I have a Snap-On torque wrench that I've had for 35+ years and I know that it is out of calibration.
Calibration doesn't seem practical from a time or $$$ standpoint when you don't use the
wrench that often...
A couple methods I've used to try to get accurate torque are:
- for lug nuts in particular, before loosening, tighten w/the TW and adjust the setting
until it clicks and it just starts to turn the lug then use whatever setting the TW ends up at...
- put the TW drive into a vise, setting the handle parallel to the floor and hanging some old metal
free weights (90 lbs) I have on the handle, ajusting the setting until it clicks just as the weight is free
hanging. The first time I tried it, it seemed to work well. I did the same this weekend and it didn't click
until I had the dial @ 145-ish lbs but a couple hours later I hung the weights again came up with 75ish lbs....kinda blew my confidence in that method...
could the TW be changing that much / that short of a time frame?
All that to say, the question is, if you don't use a torque wrench often, how do you torque with
any accuracy w/out getting it calibrated every time?
Calibration doesn't seem practical from a time or $$$ standpoint when you don't use the
wrench that often...
A couple methods I've used to try to get accurate torque are:
- for lug nuts in particular, before loosening, tighten w/the TW and adjust the setting
until it clicks and it just starts to turn the lug then use whatever setting the TW ends up at...
- put the TW drive into a vise, setting the handle parallel to the floor and hanging some old metal
free weights (90 lbs) I have on the handle, ajusting the setting until it clicks just as the weight is free
hanging. The first time I tried it, it seemed to work well. I did the same this weekend and it didn't click
until I had the dial @ 145-ish lbs but a couple hours later I hung the weights again came up with 75ish lbs....kinda blew my confidence in that method...
could the TW be changing that much / that short of a time frame?
All that to say, the question is, if you don't use a torque wrench often, how do you torque with
any accuracy w/out getting it calibrated every time?