Torque Wrench Question

[DWC]

I have never used a torque wrench to properly tighten my lug nuts. I have read recently that such should be done. I am curious about what is the best torque wrench for such work. I have a lot of tools but do not own a torque wrench. Any suggestons for me as to which wrench to buy?

 

[Ken]

About the only thing I can think of at the moment is that it is recommended you stay away from the torque wrenches that use a "deflection bar", use the style that "clicks" to let you know you've reached your torque setting. The bar on the other types stands much more of a chance of being damaged by mis-handling.

_ken

 

[Eric]

Mine is a GM Goodwrench brand. A lot of the different brands are made by the same company. One thing though, be sure to remove all of the tension from the spring after each use. If you store it with tension on the spring, it will not last and will result in improper torque as well.

 

[c4cruiser]

Craftsman makes very good torque wrenches for occasional use. Husky (Home Depot) would also work. Snap-On is one of the best, but big $$$! You'll need a 1/2 drive that will torque to 150 ft-lbs which is a common range. An additional torque wrench I have is a 3/8 drive that is calibrated in inch-pounds. There are lots of small fasteners that have torque specs in in-lbs. The're not too expensive and a good addition to your tool kit.

71Shark is right about releasing spring tension after use. Simply just turn the dial back to "0" after use. I torque my wheels in 3 stages; 50 ft-lb, then to 75, then a final to 100 ft-lbs. After I drive the car for 20-30 miles, I re-check them.

 

[Ken]

When you DO get a torque wrench...

...and the time comes when you need to have it calibrated, check out a place like TorcTec, The Calibration Corporation. They do have to be calibrated occasionally as part of their maintenance.

_ken

 

[JohnZ]

I torque my wheels in 3 stages; 50 ft-lb, then to 75, then a final to 100 ft-lbs. After I drive the car for 20-30 miles, I re-check them.

What kind of wheels do you have that require 100 ft-lbs of torque on the lug nuts? Just curious....

 

[Skyguy007]

Fastener companies which make fasteners, such as ARP, suggest that some type of lubricant be put on the threads before trying to accurately measure torque. Doing this cuts down on the amount of torque simply required to turn the nut or bolt and permits a more accurate reading. ARP recommends thread lube, which I think is like white grease, but I've used 30W motor oil. This is particularly important when dirty threads are involved, such as with a lug nut.

The points about a "clicking" torque wrench and unloading the spring are very good. I trashed my old "bar" style torque wrench for a Craftsman model some time ago and it works great.

My references say that for '68 through '82, the lug nuts should be tightened to 80 ft-lbs. Any more than that is overkill and could make the nuts too hard to remove for a flat tire on the road.

 

[JohnZ]

ARP recommends thread lube, which I think is like white grease, but I've used 30W motor oil.

ARP's recommended thread lube is ARP "Assembly Lubricant", which is a gray moly-based product they sell in tubes - also great stuff for lubricating throwout bearings and clutch fork pivot balls, shift and clutch linkage, etc. Normally, ARP shows unique torque specs for their fasteners for both their own lube and for motor oil.

 

[DWC]

Thanks for the great information! Does anybody know what the proper torque should be for C-4 Corvettes? I have a 1996 and want to be sure that I torque them properly.

 

[Eric]

Does anybody know what the proper torque should be for C-4 Corvettes?

My C4 Haynes manual lists 100 ft-lbs. May sound high but that's the same as the aluminum wheels on my other cars.

- Eric

 

[BlackNBlue95]

Torq Stick

Also if you use an impact gun.. you can use a torq stick.. much quicker then torq'n them with a torq wrench.. what it is, is an extension that has a pre calibrated torq and when your gun reaches that torq it keeps it from tightening.. it's pretty cool can torq 4 wheels in about 2 minutes.. but at home you probably only need a torq wrench unless you like using an impact and have a compressor already setup...
my 2 cents..
-Rick

 

[Eric]

Re: Torq Stick

Also if you use an impact gun.. you can use a torq stick.. much quicker then torq'n them with a torq wrench.. what it is, is an extension that has a pre calibrated torq and when your gun reaches that torq it keeps it from tightening.. it's pretty cool can torq 4 wheels in about 2 minutes.. but at home you probably only need a torq wrench unless you like using an impact and have a compressor already setup...
my 2 cents..
-Rick

Good call Rick!

Those torq sticks are a must with an impact wrench. Without them, you run a much higher risk of stripping a lug and/or screwing up an alloy rim:eek.

-Eric

 

[Ken]

Couple of things here: Never, I repeat NEVER, use any type of anti-sieze compound on the wheel studs or lug nuts! You do not want the nuts backing off the wheel as you drive down the street. :nono

As for the amount of torque required, it's not unusual to torque the lug nuts to a hundred pounds or so when you're road racing or autocrossing, but if the manufacturer suggests a lower torque value then it would be alright to follow that torque setting for the street. The track always requires a little more torque to be safe.

Finally, Rick, thanks for the tip about the "torque (torq?) stick." Does this attachment work in conjunction with the setting you are using on your air wrench? If you have your air pressure set to around 100# does the torque stick still get an accurate reading?

_ken

 

[BlackNBlue95]

Finally, Rick, thanks for the tip about the "torque (torq?) stick." Does this attachment work in conjunction with the setting you are using on your air wrench? If you have your air pressure set to around 100# does the torque stick still get an accurate reading?

_ken

The instruction tell you what to run your impact at roughly air pressure and such.. I would say it's probably not 100% accurate but niether is a torq wrench. it's just a safer way to use an impact when torqing wheels. btw Torque Sticks come in differnt torq ranges I guess you would say. like a 60ft/lb or 80 or 100ft/lb or what ever many companies sell them and there not too badly priced for a set of four which is pretty much all you need especially at home.. our set at the shop only has 4 and that covers everything except alot of the big trucks and such.. Northerntool.com sells them btw for around 100 bucks for a set of 4.. you can see a pic there to get a better idea what they look like.

-RickHere is a link to see what they look like

 

[Ken]

:J Hey, it's even got my name on it!

Thanks for the link Rick.

 

[BlackNBlue95]

:J Hey, it's even got my name on it!

Thanks for the link Rick.

LoL yea you should buy a set then.. LoL

No Prob, just want to help others on this forum...:cool