It's Called a Torque Wrench: A Duty to Inform

"MountainCommand" (MountainCommand) 08/26/2014 at 23:21 • Filed to: None

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I got sucked into the gawker article about kids not knowing how to change a tire (which is a legitimately good psa article) . First comment I read: "You know, One of the first things they should teach you when learning about driving is to always have a breaker bar and an appropriate sized socket on hand to change a tire." First thing that came to mind: Torque Wrench! But then i re-read. Who is 'they'? Is 'they', You? Is it Me?

(just to make clear on the torque wrench bit, its important to use a torque wrench so that you dont have to use a breaker bar later on to get bolts/nuts off)

Those statistics in the article are shocking! But i cant say i am surprised. I guess its up to us, fellow opponauts, to teach these people how to do these basic things. Yes they will look at us like we are crazy when we explain air pressure, tires, and lug nuts to them, but say it enough and they should sort of understand.

And i wonder if it has anything to do with kids growing up in a throw-away society. Where when things break we just buy new stuff. And when they reach the age of driving, they have that same idea about cars?

I know im saying something everyone else here knows. But what i really want to say is teach someone. If its a slow day at work, ask your coworker if they know about tire pressure, or checking their oil, or even explain to them the procedure of a tire change and how to safely jack up their car. We take all that for granted as being baby information. But some people truly dont know.

I say this because maybe these kids/young drivers are not all at fault. I wouldnt call these kids "Worthless Teens". Maybe we have slacked as being the people to teach them? Maybe we didnt do our job? Looking back, the article seems a little hypocritical.

The author of that article write this at the end: "Where did we go wrong?"

My response would be the same for those suffering from potty training a puppy:

You cant blame a puppy for peeing on the carpet instead of outside. Yes he peed, but you were suppose to teach it to go outside. If it never learns to go outside, then youre left with a dog that will keep peeing on your carpet.

mcseanerson > MountainCommand 08/26/2014 at 23:24

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You should use a torque wrench but you should also use a breaker bar. You shouldn't be using a torque wrench to loosen your lug nuts.

Nerd-Vol > mcseanerson 08/26/2014 at 23:28

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I occasionally use my torque wrench as a breaker bar. I need to buy a breaker bar.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > MountainCommand 08/26/2014 at 23:29

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Do NOT use a torque wrench to loosen lug nuts or bolts. Especially on older cars where rust is beginning to set in and they could be quite difficult to break free.

Other than that, I like to teach by example. I often invite people to come out with me to do work or go to an AutoX event if they're curious. Go to 15m14s on the clip if it doesn't go automatically for an example :P

Mason > MountainCommand 08/26/2014 at 23:31

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I don't have kids, but this is something I've been teaching my nieces and nephews over the years, you don't have to call road side when you can (hopefully pull over far and safely enough) take care of the issue yourself, and be back on the road within minutes. I love having a neice that follows me closer than any of my nephews when I work on my car, maintance or repair, I fully embrace her being a car person and will do anything I can to help build that fire. I also hope my nephews follow her lead if they are so inclined.

f86sabre > MountainCommand 08/26/2014 at 23:32

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Before I get totally flamed I will make this statement, I always use a torque wrench on my lugs. It is the correct thing to do.

That said, I've never seen a car come with one. They have lug wrenches and most folks think that giving one of those a good lean is enough. Honestly, in a lot of cases it IS enough. Is it best practice? No, but it gets them down the road.

I totally agree with the rest of the sentiment though. Don't be afraid to show someone how to do something. Don't be afraid of getting dirty. The web is full of howtos.

MountainCommand > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 08/26/2014 at 23:33

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well duh! I believe thats in the instructions haha. What i meant by the torque wrench thing was using it in the first place so you dont have to use a breaker bar!

The teaching part is up to the persons comfort zone. I have no problems bringing in people and showing what i would do. Others arent comfortable like that.

lone_liberal > f86sabre 08/26/2014 at 23:36

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Yeah, I don't keep a torque wrench in the car either, but I do use it to put wheels on in the garage. In case of a flat I use a tire iron and then do it right once I'm home.

MountainCommand > f86sabre 08/26/2014 at 23:37

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I actually had written in a little blurb about "if you can afford a car, you should be able to afford a small number of tools that are important to have for car ownership, including a torque wrench" But i left it out because it might have been taken as ignorance.

And yeah, there are plenty of times i havent used a torque wrench too, but only after tightening and loosening many many other nuts. The elbow calibration as my dad says.

MountainCommand > lone_liberal 08/26/2014 at 23:40

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yes. exactly this. No reason to keep a breaker bar, or torque wrench in your car if youve done the proper torquing at home.

MountainCommand > mcseanerson 08/26/2014 at 23:41

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yes i corrected the misleading context in which i phrased my words.

MountainCommand > Mason 08/26/2014 at 23:43

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If you teach someone, my thoughts, and hopes are they will teach someone else down the road. Even if it was a simple thing, like the day you taught her how to check tire pressure. Could very well help someone else.

tromoly > MountainCommand 08/26/2014 at 23:43

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The idea of that article is the reason why a few people have given me blank stares when I explain why there's everything to do brakes and front wheel bearings in the back of my truck cab. Kids these days don't understand the work that goes into maintaining things, only that they can pay someone else to fix it for them so they can run the wheels off of it again.

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > MountainCommand 08/26/2014 at 23:45

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i'm apparently a terrible person. never used a torque wrench on my lug nuts.

MountainCommand > itranthelasttimeiparkedit 08/26/2014 at 23:50

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haha, i havent always used one either, but ive changed. Look, im sure you and i could tighten the bolts down to 120ftlbs no problem. And get them off no problem either. Thats not the big deal. Its when someone else drives your car, someone say, less inclined about mechanical leverage, or someone just not as strong. And they get a flat in your car. Id rather them have a better chance at getting those lug nuts off. saving them time and money.

Mason > MountainCommand 08/26/2014 at 23:58

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My thoughts exactly, this is why I love teaching them because my dad taught me and his dad taught him and I want to continue that legacy. I love she questions why I checked my oil and tire pressure at the gas station when I topped off before going to the car wash, (because she loves going thru a car wash when I have the sunroof shade pulled back) and I want to instill that in every member of my family. I come from a long line of quirky, picky, and fanitical car owners and want to ensure that they grow up to be the same. I only hope she can be that "female friend" that teaches other people how simple it can be to keep up with basic maintenance and easy repairs.

MountainCommand > Mason 08/27/2014 at 00:04

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Teaching is very under rated these days. Glad to hear you stick with it and continue teaching. We dont all have to go to school to teach people something!

Tohru > MountainCommand 08/27/2014 at 00:35

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See, nobody else drives my car. Sometimes I even put the lugnuts on with an impact gun. I like living dangerously.

Mattbob > MountainCommand 08/27/2014 at 08:17

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Changing a tire in a driveway, torque wrench EVERY time. On the side of a road, lug wrench/breaker bar. I will re torque when I get home. Who keeps a torque wrench in their car?

tc_corty > MountainCommand 08/27/2014 at 09:32

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If you're gonna be anal enough to use a torque wrench on wheel nuts, then I'd hopefully correctly guess you are also using a thread lube as well. Otherwise you won't be getting the perfect torque setting you're chasing after. The corrosion and gunk on the wheel studs and nuts will cause a reading that doesn't correspond with the amount of stretch you putting on the stud. And if you're using it that often I'd be getting it calibrated fairly often so the day you wanna torque something important down like big ends heads etc its gonna be spot on. Its an expensive lesson other wise :)

tc_corty > tc_corty 08/27/2014 at 10:25

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EDIT: dribble

MountainCommand > tc_corty 08/27/2014 at 14:58

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Thats why i have 2 torque wrenches! 1 for use on most things (like wheels), and the second to come back and double check it against the other torque wrench if i feel necessary, and for other more important duties. If i was gonna be torquing down a head, then id go and buy a new torque wrench just for that job, because i dont want to f that up. Thread lube.. well i usually go about cleaning the studs and nuts before i put them on to get rid of most of the junk anyways. Also I use anti-seize. Because who wants to have to also carry around a mallet to unseize your wheels from the brake disk.

And dude, i feel youre missing the point of my article... It wasnt really about the torque wrench...

MountainCommand > Tohru 08/27/2014 at 15:02

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No one else drives my car either, but on the off chance that a pig does come flying by with golden wings at about 43mph, id like to not have to worry about someone else breaking something, or not being able to change a wheel on my car.

I havent invested in a impact wrench yet... Soon... I want to make the brapbrap noises.

Tohru > MountainCommand 08/27/2014 at 16:11

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I have an idea of taking an impact wrench and a conventional starter and making my own air starter.

MountainCommand > Tohru 08/27/2014 at 21:36

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that would be a sweet startup sound.