest a wrench that goes to 250 lb, the mid range is the most accurate

[Matthew Ross]

I agree with snshd. If it’s just for tires, get a cheap click type. Harbor Freight is not my favorite place to buy tools, but for the price their clicking torque wrench gets the job done (plus it has a lifetime warranty, so when it breaks you can swap it for a new one). Don’t expect it to be high quality, but it is functional.

I have this one: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-type-torque-wrench-239.html

Again, this is not for applications where 100% accuracy is required. This will be off by 1 or 2 ft/lbs, but for tires it’s enough.

Once you go beyond the cheap ones, you can spend anywhere from $50-$500 on one. Craftsman makes decent ones, and for the professional level you could go with Snap On.

[619DioFan]

Both my 3/8 and 1/2 inch drive torque wrenches are husky brand. very happy with the quality. the 3/8 is about 10 years old and the 1/2 inch about a year old ( got the 1/2 inch to replace my sk that finally gave up the ghost ) recommend these for a good quality at a reasonable price torque wrench.

[Shaun_300]

Agree with the others, just get a reasonably priced click type torque wrench if you’ll mainly be using it on wheels. Most 1/2″ drives are 50-250lb ft.

[drthrift035]

As it relates to torque wrenches. I personally believe that one is not good enough. You need three of them.

1/4 Torque Wrench

3/8 Torque Wrench

1/2 Torque Wrench

Each is required for different applications.

[Andrew]

I have the cheap harbor freight 1/2 torque wrench for tires. it’s “good enough.” Definitely not a snap-on, but it doesn’t need to be for tires.

since they were only $10, I have the 1/4, and 3/8 as well. I have a craftsman beam style that I can check the 3/8 against to keep it honest.

[Author]

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