Retorquing wheels

[SPYDERLK]

Quote patrick g: I have a HF torque wrench (clicker type) that goes up to 600 lb-ft. I use it to torque my lug nuts which are specked at 450 lb-ft because most tire shops don't have a suitable torque wrench if they have one at all and some shops couldn't even take off my lugs that were at 450 lb-ft.

That grand L has some pretty big lugs! Have you checked the calibration of your HF wrench. I have the next size down from yours and it checks out at 10% low. Easy to just crank in the extra to make it right.
larry

 

[patrick_g]

John is right.

The torque before permanent deformation of the fastener exceeds the typical torque spec. The ability of a fastener to take torque is not influenced by the size or style of the head. That is only important in selecting a wrench or socket to fit it. A particular diameter bolt of a particular strength of materials, and thread pattern can take the same torque irrespective of whether it is a hex head or a carriage bolt.

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

That grand L has some pretty big lugs! Have you checked the calibration of your HF wrench. I have the next size down from yours and it checks out at 10% low. Easy to just crank in the extra to make it right.
larry

Luckily I had access via a sailing buddy, who is a mech engineer, to lab grade torque testing ability. We put my torque wrenches in line with his calibrated wrenches and logged the results. None were off enough to warrant a calibration sheet. The error curve on the big wrench was not linear. The wrench was dead on in three places and just a tad high or low everywhere else. The curve was smooth and continuous so there are no surprises and what is a few percent one way or the other anyway, given the lack of a need for really close tolerances in my use of the torque wrench. It is way bigger than any of my tire irons or breaker bars so I use it for a breaker bar too with no deleterious effects.

In the old days I had a cheapie Sears unit with dial and pointer that developed error with hard use but you could just grab the pointer and ZERO it (or stress it backwards till the error was neutralized.)

I carry the large torque wrench in a cabinet of my service body. It is wrapped up in protective rubber matting. When I encounter an unprepared shop/mech who has no tool to cover the needed range (450 lb-ft for my 19.5 Alcoas) I open the cabinet, unroll the cover and produce EXCALIBER. I'm still waiting for an opportunity to say, "that's not a torque wrench.... this is a TORQUE WRENCH!!!"

Pat

 

[43WLC]

Seem to be a lot of talented people here but I couldn't see what I think is full explanation to the loss of accuracy attached to using an extension with a torque wrench.

When you use a torque wrench without an extension, it's fairly easy to keep the wrench at close to right angles to the bolt.
Or, more technically, the longitudinal axis of the torch wrench must be at right angles to the longitundal axis of the bolt to get an accurate result.

If you use an extension, you get 2 lots of wobble instead of one.
You get the chance of twice the innacuracy.

I can't see the length of the extension makes much difference to the amout of innacuracy that comes from using an extension.
Except that, the longer the extension, the more difficult it is to keep the TW at right angles to the bolt.

A torque magnifier may be the answer to torquing up deepset nuts, and to undoing them afterwards.
A torque adapter could be the answer to tightening deepset nuts, but it's no use for undoing them.

Thanks for reading my offering.

 

[43WLC]

Torque multiplier not magnifier.
Sorry.

 

[oldballs]

This discussion certainly is twisting and turning. So what is the amount of torque one decreases when using a lubricant on the threads e.g.anti-seize or some grease?

 

[JimRB]

This discussion certainly is twisting and turning. So what is the amount of torque one decreases when using a lubricant on the threads e.g.anti-seize or some grease?

You can find charts in many places. BOLTS AND TORQUE SPECS

 

[43WLC]

lubrication can reduce the torque value by 15% to 25%;

Bolted joint - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kind Regards, Mike

 

[43WLC]

In terms of wheel nuts, lugs, bolts;
I been unable to find any information
on the effect of lubricant
on the chances of a correctly torqued fastener
coming undone.

Rumour control has it that lubricated wheel nuts
are more likely to come undone.

If anyone knows the facts on that one,
please will you let me know.

Cheers, Mike

 

[RoyJackson]

In terms of wheel nuts, lugs, bolts;
I been unable to find any information
on the effect of lubricant
on the chances of a correctly torqued fastener
coming undone.

Rumour control has it that lubricated wheel nuts
are more likely to come undone.

If anyone knows the facts on that one,
please will you let me know.

Cheers, Mike

I use an anti-seize compound on my wheel bolts as I want to be able to get them off if necessary. Then, I torque to factory specs...and torque stripe the bolt heads.
As you may recall, your tractor manual does call out to check the tightness of many fasterners (including wheel bolts or nuts) periodically. You shouldn't just torque 'em and forget 'em.