Torque Wrench?

Patton wrote:

mtbspeedfreak wrote:

...in the market for a torque wrench...Any recommendations for manufacturer (Snap On is slightly out of my price range...Kobalt (Lowes brand) seems surprisingly decent....

Forget those shade tree brands, and get an original genuine Black Forest brand torque wrench. These wrenches have no equal, and are scientifically calibrated to the precise German Virgin Standard, which in most applications specify the Guttentite setting. :laugh:

And their frosting is delicious...

mtbspeedfreak wrote:

Craftsman has a decent 10-75 ft-lb one for $80 as well. Craftsman > Kobalt in my own humble opinion. They also have a "Digitorque" version for $120 that goes from 5-80 ft/lbs.

Or *drum-roll please* they sell an electronic version for $220 that goes from 10-100 ft/lbs AND can be switched to 120-1200 in/lbs AND (for all you riding Japansese bikes :lol: ) 13.6-135.6 Newton/meters AND it comes with a case!

www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_00...hanic+Tools&prdNo=12

But you need batteries to use it.

I spent about 45 years designing electronic junk..... and I can say I would never use any torque wrench with electronics in it unless it was on somebody else's bike. Life is hard enough without making it complicated...

Harbor Freight works for me
also have other brands

and if you need to convert in'lbs to Ft'lbs

90in'lbs = 7.49 Ft'lbs

in'lbs X .08333 = Ft'lbs

Thanks guys! Looks like I'm about due for trip to Harbor Freight soon! I'm also looking a rolling tool chest, I quickly out grew my toolbox. He who dies with the most tools wins- I have a lot of catching up to do!

yes all clicker torque wrenches say in the manuals to turn them all the way down when not in use. ot the spring inside can go bad.

and believe it or not, the cheap old beam wrench is the most accurite of any made. this i didn't believe my self, till the german auto company i worked for till retirement, sent a factory feild tech over to the usa to help me with a major problem, i gabbed my clicker he said NO! they don't stay calibrated. and proved to me mine was off by 20 foot pounds, since then i only use a beam in inch pounds and foot pounds and never had any problem.

The more expensive the tourqe wrench the more percise it will be through its rang . If you read the paper work it will tell you how close it will be in a center setting. A cheap one is better than nothing .

Hey guys,

Thanks for your input. I've recently purchased 3 torque wrenches from Harbor Freight:

1. 1/4" drive 20-200 in/lb
2. 3/8" drive 5-80 ft/lb
3. 1/2" drive 20-150 ft/lb

Yes, I know that these are only accurate throughout the middle of their torque ranges, so I grabbed the bits to use 3/8" sockets with a 1/4" drive wrench and so on.

Thanks again!

Some other things to remember about torquing bolts.

1. Never use a torque wrench to loosen a bolt.

2. If you are torquing a bolt and you need to stop applying rotating pressure (if you go through your arm's range of motion so you swing the torque wrench back to keep applying rotation) and when you continue pressure the wrench clicks, then you need to loosen the bolt and start over. Use a different wrench to loosen the bolt (see rule one). The friction of the head of the bolt plus the friction on the threads that needs to be overcome to get the bolt turning is high enough to make the wrench click even though the clamping force being apply by that bolt may not be correct.

3. Speaking of friction. Dip every bolt in clean motor oil unless it's electrical. Alot of people dont do this but I do for two reasons. First, the oil will presvent corrosion on the bolts. Bolts are steel and engine cases are aluminum which creates an electron difference or something, which increases corrosion. Oil slows that process down. Secondly, If you clean all of the bolts threads and chase all of the bolt holes to clean out corrosion and add oil to the bolts then the threads will be well lubricated and clamping force that you are looking for will be achieved. In order to do this though set your torque wrench to 10% less then whatever was specified.

Just remember that you aren't actually trying to torque the bolt you are trying to clamp two pieces of metal together.

Oh and some one said to unlock the torque wrench when you are done. To be specific to your harbor freight torque wrenches he meant spin the out side (the thimble) all the way out, or to the lowest setting. The inside part is screwed in to lock the thimble in place and screwed out to unlock it. Just wanted to clarify that. It might seem like I'm talking down to people but I'm not. I've just found that people sometimes don't want to ask questions for fear of feeling stupid. Plus it's a review for any vets.

I've got a:
0-90 in. lbs. dial gauge type
40-200 in lbs. clicker type
5-80 ft lbs. clicker type
I get them calibrated every 2 years.
I bought the 0-90 in lb dial gauge type torque wrench off ebay. Also the 40-200 in lb torque wrench off ebay. When I sent all in for calibration the results were:
0-90 in lb was accurate
40-200 in lb inaccurate and needed parts and adjustment.
5-80 ft lbs inaccurate and needed adjustment.

Thanks Tony and Becker!

Becker: You're right, there's no such thing as a dumb question. I never even though of chasing the threads and dripping a little oil before torquing- glad your brought it up! Do you have a recommendation for a decent tap and die set? Also, I have all backed down to no torque, would it make a difference if I locked the thimble if there is no strain on the system? I have the outside "dial/handle" spun out with and not locked.

Tony: Where did you get your wrenches calibrated? These Harbor Freight ones are guaranteed to be accurate within +/- 4%; I'd imagine it will cost more to calibrate them, do you think it will be worth it?

Forgot to mention, all three are the clicker-type- I'm a fan of the "click" when at the specified torque setting.

I live in small town Canada so I send my torque wrenches away. Pretty much any major city will have someone who can do it. My torque wrenches are proto and snapon. My work requires them to be calibrated. It costs me about 50 dollars a piece plus parts to get mine done. I guess it's a decision you have to make whether you want to have them checked or not. I'm sure there are cheaper places. Plus they give me a certification document, that's probably 1/2 of what Im paying for.

Do you have a recommendation for a decent tap and die set?

I actually don't use a real tap. I just take one of the bolts and make a thread chasher out of it by cuttin through the threads at an angle. I only cut the first 4 or so threads depending on the bolt size. You're not actually supposed to use a die, according to my teacher. You can by a thread chasing set but I haven't bought one yet. I just chase them with my home made chaser and then use an air gun to blow all of the debris out.

Also, I have all backed down to no torque, would it make a difference if I locked the thimble if there is no strain on the system?

As far as I know it makes no difference if it's locked our not just so long as it's spun all the way out.