Do I need a torque wrench?

First time I used my torque wrench I couldn't believe how little effort it require to get to 88ft lbs! Growing up I always tightened my own wheels with a 4 way bar and once I got my wrench I knew I was waaaay over tightening them. :o

Definitely a must have if you're removing clients wheels.
 
Buy yourself a Craftsman and you won't need to buy another one again.

As other have mentioned and I'll add to as well:

-NEVER use a torque wrench to break nuts/bolts free
-If there's a key for a locking lug, loosen it first
-Conversely, tighten the locking lug last
-Go around the star pattern 2x, lightly, not moving them wrench after the click
-Buy a set of sleeved sockets to reduced damage to the lug barrels

Using power tools runs a higher risk of damage and over torquing. If you feel the need to use them the save maybe 2min of time, only use to loosen the lugs (but don't use on locking lugs, they or the key get damaged).
 
Plus one above, the natural tendency is to not trust the recommended specs. Usually, people will torque to about 150 lbs.
 
Unless one is a complete goober, it is entirely safe to use any decent air-powered impact gun to install lug nuts or bolts. The key is to use the lowest torque setting and stop as soon as the hammer strikes. My Ingersoll-Rand goes up to 660 lb•ft in reverse, but has four clutch settings forward, the lowest one is around 45 lb•ft. I then use my torque wrench to set the nuts or bolts to spec.
 
On more than one occasion I've had mechanics put my lug bolts on with an impact gun so tight that I needed to add a pipe to my 24" breaker bar to get them off.
 
That can also be necessary because of galvanic corrosion. I needed a pipe extension on my 24" breaker bar in November on my own car, even though I had installed the bolts myself -- with no air tools -- three months earlier and had torqued to 80 lb•ft. The low carbon steel lug bolts had seized to the alloy rims. It's the same reason tire places keep long 2x4s handy to "whack" at stuck alloys from the other side of the car to knock them off the grey iron brake rotors.
 
SameGuy said:
That can also be necessary because of galvanic corrosion. I needed a pipe extension on my 24" breaker bar in November on my own car, even though I had installed the bolts myself -- with no air tools -- three months earlier and had torqued to 80 lb•ft. The low carbon steel lug bolts had seized to the alloy rims. It's the same reason tire places keep long 2x4s handy to "whack" at stuck alloys from the other side of the car to knock them off the grey iron brake rotors.
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That's why I use a little anti-seize on the hub bolts and back of wheel which contacts the rotor.
 
expdetailing said:
Plus one above, the natural tendency is to not trust the recommended specs. Usually, people will torque to about 150 lbs.
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:eek: Holy cow, that's about double the manufacturer's specs on mine!! Not until I got a torque wrench did I realize I tended to over-tighten, and that's not jumping on or kicking at it either.
 
Uh-oh, not the whole "lubricating lug nuts" argument again... I'm firmly in the dry torque camp. Lube the back of the rim or face of the hub -- I do -- but I will never, ever lube the threads of a stud that has a specific dry torque spec. Lubricating threads can lead to over-torquing by as much as 50%.
 
SameGuy said:
Uh-oh, not the whole "lubricating lug nuts" argument again... I'm firmly in the dry torque camp. Lube the back of the rim or face of the hub -- I do -- but I will never, ever lube the threads of a stud that has a specific dry torque spec. Lubricating threads can lead to over-torquing by as much as 50%.
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I never heard the"lubricating lug nuts argument" before. It makes my life just that little bit less hassle free and helps stop the open end lugs from freezing.
 
spazzz said:
I never heard the"lubricating lug nuts argument" before. It makes my life just that little bit less hassle free and helps stop the open end lugs from freezing.
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There's a huge difference between "dry" and "lube" torque specs.
for various fasteners.

Bob
 
SameGuy said:
Lubricating threads can lead to over-torquing by as much as 50%.
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This was demonstrated on a DIY automotive show a couple of years ago -- I think it was on one of Spike TV's "Powerblock" shows.

They showed using anti-sieze altered the torque spec substantially. Then they used Automotive Racing Products (ARP) Ultra-Torque anti-sieze compound (ARP | Official Website | ARP Ultra-Torque) which consistently produced the correct torque spec.

Why do you need a torque wrench?

When you tighten a bolt or nut, you are stretching the bolt to a certain amount of force that provides the clamping force. I removed a bolt from my car's suspension that was about 1/8" longer than what it should have been because a previous "mechanic" over torqued the bolt. Think of stretching a rubber band: Too loose and it doesn't do anything; too tight and it breaks.

Not everything requires the use of a torque wrench unless you're working with aluminum, then use a torque wrench on everything. When you're tightening a hardened steel bolt into aluminum, you're stretching the threads in the aluminum, not the bolt, to provide the clamping force.

The torque specs for lug nuts on cars can range from 50 pounds to over 120 pounds (Wheel Torque Chart - Discount Tire Direct). Check with the car's manufacturer for the correct specs. If you over-tighten, you risk warping brake rotors or snapping off the lug stud.

Every "shade-tree" mechanic should have a decent torque wrench in their tool kit.
 
Slopping petroleum, or something thereof, usually results in nuts loosening over time. I have found that if your stingy about applying a thin film of liquid petroleum, then wiping with a rag before torquing, then you're usually better off than dry torquing when it comes to lug-nuts.
I've done this myself for several years, and have verified the results. I did this on the encouragment that my engine teacher gave during class outlining the do's and don'ts of lubing bolts/nuts before torquing. If your in the dry or wet camp entirely, then you're just unfamiliar with whole process and are better off just dry-torquing.
 
I *am* familiar. I've also seen snapped studs as well as loosened nuts or bolts on flyaway wheels. Forget what an "engine teacher" says; ask a licensed aircraft maintenance technician if they'd lube a fastener that only has a dry torque spec and then sign off on the work order.
 
Francesco, your dry torque spec is a guideline on how to torque a bolt while dry. Bolts can be torqued wet, and is recommended in certain applications. Torquing wet just requires following guidelines too, like torquing dry. Are you implying a bolt or nut should never be torqued wet?
PS
My dad was a technician on the NASA Space Shuttle. I could compare his teachings against my engine teachers and witness the limits of my engine teacher's knowledge. However, he was correct in what he taught. Wet torquing requires following strict guidelines.
 
You not going to snap a wheel stud if you torque it dry or wet, if your using a torque wrench correctly and the threads are in good condition.. It's just not going to happen.

When I was fixing cars for a living we used like 300 ft/lb Snap-On air guns. Lol. The only time anyone ever had any trouble is if they cross threaded the bolt. It's just not a factor in the real world.

We always torqued head bolts wet regardless of what was instructed as well. You learn the first time a head bolt snaps it's the lesser of two evils.

We weren't engineers or aircraft designers. We were just a bunch of pea-brains trying to make 8 hours. We learned what worked for us.
 
If you use a torque wrench for anything precise make sure you get it calibrated.
 
IME torque wrenches stay fairly accurate. In fact, even the cheapo Harbor Freight ones are accurate enough for most automotive work. Torque wrenches generally don't wildly get out of calibration either.
 
expdetailing said:
Francesco, your dry torque spec is a guideline on how to torque a bolt while dry. Bolts can be torqued wet, and is recommended in certain applications. Torquing wet just requires following guidelines too, like torquing dry. Are you implying a bolt or nut should never be torqued wet?
PS
My dad was a technician on the NASA Space Shuttle. I could compare his teachings against my engine teachers and witness the limits of my engine teacher's knowledge. However, he was correct in what he taught. Wet torquing requires following strict guidelines.
Click to expand...
Right after Archimedes invented the machine called the (spiral)Screw;
and, solved the issues surrounding the buoyancy of: Crowns made from Gold...

He formulated the forerunner of a "wetting product" that,
has now become to be known as: Anti-Sieze. :D


Bob
 
Bob, you should check out the hydrualic wrench I saw on YT a few hrs ago. Man, I wonder when the tool trucks are going to sell an afforable version of that puppy!
 
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