The end of an era?

[RBHarter]

NASCAR tools are at a whole different level . Those speed wrenches in the pit for tire changes are $1200/ea and are plus or minus 5ftlb to each other per setting .
They piloted torque limiting extension sockets also .

Friction slip clutches are about the only way to get a consistent torque setting .

I've been through the tinsel load thing too .
Wanna see a clip/magazine go around about thread lock/ lube / antiseize ask about wet vs dry torque vs just threads vs just heads and washers vs moly/STP/lubriplate/graphite/copper/30 wt . Friction coefficients vs load vs torque value and it gets complicated after that ....
Kind of like the explanation of why some waxes are better than others in some situations .

 

[fiver]

yeah their air guns are ridiculous.
the ones I'm talking about they use during practice and such right in the garage area.
they are battery operated torque guns.
you can see it down by the guy's left foot.

 

[Bret4207]

My experience has been with wrenching on chainsaws mostly. My little 1/4" PC or Dewalt impacts are fine for taking apart a saw quickly, but all it take is one cracked top cover ($55.00) or a busted head bolt to convince you to run it in slowly and finish with a ratchet and the Mod 1/v1 Torque Elbow as the good Lord intended. That Dewalt was sinking 2" Tap-Con screws into a silo the other day. It's not a 3/4" Snap On Air Impact, but it's got some sand. Consumer/Contractor grade stuff like that isn't anything like the stuff used in any precision industry.

 

[Fiddler]

In my former life I was a Quality Control inspector verifying various parts, tools and gages. Stick with the good quality beam type torque wrenches (unless you have a way to verify accuracy). It was rare that an out of spec. one was found

 

[KeithB]

I love Tap-cons. Always considered them a one-time one-way fastener.

 

[Ian]

Stick with the good quality beam type torque wrenches

Exactly. In the aerospace industry we had a whole department (calibration/certification) dedicated to keeping tools in spec. Adjustments were sealed with potting compound and expiration dates stamped on ID discs riveted to the tools. Torque screwdrivers had a 90-day certification period, immediately voided if dropped. I always thought the clutch-type and click-type torque instruments were selected over beam tools just to give the union guys something to do.

 

[KeithB]

Click/friction type tools compared to beam torque wrenches are like go-nogo gauges compared to a micrometer. It's easier to teach someone how to accurately use a click wrench and quicker to use in practice. They are more consistent from bolt to bolt but probably less accurate than a beam type.

 

[Intheshop]

The deck boys round here all use electric impacts.

Easy day today.....cutting firewood.Weather folks calling for a big snow?If we get 2" I'll be happy,and suprised?Grabbing the 7-08 CB rig and going predator hunting.BW

 

[Bret4207]

I'm kind of surprised at the devotees of the beam type torque wrench's. My first torque wrench was a Western Auto beam type that I ditched when I could afford a Craftsman click type, which shows you how exotic my tool choices get!

 

[Intheshop]

Old Cman tools seem to be the "kicked dog" of sorts whenever the subject comes up.No expert on Cman history or culture other than what "I know".Talking say pre 1990?

Their precision tools are really nice!Along with Lufkin and possibly Federal....we can just say that they're down a tier from B&S,Starrett.Or Snap-on in wrench world.Or Powermatic in woodpecker land.But,do they do the job?Yes,are they finished as nice?Well yes in some cases,but largely no.

I will say,Cman cast iron as in woody woodpecker equipment is NOTICEABLY better dimensionally,machinability,weldable than most higher tier equipment.Just interesting.

Opinion warning;Society loves a good scapegoat.We do it with firearms,who's not questioned M77 accuracy?Remington ills come to mind?Lee moulds anyone?So it's no different for Cman.

 

[Intheshop]

Beam types have a "return to zero" feature,clickers don't.Which as a closet tool designer should be a direction.It's easy to overcomplicate a design... the genius is making it simpler.

 

[Eutectic]

That’s the worst torque method I ever heard of....military or not!

Shank stretch and then loosening and omg I’m getting freaking anxious thinking about it.

If the "torquer" exceeds the elastic limit of the "torque-e" then you're getting into trouble!

Backing off only works in a tight curve!

Pete

 

[KeithB]

As long as you stay within the elastic range of the material the "rotation angle" method of torquing fasteners is perfectly valid and in the case of rusted or high friction materials can be more accurate. The idea of torquing a fastener is to pre-stress the material to approximately 85% of its yield strength. Why? To prevent the working load from causing cyclic stress which fatigues the material. If the cyclic stress does not exceed the preload stress the fastener essentially sees a fixed static stress which does not cause fatigue. Steel will fatigue under cyclic stress to approximately 50% of its original tensile strength. Loose fasteners subjected to a fluctuating load will break under a lower load than properly prestressed fastener.

A torque value assigned to prevent bending or distorting the parts being fastened is a different situation.

 

[RBHarter]

I pulled some 140 ftlb head bolts with a beam wrench , 3 steps on 12 bolts on each head . Yeah I was pretty happy to have a a click wrench the next time ......

 

[Roger Allen]

We had to do a switch gear tank 500kv class where the arcing compartment was 40 bolts at 200 ft lb a piece. Not a single guy on our job weighed 200 lbs. I was the torque wrench guy and my trainee was the guy that held the head of the torque wrench. I had to hang on the torque wrench while I “bounced my weight” to achieve clicks. Thank god mine was a clicker too

 

[RBHarter]

I had forgotten about the Beech , Hartzell prop nut on the E series Continentals . I had the "socket" , 24" breaker bar , a scale and marks at 6" intervals from the center out to 5 ft of cheater .
I'd weigh with and add assorted wrenches for the even 10# (with my 130# self generally up to 150#) and center up at 36" (for this example) and hang to get the 450 ftlb . I hated it when I had to do it 2-3 times to get the track on .....

 

[Intheshop]

Subaru cambelt tension adj swap....I'm paraphrasing,"Don't even think about hitting this with an impact" spelled out in the instructions.I figured that one out.

Another..... Certain late model Triumph M/C's were/are prone to frame cracking.Yeah whatever?But when the frame is stripped there's a little applied sticker,that you'd never see otherwise."Don't even think about welding this".... and I ain't joking on either.

Oh wait,extremely detailed ball/socket arrangements on telelever BMW M/C front ends.Nylon socket steel ball with thread locking agent on a recessed SC,jamb nut assembly designed by Satan himself!Thread locker specs say 360* F or some such drivel which ain't,shot with a temp gun that chit breaks within 5* window.

But the best part.....can't use heat on it?Say what?Very screwed up.Took me a cpl days but figured it out and flipping off BM,tossed that out to the forum guys.That one was fun.

 

[Intheshop]

The Telelever balljoint was SO complicated the assembly line guys were having a hard time setting clearances.... ergo;

Some of these models have stopping distances that set records for shortness.Well,"we'll see about that".... and any self respecting M/C junky proceeds to test it.Yup,antilock... Telelever(no dive braking)... and guys that KNOW how to ride/abuse the snot outta bikes adds up to;ball joints being out of spec.Uhhh,they never WERE "in spec"!

Once their little engineering obstackal got figured out,really brings that Fr end into focus.Oh yeah,BM antilock computer.... Yes Virginia,this is how you do a "stoppy" (stupid M/C stunt) circumventing the computer.We all had fun with that one,well at least after the ball joints got adjusted,bwahaha.

 

[Roger Allen]

Lol. About torquing.....

I have a trainee about 8 yr ago who was first day on the job, turns out he’s a gear head.....figured he would be the smartest one out of all our guys.

Had to put these aluminum leads on a switch gear w aluminum bolts. I said to young pos “hey, not to preach to you about something your prob all to familiar w but this is a torque wrench. It clicks and you stop, it’s set on 26 ft lb so be careful.”

He proceeded to break 3 bolts before I was like “ever use one of those things bud”

Turns out he’s been doing mechanical work longer than I did electrical work but never used a torque wrench.

Only time I ever saw my dad use one was after he broke a aluminum carb on his mustang....then he only ever used one o the carb and nothing else.

 

[fiver]

heck you wanna see messed up front ends try setting the caster angles on an old IH scout or pickup.
there is this little wedge thingy everybody likes to take out when they lift them. [or worse flip it around to get the exact 1.5* angle]
that wedge sets the driver side to 3* caster and leaves the passenger side at 1.5*.
try splaining that to the guy that just finished a 4 hour course on how to operate the new alignment machine but has no front end specifications for an IH in the computer.

now.. if you really like setting the front end perfect but only being able to turn right that's how you go about doing it on one one of those.