i was just looking for torque wrenches on the internet (thinking it'll be a good investment if i plan on replacing my plenum and doing other misc. work on my vehicle.... the only problem is that i can ony find one size torque wrenches. Does this have to do with calibration of the gauge or something (what im guessing the reason is). I was also just thinking that i would pay $50-$100 to get mine installed by a shop just because they woudl have torque wrenches and it would be about the same price. It wouldnt be a big deal to have it done either just because of the fact that i will be getting my catback/cats done at the same time.

2004 Black on Black g coupe 6spd.... aluminum pedals, clear corners, z tube, and pop charger. soon to have 19" volk gt-c's and PIAA xtreme whites in the clearance and corners
Houston Texas

 

if you get a torque wrench, you can rotate your wheels too. thats worth it. theres a 20 dollar one at sears.

I do have another questions, i just looked at some torque wrenches on ebay, and there are many many types. ones with a needle, and lots of other ones. which one is the best to get? and should i get it by inches or feet and how many? i want to change my lugs with it and also be able to do the plenum.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by nuttyprof on 07/07/04 01:32 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

I don't think a torque wrench is going to help you with the plenum. Most wrenches start at something like 20 foot/pounds. The plenum requires less than that. I have a husky 3/8 torque wrench. You can get it at Home Depot for 60 bucks. There are some cheaper, but you know that you always get what you paid for quality wise.

2004 G35 Coupe/OB/Graphite interior/Premium and aero package/Popcharger/Z tube/Hotchkis sways/Tein H-tech springs/Kinetix plenum/Crawford cats

 

Wait, wait, and wait some more!

There are all types and sized of torque wrenches. They range from measuring just a couple of inch ounces very accurately to measuring several hundred-foot pounds relatively accurately.

Torque wrenches have different makes and models (just like cars). The best torque wrenches (dollar for dollar) are made in America. This might sound like an opinion, but after learning what I have through my job, I'd say this is a pretty common sentiment in most of the aerospace industry. Typically the torque wrenches, which are made in the USA, follow a SAE type of standard and must hold calibration for a certain period of time, either 3 or 6 months I believe. They also must be accurate to within a certain percentage of the operating range according to this spec.

The type I prefer is one with a "break neck" feature. This is the type of wrench that you set your desired torque to and tighten until the neck "clicks" and breaks free. There are torque wrenches that have dials with needles, and other types of configurations, but looking at a needle isn’t always easy.

Remember, if you want to accurately torque something the top and bottom 10% of the torque wrench operating range is not very accurate. If you're doing a plenum adjustment and want to torque the bolts to 60 in-lbs and you only have a wrench that goes from 10-60 in-lbs, this wrench will not accurately do the job. You'd need a wrench that at least began at 54 in lbs and at least exceeded 66 in lbs. The one I used, if I remember correctly, started at 10 in-lbs and went to 80 in-lbs.

I believe most lug nuts for car tires must be tightened to a number in the neighborhood of 80 ft-lbs. This is much more than 60 in-lbs. In fact, I don't think there is a torque wrench made that can accurately measure both numbers due to the fact that 80 ft-lbs is equivalent to 960 in-lbs and this range is too vast.

I'd recommend going to SEARS and buying a wrench for the mod you want to do. Make sure the wrench is made in USA, and get the one you feel will be easiest for you to use. Remember the top/bottom 10% rule and you’ll be set.

One last piece of free, unsolicited advice; When you’re done using the torque wrench do not leave the wrench set to any torque value besides ZERO. This will help your wrench hold its calibration for a much longer period of time.

This is one of those posts where my caveat might come in handy… as I am quoting info that I’ve been taught and am relying on my memory somewhat.

Good Luck!

<font color=blue>The above statements are only my take on the issue. If you disagree with anything I typed then you are 100% right!</font color=blue>

 

the one size ones you see are 1/4", 3/8" or 1/2" I'm guessing. that is actually the drive size and they use standard sockets, so basically you're only limited to sizes by the number of sockets you have. They come in in-lbs and ft-lbs and also metric. Some like MAC have both standard and metric units which is nice since some manuals only give metric units. There are several varities out there, click type, beam type and dial and electronic. The click type is the easiest to use and basically fool proof, you just set the value and crank away once you hit the desired setting it'll make an audible click as well as give you some tactile feed back. You can easily torque down in hard to reach spots since you don't need to read the wrench. A beam type is primitive, but never needs calibration. It's basically a bar that bends and you read a scale to determine what torque value you reached. A dial type has a gauge looking thing that you read off the torque value. You need direct line of sight to the dial so it's sometimes difficult to use. the good thing about it is that you can progressively tighten down bolts quickly since you don't need to make any adjustments. Unless you got several hundred dollars to burn forget about the electronic type.

If you're only going to have one, then a good compromise is to get a 3/8" with a torque rating of 20 to 80 or 100 ft-lbs. this will get you through most of your chores. One thing to remember is to ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS back down the wrench to the lowest setting when you store it, this will help to keep it in calibration longer.

 

^^^Excellent addition to my post^^^.

You've now completed Torque Wrench 101. Your diploma will be mailed out to your house shortly.

<font color=blue>The above statements are only my take on the issue. If you disagree with anything I typed then you are 100% right!</font color=blue>

 

neff, thanks for the info bro. I was not leaving mine at zero but I will now. BTW, the Husky I described above is one of those "break neck" types. Once you get to the desired torque it sort of slips. I do have one question for you neff. How does it affect the torque measurement if I add a converter from 3/8" to 1/2"?

2004 G35 Coupe/OB/Graphite interior/Premium and aero package/Popcharger/Z tube/Hotchkis sways/Tein H-tech springs/Kinetix plenum/Crawford cats

 

Torque = Force * distance.

The distance is the linear distance from the center of the handle of the torque wrench to the center of the rotational axis of the screw/bolt. The added on attachment will not measurably affect your reading because it does not change the distance that the force is being applied over.

If you split hairs you could argue that the fitting may tilt or **** slightly, thus changing the rotational center of the torque wrench with respect to the adaptor, but this would be well within the torque wrenches mechanical tolerance and accuracy range.

Basically, for practical purposes the 3/8 to ˝ inch “converter” is perfectly fine to use.

<font color=blue>The above statements are only my take on the issue. If you disagree with anything I typed then you are 100% right!</font color=blue>

 

thanks for all the info. I will hit up sears or home depot before i order my wheels and probably get a torque wrench for both the new wheels and one for my plenum (even tho i will probably order the plenum aboud 2 weeks after i order my wheels.) i didnt even think about needing one for when i get my wheels, but i guess that i do

2004 Black on Black g coupe 6spd.... aluminum pedals, clear corners, z tube, and pop charger. soon to have 19" volk gt-c's and PIAA xtreme whites in the clearance and corners
Houston Texas