Torque Wrench: Size, Range & Brand

[JJ 911SC]

OK, now that I got a lift, I’ll be doing more maintenance on Das Babe likes Brakes, Valves adjustment and the likes. Re-building the motor is not (I hope) in the near future.

I presently have one that you adjust by turning the handle and the head flex when it reaches the setting. I can never feel that flex (is that what they call “click”) so it’s almost useless.

I did a search and came up with a few threads taking me to this last check before buying.

I would like to go either electronic (preferred) or a dial type. So here are the questions?

Size: if I get a 3/8”, does the torques value changes if you put a 1/2” adapter on it.

Range: I’m aware of the 80% scale accuracy. Is 10-100 ft-lb a good overall average range for the 911? I actually found a 5-100 (see link below) in either 3/8" and 1/2".

Brand: Buy cheap by twice… so I’m looking to spend around $200-$300. Anybody using one of those by Check-Line? Electronic Torque Wrench / Digital Torque Wrench - DTW-100
A Used one could be a good choice but It would be a cross border deal which would require a calibration right away.

Thanks for your time

J.J.

[bart1]

Size: No, that would not change torque. Torque is simple a force applied at a distance away from center of rotation. You are not changing center.

Range: I would suggest a 1/2" drive with more range - up to 150 or so?

Brand: I have a cheapo Harbor Freight click type that has worked for me (I also have a Craftsman beam type as backup), but I encourage you to buy as nice a one as you want

Here's a related thread: Is a Harbor Freight Torque Wrench Really Bad?

[billybek]

Check the Snap on catalog from the across the boarder. Still much cheaper than up here last time I checked.
I have a Snap on 3/8 click style torque wrench that has a pretty good range on it 10-120 ft lbs approximately, and a Westward clicker in 1/2".
Keep in mind that most gauges are most accurate in the middle of their range.
I have never tried a digital wrench so I can't comment on that.
One of the best wrenches is the old Snap on Torque O Meter, but they are very pricey.

[euro911sc]

You really need 2... a big one (150-200 ft lbs max) and a medium one (100 ft lbs. max). You may also want to get a 1/4 drive micro torque wrench, but I do not use mine very much. I own 2 Harbor Freights and 1 Crafstman. They are all of the click type. I choose the wrench that puts the torque I need closest to the middle of the range on the wrench.

Technically... Everything you put on the end of the TW in terms of extensions or conversion parts will change the torque value. Especially anything that takes the point of rotation and moves it, increasing or reducing the length between the measuring of torque and the application of torque. For the most part, though we are putting on extensions and socket converters and the change is small enough to be considered noise. One of the worst things to put on are swivel sockets or extensions, though as now you have a variable length and thus a variable torque! I guess, if you had a 1 ft. extension on a very high torque application (that damn transmission nut) it might become an issue, but those situations are very rare. Just be aware of it. If your extensions are longer than your torque wrench something is probably amiss

Best regards,

[nineball]

i have a pair of craftsman torque wrenches and i am happy with them, one 1/2" and one 3/8".

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944597000P?vName=Tools&cName=Auto+%26+Mechanics+Tools&sName=Torque+Wrenches&prdNo=8&blockNo=8&blockType=G8

and

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944596000P?vName=Tools&cName=Auto+%26+Mechanics+Tools&sName=Torque+Wrenches&prdNo=9&blockNo=9&blockType=G9


they are not the best set in the world but they will not break the bank either. for my limited uses and needs they will last a lifetime.

the best "tip" i can give you is to step up in small increments as you torque something down. say you need to be at 80ft-lbs, i would first torque it down to say 65, then 70, then 75 and finally 80. my uncle used to build aircrafts that had extremely high specs for things like this and this was the way they taught him to do it.

[wildcat077]

I have a 3/8 flex head Snap On with a range to 75ft/lbs and a Snap On 1/2 drive with a 200 ft/lbs range,they both are great tools.The flex head on the 3/8 torque wrench really comes in handy in restricted spaces ...

Cheers !
Phil

[Por_sha911]

If all you want to do is torque your lug nuts buy a $20 Harbor Freight (they go on sale for $10 all the time). All wrenches have a variance anyway. Don't expect one wrench to cover all your needs since they are more inaccurate as you get closer to the end of its range. Spend the most on the middle range: 3/8 drive. Sears has decent quality and reasonable prices (they go on sale on a very regular basis). You may not need a 1/4" wrench unless you are doing very delicate motor work (or are fanatical about torquing your valve covers!). Don't forget to zero out the wrench after each use.

[whiskyb]

I think some might be mistakenly stating their 3/8" torque wrenches that go to 150 as ft/lbs whereas they are most likely inch/pounds. Smaller inch/pound units are great for small item likes rockers and any other nut bolt in the 10mm size area. You might as well torque items by hand as by a cheap torque wrench. Quality items such as the snap on can be calibrated and checked by the truck on a yearly basis. Using wrenches from cheap tool outlets is as good as doing it by hand and guessing. Their is no calibration outlet that would ever certify one of them and tests show that they can be way off especially if dropped or stored improperly.

If its worth doing its worth doing right, which means several for different jobs. By the sounds of what you are doing a smaller one would most likely be ideal. Take a look at some of the jobs you want to do and compare their torque values. Look for a wrench that has the majority of those values as its half way point for greatest accuracy. Again watch for inch/pounds versus ft/lbs

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by whiskyb

.... You might as well torque items by hand as by a cheap torque wrench. Quality items such as the snap on can be calibrated and checked by the truck on a yearly basis. Using wrenches from cheap tool outlets is as good as doing it by hand and guessing. Their is no calibration outlet that would ever certify one of them and tests show that they can be way off especially if dropped or stored improperly. ...

Really? I think I want a cheap one based on this report.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

I will concur on having two, one for higher range and one for lower.

I would STRONGLY suggest not using a click style torque wrench. Reasoning: The springs inside go bad with time, they change settings with the weather, accuracy is NOT very good. I had two snap-ons, both "calibrated" prior to use on the engine re-build. Both were NOT accurate and left bolts/nuts either too loose or too tight depending upon which one I used. Do not drop a click style torque wrench as this can damage them or cause them to go out of specification.

The old bar style stays consistent. I have never had an issue with my old one and bought some new ones to replace the clickers (which went into metal recycling as they were not honored under any warranty).

I have an inexpensive electronic one from Sears, more as a toy I guess? It is NOT accurate on the light (less than say 15 foot pounds) and heavy ends (say more than 100 foot pounds)of the range but stays very accurate in the 20-80% range of its rating. I do test it against the bar wrenches the few times I use it, which as I said is more for the gee whiz factor than anything else. The electronic ones are VERY sensitive to being dropped, hit, etc.

[rockrimmon]

I would get a Sear's Craftsman from the store or look for new/almost new Snapon's on eBay. You do need 2: one lower values that will get used a lot and one with a higher end. Click type is what I've always used and had no issues. Just practice with it until you feel the click.

Personally I would not use anything from Harbor Freight on anything. It's all crap. 100% crap. Just my .02.

Tom

[Por_sha911]

I agree you have look out for ft/lbs versus inch/lbs. Super light weights require inch/lbs.
My 3/8" Craftsman is 25-75 ft/lbs and it does most of the work. The HF one is for lug nuts. You can turn your nose up at it but remember that all torque wrenches I've ever seen(unless you are spending thousands?) have a tolerance of +/- 4%. That means your $400 Snap-On at 100 ft/lbs could be actually 96-104. On top of that, using anti-seize or using an extension or adapter, will alter the final number. Also, you can check and re-calibrate torque wrenches

[nineball]

Originally Posted by rockrimmon

Personally I would not use anything from Harbor Freight on anything. It's all crap. 100% crap. Just my .02.

Tom

not sure what your experiences have been (obviously bad or maybe just going on hearsay) but i have had great results from almost everything i have bought at hf. my motorcycle table lift is 5 years old and works perfectly, the 2 grinders are the same as well as most of the other items i have bought. they are an excellent place for non-essential items like tarps, tape, trailer supplies (including hitches), zipties, etc etc. for items that have more stringent requirements (like torque wrenches) i prefer name brands but for the other items hf can't be beat.

[rockrimmon]

Originally Posted by nineball

not sure what your experiences have been (obviously bad or maybe just going on hearsay) but i have had great results from almost everything i have bought at hf. my motorcycle table lift is 5 years old and works perfectly, the 2 grinders are the same as well as most of the other items i have bought. they are an excellent place for non-essential items like tarps, tape, trailer supplies (including hitches), zipties, etc etc. for items that have more stringent requirements (like torque wrenches) i prefer name brands but for the other items hf can't be beat.

Nine:

Not hearsay, just bad stuff. Several small items like hand tools that broke within 1 week of purchase. I tend to rebuild old BMW motorcycles in the winter for fun. Before I acquired all of my good tools I occasionally took the plunge with HF. No more. The prices are cheap as the stuff is crap. Hey, just my personal opinion. Glad we do agree on the torque wrenches. I too have a MC lift table but it's a Handy. Could not live w/o it. Again for HF I am talking about tools. Never used stuff like tape, tarps, etc..

Tom

[Gunter]

1/2" drive Craftsman click-type 20-150 ft-lbs.
3/8" drive " " " " 10-75 ft-lbs.

Always return to zero when finished.
Always use lube to get the correct torque, especially on sizes over ~6mm.

I am surprised about how many people think no lube is required for torquing.

Only in special applications, like Titanium, is a "dry" torque required.
All other torque specs are automatically "wet", meaning lube like Neverseize etc.
Thead Lockers qualify as "wet".
Some critical specs like heads, rod bolts, lug nuts etc., lube is specifically called for to make sure that the right torque is achived.

[JJ 911SC]

I did not expect so much traffic in so little time, nor starting a Quality war..

Thanks to you all.

Yes, I agree that in the case of torque wrench, quality does matter. Also as lot of you mentioned one tool can not do the whole range.

Since I already got a 1/2” flex head, I’ll probably will acquire a good 3/8 (10-75 ft-lb)

While seaching the web, I even pick this up from a reputable company:

Dial wrench models are available in a wide variety of torque ranges, from 7 lbf.in - 1500 lbf.ft. Select a dial wrench that fits your toque range requirement.

I had to let them know and got an e-mail back withing 5 minutes saying that they will fix that. I'll be checking.

Cheers

J.J.

[nineball]

Originally Posted by rockrimmon

Nine:

Not hearsay, just bad stuff. Several small items like hand tools that broke within 1 week of purchase. I tend to rebuild old BMW motorcycles in the winter for fun. Before I acquired all of my good tools I occasionally took the plunge with HF. No more. The prices are cheap as the stuff is crap. Hey, just my personal opinion. Glad we do agree on the torque wrenches. I too have a MC lift table but it's a Handy. Could not live w/o it. Again for HF I am talking about tools. Never used stuff like tape, tarps, etc..

Tom

ya, for items that will be used on a regular (even somewhat regular) basis like hand tools i stick to name brands, but for the other stuff that will have minimal usage (like my grinders and such) no one can touch them. i know i could not find a 4" grinder that actually worked well anywhere else in the world for $9 it even came with 10 or so various discs!

[RWebb]

you can test it at a couple of values in the range you intend to use

I like the used SnapOff electron ones - more accurate, no returning to zero, audible buzzer when toque reached - but batts go bad pretty quick it seems.

[PorscheGAL]

If memory serves me well the bolts on the valve covers are to be torqued to 8ft/lbs. You'll need a micro for that.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by Gunter

lug nuts etc., lube is specifically called for to make sure that the right torque is achived.

A must on soft Porsche lug nuts imho if you don't fancy shearing one off & having to drill it out.

Ian