Suggestions for a Torque wrench for wheel nuts

The dial type can be a pain to use. you have to view them from exactly overhead (difficult to do when trying to torque up a wheel nut) or you can get parralex error, which rather negates the whole purpose of using a torque wrench in the first place.
The click type is much easier to use.

Even a cheap click type will be more accurate than just tightening them with the wheelbrace.
the likes of supercheap and the big auto accessory places like auto 1 etc regularly have them on special, check out the promo's and junk mail for farters day!

I like my click type, it is also longer than most of the 1/2" square drive ratchets we are likely to carry so a better ability to undo tough nuts. Best not bend anything on it though as it is all calibrated on the basis of the predicted deviation or bending rate of the bar. Bearing in mind that all weigh cells are on the same system sort of deviation, it's accuracy depends on the calibration.

Good Morning
I think the click type is the better bet, even trying to read a dial type on the side is a pain in the butt.IMO
Jeff

Do not use a torque wrench to undo nuts ( wheel nuts or any others ) unless the wrench is designed to do this, most are not.
Undoing things will destroy the calibration
Ray

G`day Wok,
I have a 1/2" drive torque wrench its a vernier type it doesnt have the click function but once you have achieved the desired torque it slips forward the brand I purchased is K.C Tools it cost about $120.00 and is good value.One thing to keep in mind with this type of wrench is that you must back them off once you have finished doing your job if you leave them wound up under load they will quickly lose there calibration hope this helps.
cheers
Johno !

I bought a click type one recently off ebay for about $50-. Tested it on my nuts and it seems to work OK....(but jeez my nuts will never be the same again! ;-))

I have a good click type for serious mechanical work but don't like to carry it around just to do up wheel studs. I bought a cheap which relies on a separate indicator pointing at a scale on the main part which bends as you lean on it. Very hard to read the scale accurately so I glued a penlight battery holder to it, mounted a nut & screw as an adjustable contact so that an LED comes on when it reaches the set point. Calibrate it against the good one every now and again. Even if the calibration slips, they are all the same. Could use a buzzer instead of the light if you wish.

Cost me $20 for the cheap torque wrench, $5 for the other bits and an hour of fiddling.

alastair

About 30 years ago I remember an old Geordie machine tool fitter, when I asked if he had a torque wrench I could borrow, telling me "The best torque wrench is your arm, son". Although I must admit back in the days when I used to take cylinder heads off I would usually (but not always) use a torque wrench to put them back although to this day I still don't own one.

Do you _really_ need one for wheel nuts?

Mike Harding

PS. Kmart do an excellent telescopic wrench for wheel nuts - ideal when you're in the desert and discover that at your last service when they rotated the wheels they got a 9' tall, 250kg orangutan to tighten the nuts! Wish I'd had one at the time :)

Hi,

Don't forget that the specified torque assumes a lubricated thread.
If the studs are dry the necessary torque could be almost anything. At the correct torque the stud is stretched slightly, but well within the elastic limit. This ensures that it stays tight.
I put a little graphite grease on mine and have never had a wheel nut come loose.
Makes them easy to undo also!

Phil I

Thanks all, looks like the click type will suffice for me.

Just thoughts on Q3 left!

eng

Just spent $192 on LPs...................broke again!

Eng,
The torque for alloys may be different - depends on what your manufacturer says. Some vehicles use the same, others have a lower torque for the alloys.

Wok,

If you believe you can overtighten wheel nuts with a standad wheel brace, you are a better man than me Gunga Din.

As another forumite has posted, it's just something else to cart around and does not belong in a tool box with everything else.

You should be able to "feel" if the nuts are tightened sufficiently. That is just before you get out the extention bar, or use your feet, to tighten up just that bit more.

I only use the normal factory supplied wheelbrace while I am away, but if I have to change a wheel while at home, I use a crossbrace type.
But, I always recheck the nuts at about 100 kms from changing the wheel.
Never had a problem.
It is standard practice for most transport operators too, recheck the the nuts at about 100Kms.
Dave

Wheel nuts are a dry torque, if lubricated nuts will be over tight when time to undo especially with spray lube that will dry out.
Cheers
Charlie

Morning all,

Picked up a unit from the local $ converter.

Found that the nuts were pretty-well spot on [+-4%]. Using the OEM brace I exceed the specs by a whisker!...109Nm vs 105Nm required.

Conclusion..........1 less tool to carry!

Thanks all.........eng