I remember the blurb from a Sturtevant that as long as the needle pointed at zero it was accurate until the beam broke. I don't think I have to worry about that in this lifetime. For most things I depend on my calibrated fingers.
OT torque wrench
Aug 14, 2019
33 Replies
I have one of these;
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Mine is quite old now, 50 years plus, but still works perfectly and is accurate. It does, however, only operate in one direction. Want to torque left hand threaded nuts and bolts, you're outta luck. As you can see, the new models are clearly marked for direction of operation. For general vehicle work, I have found this more than adequate. For wheel tightening, I used to have a bi-directional cheapie but that's long since disappeared once I retired. On wheels it was a pain to use anyway since it had a scale that was a pain in the posterior to read when operated on its side.
I was always taught that tension wrenches were *not* to be used for loosening bolts. The reasons should be obvious to anyone who has, for instance, loosened head bolts.
Ah, yes, breakaway torque, couldn't recall the term when I responded to another poster in this thread.
Significantly more if the threads are in any way rusty or seized up.
Ditto.
Seems like it's too much trouble for some people to treat their equipment right.
Yep, get a cheapie torque wrench with a dual directional scale. More than adequate for that role and it will preserve the torque wrench you use on the serious stuff.
Mine is 50-55 at the very least. Obtained in my early days when I could finally afford it so would have been well after I completed my apprenticeship.
You have a set too, eh? I used to use them on those pesky left hand threaded wheel nuts.
I don't understand what that means. There is no need to use any torque wrench to loosen bolts, no skilled mechanic would do that. And if you use a torque wrench correctly, it will last a long time, especially for occasional use. I would not buy even a cheap torque wrench and misuse it. Abusing it, it will likely be way out of calibration long before it falls apart.
I meant for left hand thread *tightening*. When I was an apprentice, I used to get to do a lot of wheel changing. We had quite a few customers with LH threads on the LH side of their vehicle's wheels. I had a cheapie version of this;
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I used on those wheels to get a reasonably consistent torque on all wheel nuts - in either direction. It was consistency of torque that was important.
For engine work and any other place where precision was required, the workshop W&B torque wrenches were used. We had a small one in inch lbs for auto trans adjustments, a 1/2" drive unit for general work and a
3/4" drive unit for use on trucks and machinery.Didn't use torque wrenches for loosening bolts - ever.
I know my '60 Plymouth had those but I can't remember if the '65 Dodge did. Probably more than one stud was snapped off by Jim Bob with a 1/2" breaker bar and 3' of 1" pipe for an extension.
Where you needed that was the nut holding the rear drum on the '60 Plymouth. I do remember that feature went away by the '65. It was a pita back when brake slave cylinders had a habit of leaking. I don't think I even have a cylinder hone anymore. New cars are so boring.
You mean the "rawhide wrench"??
Basically a British or OZZIE phenomenon - rarely seen in Canada or the USA - and definitely NOT reversible (unless it has a "spud" on both sides - or a "slip through" spud.
Made in Melbourne, just down the road from my first teaching assignment in fact. Yes, not reversible in the least. That was why I had the cheapie - just for those odd occasions, typically wheel nuts.
No idea what it's called on your side of the pond.
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