Torque Wrench options
 

Okay, I have only ever changed tires with the wrench they supply with the jack. Is it possible to get a battery powered wrench that I can dial-in the torque specs on? If so, what is a good brand and what should I expect to pay?

I've seen plug in electric impact guns that allow you to set the torque rating (I bought one for my dad actually), but not cordless. I'm sure someone must make one.

Other option would be "torque sticks" and any cordless impact gun, but they're pricey.

Personally I prefer to do it manually with a breaker bar, a socket and a real torque wrench. You don't need power to change your wheels quickly or easily. I have a cordless impact gun that I don't even use.

if you value the fundamental structure of our universe and our laws of physics then you will not rely on a battery powered tool to provide the accurate and equal torque load required by the wheel bolts/nuts.

You will torque your nuts, in a star shaped pattern, by hand or by a drill but not to the point of tightness, you want to seat the wheel with as equal distribution of force as possible. I myself do this by hand. Then you will use a standard arm-powered torque wrench to dial in to the correct settings.

Happy driving.

What 7th gear said - learn what the proper amount of torque feels like by hand. It's not rocket surgery.

If I saw someone using a torque wrench on their lug nuts, I would kill their family in front of them and make them watch. If I was someone using an electric torque wrench for their lug nuts, I would do the same thing + frame them for the murders.

actually that's not what i said

arm-powered torque wrench meaning the clicking variety that you turn with.. your hands! :lol:

you still need a tool that is designed to measure torque, just not in the cordless variety because the variance in power output is too great a variable when you want to be accurate

if you're torquing your nuts "by feel" then i'm sorry to inform you you're part of the minority here and your to-murder list is gonna be pretty long.

"Torque sticks", or "Torque Limiting extensions" are great. They usually come in sets and run about $150 and up. You can however sometimes find them on eBay individually. I just picked one up for just this purpose and it was $18.

One thing to keep in mind with these is that you should still be tightening lugnuts progressivly in a star pattern like you always would. Even with a torque limiter you can warp rotors and cause damage when using an impact wrench.

if you use torque sticks you MUST use them on a tool that has a consistent power delivery.

Sorry I misunderstood. Seriously people actually use torque wrenches to tighten their lug nuts? This is news to me. I've never had any stud problems nor loose wheels in my ~21 years of doing my own maintenance/repairs. What's the matter with kids today?

the science behind fastners is rather specific, each material has certain tolerances which have allowed you to ignore them for the last 21 years but it doesn't magically make them disappear or give you an excuse to "murder" people who choose to use the correct tools for the job.

just because you've been doing something wrong for a long time doesnt make it right.

Probably right.
Really should be using a torque wrench.
I'll look into getting one.
Check you later.
K, bye.

I knew shops did this because twice I ended up with warped rotors from some serious over tightening by some monkey with a torque wrench. I never thought I'd use one but a friend showed me his setup with a torque limiting extension on an cordless impact wrench. I checked the torque on all the lugs after he did it, and they were all spot on.

It's a hell of a lot quicker, but you've got to have the right tools, and use them correctly.

Also be aware of the following practices that I have heard of experienced.

Scenario A

1. Person uses breaker bar/socket wrench to tighten a bolt or nut, really tight
2. Then that person sets the torque wrench to the desired amount and goes to tighten the nut
3. Torque wrench “clicks” and person assumes everything is to spec

WRONG, person over tightened the nut/bolt initially and the only confirmation his torque wrench is giving him is that at the very least he reached his desired torque setting but it may be a little bit higher or way higher without a way to know this.

Scenario B

A scrutineer, marshal, race official wants to check your torque setting, so they use their torque wrench to apply further pressure to your lugs to “test it”, inadvertently tightening it beyond the required spec, not to mention you never knowing whether their wrench is calibrated.

So don’t let anyone ever check your torque settings by torqueing it more. If they want to see the correct torque then you need to release the tension and re-torque them using your tools.

Torque sticks are only used at shops to approximate the torque while the vehicle is off the ground. The lugs are then torqued with a REAL torque wrench afterwards. That is the way I did every vehicle when I worked at a Walmart TLE. Buy a quality torque wrench and use it once the vehicle is on the ground and under its own weight. Ideally you then drive 5o to 100 miles and torque them again.

THanks... lots of good advice here, and some weirdly violent responses.

So, I only want to make a reasonable investment, what do I need?

1) Low profile floor jack

2) Lug nut wrench or socket wrench?

3) Torque wrench: beam or click type?