What's a torque wrench?

[Claudia]

Actually I know what it is, but I am not sure I am using it correctly.

I replaced a blade on my lawn mower, and I was trying to tighten the bolt to spec, which is between 400 and 600 ft lbs. Well, I set my torque wrench to

500 ft lbs, and I was hoping to hear the "click" that tells me I got to destination. But it's been a while since I used a torque wrench, and I am not sure what I should be hearing anymore. Can you help? When I try to give it another 1/4 turn I hear something, but it's not a full blown click. Does this make sense? Yet, I don't want to go any further and overtighten or even break something

For what it's worth, I was able to unscrew the bolt with the same setting on the torque wrench. I am thinking that maybe this tells me that if I exerted more or less the same force to unscrew it as I am in tightening the bolt ... I should be okay.

Any help is appreciated.

Claudia

[Jim85CJ]

[Java Man (Espressopithecus)]

That sounds very high to me. If your torque wrench had a 2 foot handle (which I doubt) it would take 250 lb. of force to get 500 ft. lb. of torque.

Are you sure it isn't 500 INCH pounds??

Rick

[RB]

Check you specs again. 400 to 600 ft-lbs torque will shear off most any bolt you'll find in a lawn mower. Is it 400 in-lbs?

RB

Claudia wrote:

[Claudia]

| That sounds very high to me. If your torque wrench had a 2 foot | handle (which I doubt) it would take 250 lb. of force to get 500 ft. | lb. of torque. | | Are you sure it isn't 500 INCH pounds?? | | Rick

You are right. The manual calls for "in lbs" not "ft lbs." As I look at the wrench, I see the "foot" designation, however. I was naively looking at hundreds of foot lbs instead of (what it turns out to be) tens of foot lbs. Therefore (wheew!) I must have set the wrench at 50 ft lbs _not_ 500 ft lbs. I think that 50 ft lbs is equal to 600 in lbs, which is the upper limit shown in the manual. So, I should be okay.

Now, if I could just hear that click ...

[Claudia]

| > I replaced a blade on my lawn mower, and I was trying to tighten the bolt to | > spec, which is between 400 and 600 ft lbs. Well, I set my torque wrench to | > 500 ft lbs, and I was hoping to hear the "click" that tells me I got to | > destination. But it's been a while since I used a torque wrench, and I am | > not sure what I should be hearing anymore. Can you help? When I try to | > give it another 1/4 turn I hear something, but it's not a full blown click. | > Does this make sense? Yet, I don't want to go any further and overtighten | > or even break something | >

| > For what it's worth, I was able to unscrew the bolt with the same setting on | > the torque wrench. I am thinking that maybe this tells me that if I exerted | > more or less the same force to unscrew it as I am in tightening the bolt ... | > I should be okay. | >

| > Any help is appreciated. | >

| > Claudia | >

| >

Yes, it is inch lbs. See my response to Java Man if interested in this saga. :)

thanks

Claudia

[xrongor]

it must be. even the nut on the back axle of a volkswagon is only like 180 foot pounds or something and you need serious power tools or a 10' steel rod to get that.

randy

[I-zheet M'drurz]

If you want to crank the living sh*t out of it, sure you will!

Back it the fu*k down!...FULL SPEED REVERSE! Is any of this sinkin' in yet? ( $1 Foghorn Leghorn )

OK, quick easy math here: 480 in lbs = 40 ft lbs You know..."480" as in "something nice and in the middle of your suggested range."

Loosen it, re-tighten to 40 ft lbs. You'll hear the click.

[Java Man (Espressopithecus)]

It shouldn't be very loud. Kinda like a clipping a nail. Some of the "click" models have little pin at the far end of the handle that pops out when it clicks.

Rick

[xrongor]

its unclear whether or not you have taken previously given advice. set the thing to 1 foot pound. something low so you dont have to mess around. if it doesnt click or snap or otherwise easily identify when you've put the proper force on it, its broken.

randy

[Claudia]

| It shouldn't be very loud. Kinda like a clipping a nail. Some of | the "click" models have little pin at the far end of the handle that | pops out when it clicks. | | Rick

I have heard that "click" before. Since I don't quite hear it now, and I am scared to death that I may damage something, I am thinking of backing it down to a lower setting first, as suggested by someone else.

Thanks again.

Claudia

[Claudia]

| > | That sounds very high to me. If your torque wrench had a 2 foot | > | handle (which I doubt) it would take 250 lb. of force to get 500 ft. | > | lb. of torque. | > | | > | Are you sure it isn't 500 INCH pounds?? | > | | > | Rick | >

| > You are right. The manual calls for "in lbs" not "ft lbs." As I look at | > the wrench, I see the "foot" designation, however. I was naively looking | at | > hundreds of foot lbs instead of (what it turns out to be) tens of foot | lbs. | > Therefore (wheew!) I must have set the wrench at 50 ft lbs _not_ 500 ft | lbs. | > I think that 50 ft lbs is equal to 600 in lbs, which is the upper limit | > shown in the manual. So, I should be okay. | >

| > Now, if I could just hear that click ... | | its unclear whether or not you have taken previously given advice. set the | thing to 1 foot pound. something low so you dont have to mess around. if | it doesnt click or snap or otherwise easily identify when you've put the | proper force on it, its broken. | | randy

I have not yet set it to a lower torque.

Thanks.

Claudia

[Art]

Not necessarily true. Some torque wrenches require that you approach the correct torque for the click to occur. If you have already exceeded it it will never occur.

[jim]

the bolt that holds on the blade on a lawnmower is nothing close to

500 lbs... its more like 80-100 ft. lbs... if you hear a noise when cranking it up to 500 ft. lbs. its probably the bolt breaking........

[TCS]

500 ft-lbs doesn't sound that unbelievable. That's about the same torque as an axle bolt on a car. 80-100 ft-lbs is like the torque on a car's wheel's nut; that's not enough for the blade of a lawnmower!

[George E. Cawthon]

No way is the spec anywhere near 400 foot pounds. With a 4 foot handle, you would still need to exert a 100 pound force. You would need to be a monster woman to get 400 foot pounds with a regular 1/2" torque wrench with an 18" handle. The nut on the mower blade should tightened to something like 40-50 foot-pounds.

To answer your question most just give a little "click" and that tells you to stop pulling. en you don't pull any harder. You don't need a torque wrench anyway. Take a 50 pound sack of anything and lift it with one hand. If you can, use a 12 inch handled 1/2" socket wrench on that nut and pull it as hard as you can with one hand. If you can't lift a sack with one hand, then use two on the wrench.

[George E. Cawthon]

Now that you have the right amount, set the wrench to 10 foot-pounds and pull, you should hear a click. If it does click, move it up in steps and keep listening for the click. If you don't hear the click at 10 pound or 20 pound setings, then the torque wrench is most likely ruined and not functioning. Just pull hard on it and you will get the torque close enough.

[Tom]

Scrutinizer wrote:>80-100 ft-lbs is like the torque on a car's wheel's nut; that's not enough

Sure it is. More than enough. Tom Someday, it'll all be over....

[Terry Cano]

That's pretty high...

400 ft lbs is a lot....... It will be a click....back off after you think you hear the click and pull it up again slowly to make sure it clicked

Terry

[jim]

well read the original posters added on comments that he/she looked at the scale wrong on the wrench and it was 500 in.lbs of torque.... well at 500/12 = 41.6 lbs. of torque that is why his wrench clicked as he easily reached the set torque... and i still stand by the statement of 500 ft. lbs. of torque on a lawmower is way too much.... the flywheel bolts on cars is only set at about 150 lbs. of torque... and that's pretty tight....