Oppo Tool Help: Torque wrench and jack stand edition

"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21) 05/14/2015 at 18:07 • Filed to: None

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So I’m looking to get myself a torque wrench for wheels so I can do some wheels-off undercarriage and wheel detailing and was hoping to get some advice/info from you guys with mechanical experience. I need to get the torque wrench for sure and am pretty sure i need to get jack stands as well. I am not going to be getting under the car, but I do not know if just the jack is safe enough? Is it really a concern that the jack may fail and the car fall or it getting bumped hard enough to fall? I will only be doing one end at time, if that matters. I will only be using the stands on cars under 6000lbs, so I figure 3 ton jack stands should suffice.

I am only 16 so budget is not very big, but safety is important. I have been looking at Napa because I have a good friend who works there and can get me tools for a little cheaper, but Napa stuff is not a requirement.

Here’s the wrench I have been looking at:

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
And the jack stands:

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catalo…

What do you guys think? Thanks guys and have a gorgeous car that I want very much...

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 18:12

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Jack stands are stupid cheap and solid. Just get them. Have you checked craigslist though? Maybe someone’s selling a set for $10 or something.

EL_ULY > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 18:12

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Vato Zone, Pimp Boys, or Sears usually sells the 3 ton stands in a set for like $30. As for torque wrenches, I wouldn’t go with the digital ones. That first one from NAPA should work ok for what you’re doing.

ViperGuy21 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 05/14/2015 at 18:13

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I have not, but maybe I will check it out. I want to make sure I get reliable ones

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 18:14

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They’re cast iron. There isn’t really anything to fail on them.

ViperGuy21 > EL_ULY 05/14/2015 at 18:16

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Do the jack stands really differ from store to store since they are such a simple design?

Thanks for the info!

Needmoargarage > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 18:16

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Maybe this will help?

Yes, get jackstands...they are well worth it for how cheap they are. Jacks fail all the time with terrible consequences. Even if you don’t get under the car, picture your ankle getting a brake rotor (attached to a vehicle) on it! Napa stuff should be fine if you feel it is the best buy for your situation.

ViperGuy21 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 05/14/2015 at 18:17

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Cool, thanks!

EL_ULY > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 18:20

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They are all pretty much the same. The bases might be a bit wider on some but thy all generally end up looking the same after years of use, dirty and in a corner somewhere :]

ViperGuy21 > EL_ULY 05/14/2015 at 18:21

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Cool, thanks!!!

ViperGuy21 > Needmoargarage 05/14/2015 at 18:23

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Fantastic! I must have missed that post, but thanks for telling me about it! Should I get a beam style or click style though? That seems to be the question....

Frank Grimes > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 18:58

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buy stuff from harbor freight it looks identical to the napa stuff.

PS9 > EL_ULY 05/14/2015 at 19:00

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Vato Zone ahahahaha

PS9 > EL_ULY 05/14/2015 at 19:00

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Vato Zone ahahahaha

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Frank Grimes 05/14/2015 at 19:08

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I don’t think he has a suicide wish at age 16

my thought with harbor freight is I will buy their stuff unless in doing so could potentially kill me, ala jack stands, jacks they even sell a car lift, but I wouldn’t buy it, but if its like drills or wrenches or whatever, then who cares if you break it, but if using it could potentially hurt you, then I will at least get craftsmen or some other decent brand.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 19:08

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Jack stands are insanely cheap for what you get. I’ll probably catch crap for this, but if you have a Harbor Freight or Northern Tool nearby, you may find better deals.

The torque wrench is about right. You can also get those at Home Depot/Lowes as well. I wouldn’t go Harbor Freight for a torque wrench.

Frank Grimes > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man 05/14/2015 at 19:19

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crafstman made in china too. I have used harbor freight jack stands for years they aren’t going to break.

ViperGuy21 > Frank Grimes 05/14/2015 at 19:25

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I will check those out! Thanks

crowmolly > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 19:28

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For wheels, this at Harbor Freight:

http://s7d9.scene7.com/is/image/Genui…

Then buy this floor jack and stand kit from NAPA. I don’t like trolley jacks that much but it will probably do. You are better off with a floor jack than your car’s scissor jack (since it’s sounds like that’s what you were using?)

The torque wrench will be fine for wheels, even if it’s off 5-6%. Make sure you always back it off all the way when you are done.

If/when you move on to needing a torque wrench for engine building or the like, go buy a better one. And by that I mean better than the HF one AND the NAPA one you linked to. I have a few torque wrenches and the HF 1/2” is dedicated for wheels. It’s been tested against the others and at an engineering lab so I know it’s good.

I do not want to use my good torque wrenches at 100 ft-lbs or more if I can avoid it.

PS if your wheels are nice, a set of these won’t hurt:

$29 at HF, more like $23 with the 20% coupon.

crowmolly > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 19:36

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No. In many cases they are made by the same company and have whatever label/paint slapped on them.

crowmolly > Frank Grimes 05/14/2015 at 19:38

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Craftsman tool quality is nowhere near what it used to be. I bought a $250 high end Craftsman racing jack back in ‘05 and it was like a teenage kid on prom night. Two pumps and it dumped its fluid. Didn’t even get the car’s tires in the air. Never again.

Frank Grimes > crowmolly 05/14/2015 at 19:46

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i’m sorry. it sucks im almost totally converted over to harbor freights stuff. the quality of harbor freight is a ton better and dare say better than craftsman. the quality of sockets and ratchets is really good. surprisingly so in fact.

desertdog5051 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 05/14/2015 at 19:48

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Forged steel cradle with mild steel base. Major different.

desertdog5051 > Frank Grimes 05/14/2015 at 19:50

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Sorry Frank, you are wrong. HF torque wrenches are all over the scale for accuracy.

crowmolly > Frank Grimes 05/14/2015 at 19:50

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I have some HF stuff to bash on too. It’s surprisingly not too bad. Some of my best tools are estate and garage sale castoffs.

Biggest miss at HF was a $9 corded drill that I needed at a friend’s new house. It had a friction chuck on the end of it, and I smoked the motor just trying to tighten the bit in. LOL.

desertdog5051 > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 19:55

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Click style. Do not buy a critical tool like that from HF. Accuracy is important. Buy a decent one. The NAPA one is a decent one. HF are all over the scale in accuracy.You don’t know what you have at different torque readings. Could be accurate or maybe not. I bought a Proto because I only wanted to buy it once and wanted it to be guaranteed accurate.

ViperGuy21 > crowmolly 05/14/2015 at 20:46

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Awesome! Thanks dude, I will find my nearest harbor freight and check this out!

Why is the scissor lift not good enough?

ViperGuy21 > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/14/2015 at 20:49

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Awesome, don't know if we have a HF, but we do have a Northern Tool! Thanks!

crowmolly > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 21:17

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Some may disagree but I always put them in the “emergencies only” camp. It’s made to be small and used very infrequently. You are better off with a hydraulic jack.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 22:06

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Can’t see the range on the torque wrench. For wheels you want something that will go to 100-150 ft-lbs. I like the click type that you linked so if it goes high enough it should be fine for wheels.

For reference most cars need around 100 ft-lbs, my truck needs 150 and my Subaru only calls for 65 ft-lbs.

ViperGuy21 > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 05/14/2015 at 22:23

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Thanks!

Frank Grimes > desertdog5051 05/14/2015 at 22:52

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assuming you are correct the napa ones aren’t?

Needmoargarage > ViperGuy21 05/14/2015 at 23:12

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No worries...I just happened to remember commenting on that one as well. I’m all for click styles. I find them easier to use in the majority of situations. Make sure to unwind them all the way after use to keep it well calibrated! I imagine the biggest deciding factor for you is going to be what range of torque you will need vs. price.

Needmoargarage > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man 05/14/2015 at 23:17

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I would agree that most Harbor Freight stuff is junk, but I’ve never had a problem with their jack stands or jacks. (I stay away from the cheap and/or aluminum jacks.) Jack stands are designed with a ridiculously high factor of safety and will work just fine. Craftsman on the other hand has become somewhat expensive junk. I’ve been thru 3 Craftsman jacks (replacements after failure during warranty) while owning a heavier used HF jack.

desertdog5051 > Frank Grimes 05/14/2015 at 23:31

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Don’t know for certain, Frank. But I would guess they are made by a company that produces better quality tools. When it comes to precision measuring devices, I tend to trust known quality suppliers. e.g Snap-On, Starrett, Proto, Mitutoyo, etc.

random001 > ViperGuy21 05/15/2015 at 06:41

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NO scissor lift! NO NO NO! They tip far too easily with such little ground contact. Floor jack, all the way.

Whereabouts do you live?

ViperGuy21 > random001 05/15/2015 at 08:27

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Around the DFW area of Texas

Frank Grimes > desertdog5051 05/15/2015 at 21:12

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have you ever tested torque wrenches with a bench calibration unit? they have.

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/additio…

desertdog5051 > Frank Grimes 05/15/2015 at 21:30

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Very interesting. My info came from the company I sent mine to for recalibration. That article would explain why the wide range of readings. I take back my statements earlier. Thanks for the information.