# Torque wrench



## tromppost (Jan 12, 2008)

I am going to take the wheels off and clean the back of them and also do the arches at the same time, Do I need a Torque wrench or just go for it when I put the wheels back on!
Dump question I know but any help would go a long way.


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## TeZ (Oct 28, 2007)

Having motorbikes I always use a torque wrench on my car and other's anyway.

Personally I would say no unless you no how tight ( hand tight ) they should be I wouldn't do it without one.

TeZ


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## koi (Jun 30, 2007)

Pick up a torque wrench for ~£20 rather than risk your nice shiny wheel over taking you :lol:


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## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Nah just go old school, do'em up 'til they creak!


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## Transit (Nov 18, 2007)

koi said:


> Pick up a torque wrench for ~£20 rather than risk your nice shiny wheel over taking you :lol:


I'd rather crank them up tight than risk using a £20 torque wrench. If you have no idea how tight the wheel nuts should be then I suggest that you don't undertake anything as 'major' as removing your wheels. Leave it to someone who knows what they're doing.


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## paddy328 (Mar 4, 2007)

I bought a torque wrench from halfrauds on sat. Gives you peace of mind. Look at the owners manual for torque settings.


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## Qüiksilver-1 (Aug 14, 2006)

Transit said:


> I'd rather crank them up tight than *risk using a £20 torque wrench.* If you have no idea how tight the wheel nuts should be then I suggest that you don't undertake anything as 'major' as removing your wheels. Leave it to someone who knows what they're doing.


I got a torque wrench from Argos, works fine with no risk. 
£20 or £200 doesnt matter 100nm is 100nm thats like buying a rule that doesnt measure right.

If your not sure, most cars are about 110nm just check the owners manual first.


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## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Qüiksilver said:


> I got a torque wrench from Argos, works fine with no risk.
> £20 or £200 doesnt matter 100nm is 100nm thats like buying a rule that doesnt measure right.
> 
> If your not sure, most cars are about 110nm just check the owners manual first.


That's all well and good but what happens when one of them is miscalibrated by 30nm and slips through the QC in the huge factory in china that turns them out at a tune of 10,000 a day?


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## Transit (Nov 18, 2007)

Qüiksilver said:


> I got a torque wrench from Argos, works fine with no risk.
> £20 or £200 doesnt matter 100nm is 100nm thats like buying a rule that doesnt measure right.
> 
> If your not sure, most cars are about 110nm just check the owners manual first.


That's laughable. The point of a torque wrench in any application is to tighten the nut to the recommended setting. A cheap wrench that's come out of China may be accurate if you're lucky but I wouldn't risk it. Then to follow your comments with "most cars are about 110nm" is a bit odd. Not much point in having a wrench if you think 'about 110nm' is OK.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2008)

Finger tight whilst in the air, and if you want to use a torque bar then feel free.

I just turn till it creaks, then check every week. (dab of copper grease in the nuts)


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## richjohnhughes (Sep 24, 2007)

well, after having one of my wheels bouncing down the road infront of me at about 20 foot in the air - doing about 70......id say get a torque bar!

(it was the garage by the way - after changing brakes)


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2008)

Whilst working at a bodyshop a "painter" fitted the alloys and torqued em up with a torque bar.

1 day later 1 wheel off, 3 with nuts missing, over £1,000 damage to his and car his alloy hit.

Mind he did torque em whilst it was in the air :wall:


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## Qüiksilver-1 (Aug 14, 2006)

Transit said:


> That's laughable. The point of a torque wrench in any application is to tighten the nut to the recommended setting. A cheap wrench that's come out of China may be accurate if you're lucky but I wouldn't risk it. Then to follow your comments with "most cars are about 110nm" is a bit odd. Not much point in having a wrench if you think 'about 110nm' is OK.


Some are 100 some are 105 some 110.
If you tighten a wheel nut to 110nm, it wont fall off.

A Torque wrench is normally tightening up safety critical items so wil not of slipped through Quality Control, think of the risk of selling an item which hasnt been checked.

And who says a Snap on or Mac wrench hasnt slipped through QC.

The original poster asked the question whether or not to use a torque wrench, the answer is yes. Its a set torque for a reason and not just done up tight by hand, or till the creek wont this be stressing the nuts!!!
The wheel is the only thing which keeps the car in contact with the road.


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## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Qüiksilver said:


> Some are 100 some are 105 some 110.
> If you tighten a wheel nut to 110nm, it wont fall off.
> 
> A Torque wrench is normally tightening up safety critical items *so wil not of slipped through Quality Control,* think of the risk of selling an item which hasnt been checked.
> ...


:lol: :lol: :lol: You must be quite naive as things far more critical than a lowly torque wench slip through QC every single day!


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## Transit (Nov 18, 2007)

Qüiksilver said:


> The original poster asked the question whether or not to use a torque wrench, the answer is yes. Its a set torque for a reason and not just done up tight by hand, or till the creek wont this be stressing the nuts!!!


I would say that the answer is to use a good torque wrench (knowing the correct torque is irrelevant if it's a cheap nasty wrench), set to the correct torque and put it in the hands of a competent person.


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## Wozza (Mar 3, 2007)

I use one and always will, especially as some cheaper locking nuts will break quite easy if you get a bit excited, I think the latest Ford bulletin for the Focus ST recommends 120nm on the alloys.


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

The general rule of thumb I use for wheel nuts is two grunts and a half - and I've never had a wheel come off, or nuts come loose, in over 30 years.  

Edit: Oh, and go round them twice. By the time you've been round them all once the first one or two might be a bit loose. This applies even if using a torque wrench.


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## Qüiksilver-1 (Aug 14, 2006)

rmorgan84 said:


> :lol: :lol: :lol: You must be quite naive as things far more critical than a lowly torque wench slip through QC every single day!


Yeah dead naive!!!


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## [email protected] (Jan 9, 2006)

i own a snap on one in 3/8 and 1/2 drive but they need their calibration checked so make sure what you buy has a calibration certificate and also get them checked every so often, big tip often forgotten is to always release the torque and wind it back down to 0 leaving them on 80ib + will eventually damage them.


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

I got a cheap Torque wrench from LIDL a few years ago Its identical to the CK, Sealy wrench at the time i worked in a Tool shop and took it in and checked the calibration on their setting "machine" and it was spot on...


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

andy monty said:


> I got a cheap Torque wrench from LIDL a few years ago Its identical to the CK, Sealy wrench at the time i worked in a Tool shop and took it in and checked the calibration on their setting "machine" and it was spot on...


The thing is though, Lidl and Aldi tend to supply things at cheap prices which are usually pretty good, tested to german standards etc.

IMHO this is not the same as a cheap chinese tool


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## John-R- (Feb 4, 2007)

Neil_S said:


> The thing is though, Lidl and Aldi tend to supply things at cheap prices which are usually pretty good, tested to german standards etc.
> 
> IMHO this is not the same as a cheap chinese tool


Bought a digital vernier not too long ago from them, it's identical to one Roebuck sell (box the lot) for about 3 X the price.
Another thing about torque wrenches to remember is that you can "fool" a torque wrench if you just try and yank at it, a slow steady pull/push should always be used, not a short/sharp shock.

John


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## spitfire (Feb 10, 2007)

John-R- said:


> Bought a digital vernier not too long ago from them, it's identical to one Roebuck sell (box the lot) for about 3 X the price.
> Another thing about torque wrenches to remember is that you can "fool" a torque wrench if you just try and yank at it, a slow steady pull/push should always be used, not a short/sharp shock.
> 
> John


That's a good point. Another instance where a wrench can be fooled is with the use of lubrication of threads. This allows for a "tighter" torque in some instances. My opinion is that for most jobs a torque wrench is not required. Bearings and head bolts are where I would be most inclined to use one. A skilled technician will know with experience how tight a nut or bolt should be. Overtightening is the biggerst failing of the amateur.


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## Fat Audi 80 (Nov 8, 2006)

I would not condone this per say, but as an Engineer with a a few years experience, I tend to use my "built in" torque wrench. It called muscles, tendons, nerves and a brain.

Dependent on the size of the fastener and the job its doing you can easily judge how tight to "wang" things up! If you are using a 3ft breaker bar on wheel nuts, tighten until it won't turn easily and then "tweak" it with half your body weight, you will "feel" the bolt go tight. No need to go mad on a 3ft breaker bar....


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## spitfire (Feb 10, 2007)

Fat Audi 80 said:


> I would not condone this per say, but as an Engineer with a a few years experience, I tend to use my "built in" torque wrench. It called muscles, tendons, nerves and a brain.
> 
> Dependent on the size of the fastener and the job its doing you can easily judge how tight to "wang" things up! If you are using a 3ft breaker bar on wheel nuts, tighten until it won't turn easily and then "tweak" it with half your body weight, you will "feel" the bolt go tight. No need to go mad on a 3ft breaker bar....


That's what I was trying to say :thumb:


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## snoop69 (Jun 16, 2007)

matt1263 said:


> Finger tight whilst in the air, and if you want to use a torque bar then feel free.
> 
> I just turn till it creaks, then check every week. (dab of copper grease in the nuts)


Also bear in mind when using a bar that you should be able to remove
any of the wheels using the bar in the boot.

I would also let any customers know aswell as im sure they wouldnt like
to call someone out to change a wheel when they should have been able
to do it themselves :thumb:


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## VixMix (May 8, 2008)

After the wheel fell off my ambulance a couple of weeks ago, I'm all for the torque wrench. We had a puncture repaired and the repairer told us to ensure the wheel nuts were torqued correctly at our earliest convenience (the fitter used the turn it til it cracked technique on all nuts - twice over). Of course we didn't and 3 days later the wheel came loose with only one wheel nut remaining. Caused a little bit of damage there too :wall:

I reckon that if I torque the wheel nuts on my car, if anything goes wrong at least the insurance company can't try that tactic to wriggle out of paying!


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## Handsome Pete (May 13, 2007)

If someone was asking 'Should I use a torque wrench?' and they were going to be taking wheels off and on customer's cars alot, then it makes sense to be professional about it and to use a mid priced torque wrench and torque the nuts or bolts to the value in the driver's handbook. Finger tight whilst off the ground and use the torque wrench with the vehicle on the ground. Method being the 'opposite' method, e.g. for a wheel with four bolts, 1st tighten the one at 12 o'clock, then the one at 6 o'clock, then the one a 3 o'clock then the one at 9 o'clock. Then go around again starting with the same first bolt. A bit of copper grease on the threads and between the hub and wheel will assist in future removal.


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## swiftshine (Apr 17, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> i own a snap on one in 3/8 and 1/2 drive but they need their calibration checked so make sure what you buy has a calibration certificate and also get them checked every so often, big tip often forgotten is to always release the torque and wind it back down to 0 leaving them on 80ib + will eventually damage them.


Good point, and very important.:thumb:
And look after them. Mine is only out of it's case when I use it, and put safely back to bed wound down straight after use.
I tend not to use a torque wrench on my wheels as I have the feel in my hands to know roughly what torque I am tightening things up to, but if you are unsure, you should use one. Better safe than sorry.
You don't need to spend a fortune, but around the £50 mark should get you a decent enough one.
I use a norbar, and it's pretty decent.


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## Russ and his BM (Jan 1, 2008)

Copper grease is best avoided on any fastening that you wish to tighten to a specific torque. The reason for this is that it lubricates the thread so well that it makes the torque wrench underread, so when it clicks, your nut will be overtightened.

Also, the 16 wheelnuts are the ones you don't want to come undone too easily - so why lube them with copper grease!?

A little bit of light machine oil to keep the rust off the threads is fine, which won't affect torque readings.

For the OP, if I were you, I'd ask a friend/family member who knows a little bit about cars to show me how to change a wheel and how to use a torque wrench.

2 tips from me if you're new to it.
1) Never go under a car, or leave it solely supported by a jack - use axle stands.
2) Let someone know you'll be out in the garage. That way, if there is a problem, and you don't come in for tea, they can come and help!

Cheers,
Russ


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