This is Why i dont use a torque wrench!!!

and some don't age well.

 

Bolt was probably previously overtorqued, possibly during removal if the threads were stuck from dirt or rust.

Don't blame the tool for a lack of skill.

 

live and learn

 

Mmmhmmm rust has been the demise of many a bolt on my 92 yota pickup and the Mrs. car. Very good point.

 

all truth

 

Calibrate...Anti-seize...And for goodness sakes don't jerk it! (insert joke now)

 

it has been established that torque is important.

Where did you get the torque spec?

I would venture a guess that either the wrench took a dump, or the bolt was trashed.


Usually, they don't just take a dump. I use them every day and the only failures I have ever seen were from hardware. One time did I ever see a torque wrench break hardware, and we later found out one of our new kids dropped it off a 15' stand.

 

stop when it clicks.

 

These ^^^


Using a torque wrench will prevent that from happening.

 

So guys, what's the proper way to store a torque wrench? I have mine in it's case in the toolbox of my truck.

 

However, with anti-seize now you go from a "dry torque" to a "wet torque". What the true spec calls for, dry or wet? Who knows

 

store at the lowest setting. Not below or bottomed out. Id say keep it away from getting ridiculously hot but I wouldnt worry too much about that.

 

Being in aviation for the past 7 years... i've enver heard of a dry or wet torque. Hell we are even aloud to use a chart that has bolt sizes,material and torques. And we put loctite and anti seize on alot of shit.

 

most specs call for dry torque. more often then not wet torque is for items that need to be torqued higher then most tq wrenchs. 500ftlbs wet, translates to like 740dry, so ones easier then another on most tq wrenchs. have you seen the tq wrench i linked to, its out of most peoples price range....

so a 3/8" bolt which calls for 70ft/lbs dry, is actually under MUCH MORE stress if it was torqued wet. generally a 30w oil is the appropriate oil, however any lubricant *wd-40 included *shudders will change the numbers.


I have seen numerous tq wrenchs failed, all mishandled, abused, and jerked. the worst was a 750ftlb 3/4" unit, snapped at the drive, causing the user to fall off of the manlift, fortunately getting caught by his safety strap, but severely wrenching his back.

so many factors. and simply basing a tq spec off of the bolt, and application is horribly inaccurate, UNLESS the chart is provided by the bolt supplier, and they know specifically what material, the grade, density, and thickness of contact area. for example working on a magnesium engine block, a properly torqued bolt to the "sheets" spec would strip it out quick. its all about knowing the right spec for the job.

the first gen taco, for rough example, listed the lower ball joints to be torqued to 96ft lbs, however theyre small bolts, 14mm head, forget shank, and it was a misprint. at 96ft lbs its being stretched. alot, one time use. it actually meant to read 69ft lbs. the difference 20ft/lbs can make is the life of a bolt and not. ask me how i know about the lbj issue. i replaced the entire spindle a year after rocking a larger f11 grade bolt.

All of this can be very overwhelming on something many thought so simple, but there is a science, and doing it right once is the easiest way in the long run. I come accross wheel bearings that are improperly torqued all the time. causing the entire hub to have .050" to .90" of end play. think of the wheels on a semi moving in and out almost an inch....


as far as dirt in threats, oxiziation, rust, other debris, it happens. gotta make sure its cleaned. tapped/died/degreased etc etc.



tl:dr

theres no real quick solution other then getting a up to date service manual, with properly calibrated tq wrench, patience, cleaned mating surfaces, and healthy hardware.

we can argue all day about anti sieze, sand in hardware, etc etc etc but this is it.

 

Loosen it to it's lowest setting and store it in a dry area same as any other ratcheting tool.

 

I could quote almost every post in here.x 2 to all the above... I've been in aviation for 11yrs now.

If your not sure how to use/care a calibrated instrument, research before you use it.

 

And sometimes it takes a little common sense.

There are a few areas in my Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 manual where the given values are incorrect.
Sometimes obvious, other times not, but in all cases it was in the metric conversion.
The Newton/Meters spec is correct, but the imperial conversion uses the incorrect nomenclature or calculation. I've encountered at least 3 locations in the manual where the wrong term was used.

Common sense would dictate that a 10mm fastener threaded into aluminum should not be torqued to 80ft/lbs.

 

It's amazing how many newbies believe that the wrench simply releases at the set torque.

Go beyond the click and you've just got an expensive breaker bar.

 

Yeah actually we have the same issue on our engines, an 8mm bolt on the head goes to 90 in-lbs. You can feel when its tight and some people dont know when to stop. Unfortunately for us that means changing an engine.

 

Yeah, there is def a difference in wet and dry applications. I am just a huge fanboy of anti-seize .
Def don't want to use it on fasteners that you don't expect to remove anytime soon.