Torque Wrench Upgrade

"atfsgeoff" (atfsgeoff) 03/10/2020 at 17:20 • Filed to: None

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Most folks use clicker, split-beam or digital torque wrenches these days. I’m a stubborn old man, and like to use old beam style wrenches. No moving parts or springs to break or wear out, and recalibrating simply involves bending the indicator beam until the needle points to zero at rest.

The only problem is that they have a fixed head, which inhibits their application in areas with limited swing clearance. So I picked up a couple of Koken ratchet adapters from amazon.jp, which got delivered in just three business days. Reversible, 45 teeth and very smooth with almost no back drag. Now I can use these in about 95% of applications where I used to have to rely on some HF clicker types if I needed ratcheting. I might still need the clickers if there is a tight spot which precludes the extra depth the adapters take up, but that doesn’t come up too often on stuff I work on. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > atfsgeoff 03/10/2020 at 17:29

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Those ratchet adapters look well made. Your post reminded me of how severe ly overtorqued my lugs were on my van last time I went to the tire shop. 15-inch bar and I could only barely  break them loose.

atfsgeoff > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 03/10/2020 at 17:33

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Yeah that’s why I usually just take the loose wheels to the tire shop, and put them on the car myself. 

gettingoldercarguy > atfsgeoff 03/10/2020 at 17:38

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That’s pretty sharp.  I really like the beam ones, but I have clickers.  Can't get behind digital, I dunno why.

vondon302 > atfsgeoff 03/10/2020 at 17:48

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Thank you for keeping the faith on beam style torque wrench. My car buddies made fun of me and my 25 year old beam torque wrench. 

VincentMalamute-Kim > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 03/10/2020 at 17:53

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I don’t know if it’s all Discount Tires but at my local Discount Tire, I was impressed to see one guy go around tightening the lug nuts followed by a second guy with a torque wrench taking it to the final setting.

VincentMalamute-Kim > atfsgeoff 03/10/2020 at 17:56

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I always think the clickers are more accurate than the beams because “digital” vs some vague sense of the reading on the beam’s scale. I know that statement is not necessarily true.  Just the psychology of it.

atfsgeoff > vondon302 03/10/2020 at 17:58

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These old beam wrenches are typically more accurate than clickers, provided you have a sharp eye and can view the indicator from straight-on to avoid parallax error. Mine are within +/- 1.5 % of actual torque value.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > atfsgeoff 03/10/2020 at 17:59

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I do that because they’ll do the work quickly when the wheels are already off the car. Now I have Reason Number Two.

I don’t use a torque wrench with the lug nuts, but I’m careful to get them even and very snug. I think lug nutz are overtightened beastly widely.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > VincentMalamute-Kim 03/10/2020 at 18:01

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I’ve observed that at DT as well.

atfsgeoff > VincentMalamute-Kim 03/10/2020 at 18:09

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With a clicker, you are relying on the accuracy of the spring click mechanism inside the torque wrench to ‘alert’ you when enough torque has been applied, vs visually observing the torque being applied on a beam wrench. Generally speaking, beam wrenches are capable of better accuracy than clickers, but are dependent on a sharp eye and straight-on observance of the gauge to avoid parallax error.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > VincentMalamute-Kim 03/10/2020 at 19:02

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That is one of the reasons why I was glad to be back in a place with a Discount/America’s tire store. They always treated me very well.

Sovande > atfsgeoff 03/10/2020 at 19:15

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What does the adapter do to the torque readings? I was under the impression that using extensions or adapters altered the reading, but maybe I'm making that up? I'm probably making that up. 

atfsgeoff > Sovande 03/10/2020 at 19:22

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As long as you aren’t using crows foot attachments or swivel/universal joints, the torque readings are not affected. You can actually use crows foots but only if you attach them at a 90 degree angle to the drive of the wrench, so you maintain the same swing radius which measures the torque applied.

Now, with impact wrenches, you effectively reduce the impact torque applied with every additional piece between the anvil of the wrench and the fastener. To get the most torque you want just the socket between the two. If you add an extension, u-joint, drive reducer, etc. each additional piece will reduce effective torque by 10-15%. Longer extensions can reduce torque applied as much as 30%.

Sovande > atfsgeoff 03/10/2020 at 20:06

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It was impacts I was thinking of. Thanks!

And thanks for the explainer. That's cool info to know! 

Bobs_Ska_Radio > atfsgeoff 03/10/2020 at 23:36

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The issue with bendy bar wrenches is you need a direct line of sight to the indicator. Many cars I’m working on you can’t get a good view, say on the back cylinder head bolts. Where a clicker or digital you don't need to see it at all.

atfsgeoff > Bobs_Ska_Radio 03/11/2020 at 00:20

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Oh no doubt, clickers still have their place in situations where you can’t see the gauge. I’ve just found such situations are few and far between for me.

CalzoneGolem > atfsgeoff 03/11/2020 at 08:08

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So bending the beam back doesn’t affect that torque? Interesting I figured bending the beam would change the integrity of the beam. Maybe I’ll resurrect my dad’s old torque wrench.

atfsgeoff > CalzoneGolem 03/11/2020 at 11:07

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Not at all; the beam holding the needle is never under tension during operation anyway. Its only job is to hold the needle stationary while the main beam flexes under torque, which moves the rest of the gauge relative to the stationary needle.

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > VincentMalamute-Kim 03/11/2020 at 12:20

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They’re pretty good about it there. They even told me to come back in a week to get my torque checked because they had recently bought new torque wrenches and weren’t sure of the calibration.

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > Sovande 03/11/2020 at 22:03

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I’ve seen a few articles that do the math too, at least in ways that make sense. “oh since we’re doing a 45* angle here take the cosin of the 2/torque and that is our new value we need to apply” kind of thing. Makes sense to me but no idea if its real ha

POSSUM > Sovande 03/12/2020 at 16:01

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Extensions don’t change the torque due to the fact they will twist and tighten up and once all the flex is out of the the metal the torque wrench will torque to spec just as it should . They act with the same principal as torque sticks for lug nuts, except regular chrome vanadium or chrome moly extensions doesnt twist as much as torque sticks so your able to get the torque needed to turn to spec. Now when you have something that changes the angle such as universal extentions or universal  sockets those cant be used.