Torque wrench advice
Discussion
I would be really grateful for some advice on torque wrenches.
I’m 50 in a few weeks and my mother and sister in law are looking to buy me a gift and I was struggling to think of something, but a torque wrench (or two) would make me very happy! I recently moved into a new house with a double garage and so plan on spending more time on some projects. I have an old Caddy van which I have been working on (electrics) and now plan on changing the timing belt/clutch etc, but also have a motorbike I also maintain, so I suspect I will need two torque wrenches to cover all bases. I currently have a 1/2in Halfords wrench that has seen better days, and a 3/8in that was given to me years ago, and I suspect both aren’t very accurate.
I have narrowed it down to either Norbar or Halfords (from what I have read Norbar make them for Halfords). Again, I would be grateful for advice on the best combo and brand.
Thanks.
I’m 50 in a few weeks and my mother and sister in law are looking to buy me a gift and I was struggling to think of something, but a torque wrench (or two) would make me very happy! I recently moved into a new house with a double garage and so plan on spending more time on some projects. I have an old Caddy van which I have been working on (electrics) and now plan on changing the timing belt/clutch etc, but also have a motorbike I also maintain, so I suspect I will need two torque wrenches to cover all bases. I currently have a 1/2in Halfords wrench that has seen better days, and a 3/8in that was given to me years ago, and I suspect both aren’t very accurate.
I have narrowed it down to either Norbar or Halfords (from what I have read Norbar make them for Halfords). Again, I would be grateful for advice on the best combo and brand.
Thanks.
Tim,
I know this might make you have to think of something else to ask for your birthday, but have you checked your old torque wrenches?
Easily done, if you have a bench vice. Clamp the square drive bar in the vice, so that the handle is horizontal. Hang a weight - needs to be substantial! I use an old flywheel - from the handle and move it away from the pivot until the wrench 'clicks' then measure the distance from the pivot.
Then multiply the weight by the distance, and this tells you the lbs-ft at which the wrench has clicked, for you to compare with the setting. A +/- 5% is acceptable.
Good Luck, and Happy Birthday!
John
I know this might make you have to think of something else to ask for your birthday, but have you checked your old torque wrenches?
Easily done, if you have a bench vice. Clamp the square drive bar in the vice, so that the handle is horizontal. Hang a weight - needs to be substantial! I use an old flywheel - from the handle and move it away from the pivot until the wrench 'clicks' then measure the distance from the pivot.
Then multiply the weight by the distance, and this tells you the lbs-ft at which the wrench has clicked, for you to compare with the setting. A +/- 5% is acceptable.
Good Luck, and Happy Birthday!
John
tapkaJohnD said:
Tim,
I know this might make you have to think of something else to ask for your birthday, but have you checked your old torque wrenches?
Easily done, if you have a bench vice. Clamp the square drive bar in the vice, so that the handle is horizontal. Hang a weight - needs to be substantial! I use an old flywheel - from the handle and move it away from the pivot until the wrench 'clicks' then measure the distance from the pivot.
Then multiply the weight by the distance, and this tells you the lbs-ft at which the wrench has clicked, for you to compare with the setting. A +/- 5% is acceptable.
Good Luck, and Happy Birthday!
John
Assuming your scales to weigh the flywheel are accurate enough... ;-)I know this might make you have to think of something else to ask for your birthday, but have you checked your old torque wrenches?
Easily done, if you have a bench vice. Clamp the square drive bar in the vice, so that the handle is horizontal. Hang a weight - needs to be substantial! I use an old flywheel - from the handle and move it away from the pivot until the wrench 'clicks' then measure the distance from the pivot.
Then multiply the weight by the distance, and this tells you the lbs-ft at which the wrench has clicked, for you to compare with the setting. A +/- 5% is acceptable.
Good Luck, and Happy Birthday!
John
Joking aside I think it's a good idea (surely got to be better than *not* calibrating it) and I was toying with trying it myself.
tim0409 said:
Many thanks for all the helpful comments; I can’t believe I’m being talked out of buying/receiving a new tool 
I will have a look at getting it calibrated, but failing that I might direct my family to the previously mentioned Halfords wrench.
Testers arent much to buy, and i never trust even a new tourque wrench until testing, have found them to be wildly out sometimes, often the more expensive ones aswell.I will have a look at getting it calibrated, but failing that I might direct my family to the previously mentioned Halfords wrench.
I’ve just had another look at the Halfords website and they do the 200 and the 300 with ranges from 40-200 and 60-300nm respectively; quick question - If I also got the 3/8in wrench with a range from 12-60nm, is there any reason not to go for the higher range 300? I’ve never come across anything yet that needed anything like 300nm.
I’ve been doing basic car and bike maintenance for years, but only now that I have a garage will I be tackling more involved stuff.
I’ve been doing basic car and bike maintenance for years, but only now that I have a garage will I be tackling more involved stuff.
tim0409 said:
I’ve just had another look at the Halfords website and they do the 200 and the 300 with ranges from 40-200 and 60-300nm respectively; quick question - If I also got the 3/8in wrench with a range from 12-60nm, is there any reason not to go for the higher range 300? I’ve never come across anything yet that needed anything like 300nm.
I’ve been doing basic car and bike maintenance for years, but only now that I have a garage will I be tackling more involved stuff.
My F30 335d requires 140Nm, even a Fabia requires 120Nm. My previous Norbar was up to 100Nm, as I only needed 90Nm for a wheel nut back then (bolts now, of course). I cannot see any need for above 200Nm for a car, but then I will only be tackling wheel fasteners. Have a look in your handbook (or that of any likely vehicle you may purchase).I’ve been doing basic car and bike maintenance for years, but only now that I have a garage will I be tackling more involved stuff.
Pica-Pica said:
tim0409 said:
I’ve just had another look at the Halfords website and they do the 200 and the 300 with ranges from 40-200 and 60-300nm respectively; quick question - If I also got the 3/8in wrench with a range from 12-60nm, is there any reason not to go for the higher range 300? I’ve never come across anything yet that needed anything like 300nm.
I’ve been doing basic car and bike maintenance for years, but only now that I have a garage will I be tackling more involved stuff.
My F30 335d requires 140Nm, even a Fabia requires 120Nm. My previous Norbar was up to 100Nm, as I only needed 90Nm for a wheel nut back then (bolts now, of course). I cannot see any need for above 200Nm for a car, but then I will only be tackling wheel fasteners. Have a look in your handbook (or that of any likely vehicle you may purchase).I’ve been doing basic car and bike maintenance for years, but only now that I have a garage will I be tackling more involved stuff.
Lets face it alot of garages just do things up with an impact gun anyway, so whatever you are doing will be asgood or better.
I've been quite impressed with these:
https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637894593/3pc-mi...
For £140 a set off Amazon. They were meant to be a disposable set (as my expensive Snap-On digital one had died and I needed to finish putting the Porsche back together) but came with a test cert for each one and on testing them they're all within +/- 2% - they're annodised so they'll wear like s
te in a workshop environment but for occasional home use you can't really go far wrong!
A Norbar 340 will outlast you at similar money but that's only one 1/2" one for the money, or an old Norbar SL2 is probably less than £50 on the bay
https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637894593/3pc-mi...
For £140 a set off Amazon. They were meant to be a disposable set (as my expensive Snap-On digital one had died and I needed to finish putting the Porsche back together) but came with a test cert for each one and on testing them they're all within +/- 2% - they're annodised so they'll wear like s
te in a workshop environment but for occasional home use you can't really go far wrong!A Norbar 340 will outlast you at similar money but that's only one 1/2" one for the money, or an old Norbar SL2 is probably less than £50 on the bay
Edited by poppopbangbang on Thursday 17th August 00:21
poppopbangbang said:
I've been quite impressed with these:
https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637894593/3pc-mi...
For £140 a set off Amazon. They were meant to be a disposable set (as my expensive Snap-On digital one had died and I needed to finish putting the Porsche back together) but came with a test cert for each one and on testing them they're all within +/- 2% - they're annodised so they'll wear like ste in a workshop environment but for occasional home use you can't really go far wrong!
A Norbar 340 will outlast you at similar money but that's only one 1/2" one for the money, or an old Norbar SL2 is probably less than £50 on the bay
They look very good for the money, never rated snapon tourque wrenches, managed to snap the drive off a 1/2 inch one well within tourque setting a touring car diff.https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637894593/3pc-mi...
For £140 a set off Amazon. They were meant to be a disposable set (as my expensive Snap-On digital one had died and I needed to finish putting the Porsche back together) but came with a test cert for each one and on testing them they're all within +/- 2% - they're annodised so they'll wear like s
te in a workshop environment but for occasional home use you can't really go far wrong!A Norbar 340 will outlast you at similar money but that's only one 1/2" one for the money, or an old Norbar SL2 is probably less than £50 on the bay
Edited by poppopbangbang on Thursday 17th August 00:21
On Norbar,
Last year, I bought a old low-torque bar (5 to 40ft-lbs) from an online auction. It was fine when I checked it, but over the next six months or so, the plastic window that was part of the handle misted over. It wasn't condensation, the plastic had deteriorated somehow, and the setting was unreadable. So I sent it to Norbar, asking if they could replace the handle.
They apologised (!) that they could not do that, but offered me a new one at 50% discount! Yes, please! I paid less than that for the old wrench, so it was a bargain!
John ,
(No connection with Norbar, save as a customer)
Last year, I bought a old low-torque bar (5 to 40ft-lbs) from an online auction. It was fine when I checked it, but over the next six months or so, the plastic window that was part of the handle misted over. It wasn't condensation, the plastic had deteriorated somehow, and the setting was unreadable. So I sent it to Norbar, asking if they could replace the handle.
They apologised (!) that they could not do that, but offered me a new one at 50% discount! Yes, please! I paid less than that for the old wrench, so it was a bargain!
John ,
(No connection with Norbar, save as a customer)
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