I've just bought a torque bar from Halfords, but I'm not sure it works properly.

I understand that wheel nuts should be between 78 and 98Nm (or something like that). However, with Halfords Torque bar set to 10Nm, it is possible to undo all the nuts on my wheels (the torque bar is reverable, so as I understand it, the bar should not be able to turn a load that is greater than the setting you have chosen). I tried this with Halfords lowest rated torque bar.

I'm probably missing something here (in the brain dept no doubt) but would appreciate someone explaining this to me - oh, and feel free to throw in some nuts jokes.

Thanks

 

Hi there,

Torque wrenchs arent reversable for the torque setting.

ie: Normally they act as a solid bar for undoing.. and a torque wrench for tightening.


Hence you could set the bar to 10 and lift the car using it when undoing nuts.

J.

 

Not too tight, depends if you want Children in the future. Best to use Boxers since these give plenty of air flow!

 

I thought tightness of nuts may have had something to do with how fast you go into how steep a corner...

 

Firefox,
I was expecting the bar to be as you've described (you wouldn't want a nut stuck on because your torque rating wasn't enough, but the halfords models are definately reversable. With the torque set to 200Nm, you can turn the socket one way without resistance, so the other way should give 200Nm of resitance. To reverse, you remove the socket, and put it in the other side - the resistence is then in the opposite direction. However, as I described, set to a minimum of 10Nm, it was still enough to undo all nuts, and probably overtighten them too. I must be missing something.

Colin and Moray,
I knew I wouldn't be let down

 

No nuts jokes, but I have the said Torque Wrench from Halfords (though I have their more-power highest rated one )... works fine.

It is reversable just as Triggaaar has said (i.e. remove socket and put it on the other way)... I guess to allow checking of torque without inadvertantly over tightening your nuts? ( ).

Perhaps the one you have is defective? If not and you were actually able to remove your nuts ( ) at 10Nm, something is not right! (Sorry for the highly technical reasoning there... )

Either go back to Halfords and try a different one, or get a garage to tighten the nuts to the correct level (80ish+) and see if you are still able to undo them...

I doubt you are missing anything... they are easy to use, even for me!


Matthew

 

Trigaar, are you getting a "click" from the torque wrench? as that is the signal it has reached the torque set. If you have unwound it all the way chances are you won't hear a click at all though, try setting it 20 lb/ft (can't use metric for torque) then tighten a wheel nut, you should feel and hear a click before the nut starts to turn.

Move up through the torque settings to find out by how much the garage has over torqued your nuts, second thoughts don't as you can easily end up ******** nuts/studs.

Loosen off all your nuts then tighten to hand tight (normal socket and ratchet) with the wheel off the ground, tightening opposite nuts until all are tight, each nut should be done at least twice, then go round with the torque wrench at 20-30 lb/ft or so, again tightening opposite nuts, finally go round all the nuts at the setting for your car.

IMPORTANT NOTE :- Most people I have seen do not how to use a torque wrench (including all the people I have seen tighten nuts in tyre garages) You tighten the nut until you feel / hear it click AND NO FURTHUR, the difference in angle between 60 and 120 lb/ft can be as small as 20 degrees.
Over tightening is just as bad as undertightening, and can be worse/more expensive, pulled out studs instead of loose nuts etc.

p.s. always remember to loosen off your torque wrench all the way when storing

 

Matt, Paul - I actually tried two from Halfords before deciding which rating I needed - I didn't hear either of them click, but that's probably my fault - I wasn't expecting a click, I was expecting them to just fail to tighten after a certain force.

When undoing the nuts, I'd expect the click before they come loose. I don't think a garage has over torqued them at all, it's just that I'll be changing wheels regularly on track, and want to do it properly myself.

Mme, the most people you've seen sound like me. I'll have another go tomorrow. I hope I haven't knackered them already!

Thanks all

 

Triggaaar,
Wouldn't worry too much about knackering anything, some installation are particulaly sensitive though e.g. some Caterham should be set to around 40 lb/ft, at 65 lb/ft you can pull out the studs.

p.s. Moray thats not tightness, thats size your thinking of

[This message has been edited by Paul Wilson (edited 29 August 2000).]

 

i've heard different torques on the wheel nuts can cause disks to warp on Commodores and Subarus.
I know someone with a RS Legacy that was having heaps of problems with disks... as soon as he started torquing the wheel nuts they all went away..