Please recommend a reasonably priced torque wrench...

BlueFreedom · **Posted:** Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:08 pm

Please recommend a reasonably priced torque wrench.

I want to start doing more work on the Liberty and
tighten bolts to the proper specs.

Thanks in advance!

Brian

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:14 pm

BlueFreedom wrote:

Please recommend a reasonably priced torque wrench.

I want to start doing more work on the Liberty and
tighten bolts to the proper specs.

Thanks in advance!

Brian

This will work and decent price----http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&pid=00944595000&cat=Mechanics+Tools&subcat=Torque+Wrenches&vertical=TOOL&ihtoken=1----If link doesn't work for some reason just go to sears.com and search for torque wrenchs.

Troysterr · **Posted:** Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:10 pm

I got one of these when it was on sale for $10:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... number=239

Works fine for me, as infrequently as I use it.

PBrug · **Posted:** Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:28 pm

Not to get off track, but do those wrenches need to be calibrated from time to time, or after they are purchased?

65thKJ · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:56 am

I think the dial ones that click need to be calibrated at intervals. I don't think the Beam style need to be calibrated. Unless you go over the torque rating and bend the needle. I would get one of the craftsman ones for ~$30. Can't beat craftsman's lifetime warranty, I always use their stuff.

IndyCRD · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:09 am

Don't know if you have a Harbor Freight tool store nearby, but that is always a good place to find inexpensive tools. Much of the stuff they sell is o.k. quality. I buy stuff there because tool area always getting lost at my house, so it doesn't make sense for me to buy top-of-the-line stuff. A torque wrench isn't one of those things that will get alot of wear, so it would be fine.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:08 am

I have always had good luck w/ the Craftsman ones. I even brought a well used, several year old one to work to check the calibration on it and it was still fine. I had a conversation with the guy checking the cal and he said the HF versions don't hold their cal very well and start to lose it after several uses. He said it had something to do w/ the spring inside being weak. BTW, make sure you always zero out the wrench after every use and only store it at zero or the spring will wear out over time.

chetos · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:56 am

My dad, who is a certified diesel mechanic says his torque wrench of choice is in his wrist. He can tell by the clicks in his wrist when tightening something when it's good. He's the only one who has a HF torque wrench. All the other guys in the shop have expensive ones. He went with HF because Most of the guys hardly ever use them and he's only used his once. I then asked him, "What happens as me the customer is told by you the mechanic that whoever changed my oil the last time stripped the threads on the oil pan." "When I the customer know that it was not stripped because I changed my oil and never over tighten." He gave me this look... :roll:

... and said that guys like that at the shop don't last very long. I am a craftsman snob and will buy the $70 one when I find the funds and it will probably sit in my tool cabinet being used only once and my dad will tease me about it. Oh well....

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:23 am

chetos wrote:

My dad, who is a certified diesel mechanic says his torque wrench of choice is in his wrist. He can tell by the clicks in his wrist when tightening something when it's good. He's the only one who has a HF torque wrench. All the other guys in the shop have expensive ones. He went with HF because Most of the guys hardly ever use them and he's only used his once. I then asked him, "What happens as me the customer is told by you the mechanic that whoever changed my oil the last time stripped the threads on the oil pan." "When I the customer know that it was not stripped because I changed my oil and never over tighten." He gave me this look... :roll:

... and said that guys like that at the shop don't last very long. I am a craftsman snob and will buy the $70 one when I find the funds and it will probably sit in my tool cabinet being used only once and my dad will tease me about it. Oh well....

I to use my "calibrated" arm but when rebuilding engines,trannies,transfers,and diffs I use a torque wrench because if you don't torque to specs it could cause early failure.I have 3 torque wrenches,one 1/2" drive craftsman(normal uses),one 1/2" drive snap-on(precise uses),and one 3/8" drive snap-on(precise uses).I also check the calibration on them when ever I can(back in SD the snap-on guy does it for free).Again this type of tool is a "you get what you pay for" tool,yes many will not need those high price ones for the once a year uses but at least get a quaility one.It's sad the even the US military buy's crappy torque wrench's so that's why I use my own and I have never had a engine,tranny,or diff go bad that I have rebuilt due to under/over torqueing of fasteners.Just my 2 cents though.

dirtykj · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:58 am

I have the larger Craftsman. Sears has a smaller one (#00944593000) that goes up to 250 ft-lb but I believe that has issues. I was able to click it with my thumb and I'm pretty sure my thumb can't exert 250 ft-lb of force ... I returned that smaller Craftsman torque wrench and tried out another one at a different store and it was the same thing. I dunno.

The larger Craftsman torque wrench (#00944595000) costs $65. That's what I use.

unixxx · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:47 am

I have four torque wrenches and look up the specs in the service manual every time I install a bolt. I'm pretty OCD. :roll:

The Craftsman Professional torque wrenches are pretty cool because they're certified calibrated. You might be able to get Sears to calibrate any of their torque wrenches for free if you're nice enough.

dirtykj, the #00944593000 was easy to click because it's an inch pound wrench

dirtykj · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:53 am

You know ... yeah the page says it's in-lb

At the time I bought it I could have sworn I looked for ft-lb. Oh well.

Nooooowwwwww I see what I've done here ...... haha. Anyway, I like mine and I'm keeping it. The professional series are quite a bit more expensive.

(It probably goes without saying that if you see me carrying tools, run away, very very fast).

Skipperb · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 12:03 pm

Pep Boys
they had a sale the other day ((12.00)) it was at Northern for 42.00
we checked it with my fathers shop Twrinch and it clicked at 1 pound over his.good fron 10 to 230 and after that it got off more and more.
1/2 drive looks just like Harborfreight one.

unixxx · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:34 pm

For typical Liberty modifications and repairs, you'll probably get the most use from a torque wrench with similar specifications to this one:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product. ... 0944595000

Drive: 1/2"
Range: 20-150 lb-ft

This one is also helpful for some things because it goes down to 2 lb-ft and stops where the larger one begins at 20 lb-ft:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product. ... 0944593000

Drive: 3/8"
Range: 25-250 lb-in

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:34 pm

The torque wrench depends on what you're tightening

If you're doing general wheels, suspension type stuff the Harbor Freight, Pep boys should be fine.

If you're tightening clamps on bearing surfaces - i.e. main and rod bolts on an engine - get at least the Sears, better yet a Snap-on if you can - and look for a bolt stretch gauge.

Please recommend a reasonably priced torque wrench...

Who is online