torque wrench recommendation

[joefromperry]

I'm looking at possibly purchasing a torque wrench that would allow me to remove and replace my wheels, meaning capability of around 500 ft-lbs or more. The pneumatic ones sound interesting, as I'm not strong enough to take a 4 foot manual torque wrench to 500 ft-lbs. A question, though, is how does one control a pneumatic wrench to stop at 450 ft-lbs? I'm thinking maybe something like this: www.vevor.com:.webloc

[Tony G.]

Use one of these.

 

Steelman 3/4-Inch Drive 475 ft-lb Torque Extension for Impact Wrench, 10-inch Extension, Corrosion-Resistant Powder-Coated Steel, Yellow https://a.co/d/6indzZl

[joefromperry]

50 minutes ago, Tony G. said:

Use one of these.

 

Steelman 3/4-Inch Drive 475 ft-lb Torque Extension for Impact Wrench, 10-inch Extension, Corrosion-Resistant Powder-Coated Steel, Yellow https://a.co/d/6indzZl

Thank you, Tony. I've never used one of these. I have this Ridgid 1/2" high torque impact wrench; will it work with it? How does this work? Sorry for my ignorance. Thanks. https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/18v-octane-brushless-1-2-inch-high-torque-6-mode-impact-wrench-r86211b

[Jdw12345]

It might be hard to find a torque stick with 450 foot pounds of torque in a 1/2” drive, you might end up getting a 3/4” impact to do the job. I use a 3/4” air impact and a 4’ long torque wrench on my wheels. 

[joefromperry]

1 minute ago, Jdw12345 said:

It might be hard to find a torque stick with 450 foot pounds of torque in a 1/2” drive, you might end up getting a 3/4” impact to do the job. I use a 3/4” air impact and a 4’ long torque wrench on my wheels. 

I have a 1/2" to 3/4" impact adapter. Would that not work?

 

[Benjamin]

An impact wrench torque limiting adapter is a rough estimation of torque, it will transmit more torque with a larger impact gun than it will with a smaller impact gun.  I would GUESS, with a battery impact, the amount of torque transmitted through them will vary depending on the charge and temp of the battery, maybe even the temp of the torque stick.  I say guess, because the impact will have the same mechanism hitting whether the battery is weak or strong, unlike different guns that I know will put different torque through a torque stick. 

I would try to make a manual torque wrench, or even just a breaker bar or ratchet, easier to use.  An adjustable prop that holds the pivot head steady will make it much easier to torque and remove lug nuts.  500ft/lbs at 4' is only 125 pounds, if that's too much, then use a 4' cheater pipe to get out to 7' where it will be 70 pounds.  If that's still too much, probably time to call a service truck. 

edit:  The impact will work great for doing most of the work, then torque them by hand.  If you have access to help or the right tools, you can do an experiment and see if the sticks are accurate enough by checking with a torque wrench after they're tightened. 

If you spend a lot more money, the better milwaukee impacts can dial in the torque, you'd have to investigate if that is accurate enough for you, and if you're willing to pay the price.  I know the nuts are a lot more likely to get checked after the first 50 miles if it's a battery impact instead of a torque wrench, stand, and cheater pipe.

Edited January 9 by Benjamin

[cbr046]

I took a different approach.  I bought the longest breaker I could find.  40" was barely enough so I bought a torque multiplier to get to 600 ft lbs (you never know how much the last air wrench guy torqued them to, or if the bolts are frozen).  I added an extension for the rear wheels.  For re-torquing I bought a digital torque gauge.  This way I have flexibility for other "projects".

Remember those tires are 120 lbs.  Better have a method of getting the tire on / off.  You can raise the coach with levelers until the axle is light, then use a floor jack to adjust the wheel off the ground.  Also use a pry bar to shimmy the wheel into place. 

I'll add sources when I get home in a few hours.

edit - Here are the items I bought -

40" 3/4 drive "Flex" breaker bar - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005G7QGD2/  (Currently unavailable).  I didn't realize it was "flex" and it definitely flexes.  Go with the "Newer Item Available".  Can handle up to 1300 ft lbs. 

3/4 drive Digital Torque Gauge - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079CN87WJ/  Has a beeper to let you know when your reach the torque setting, can work clockwise or counter-clockwise, Nm, ft-lbs, kg-m, etc.  It says 442 ft lbs max . . . . but 1000Nm = 737 ft lbs.  I did pay that much, too.  You might look at another, like the Nieko brand - https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-20743A-Digital-Adapter-Foot-Pound/dp/B009GLITFW/  (much less expensive, too).

Torque Multiplier - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GQ3PZ8/  VERY expensive, and I bought it for the steering box bolts, that I finally gave up on (access is an issue and it's very cold out), but it will make lug nuts EZ PZ.  But one thing - it's 3/4 drive in, 1" drive out.  You'll need to either use 1" extensions and sockets or use an adapter. 

Extras - 3/4 (or 1") Drive Extensions, 33 mm (or 1 5/16") socket, adapters, etc.  I thought this was a nice adapter combo - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C9Z33XY1/  and bought this handy ratcheting adapter last month that suddenly is "no longer available" - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MME7H2Q/ - Only 10 reviews, maybe it'll break with first use.  

@joefromperry I'm not saying this is what anyone should buy / do, just what the solution that I thought was best for me. 

- bob

Edited January 9 by cbr046

[joefromperry]

25 minutes ago, Benjamin said:

An impact wrench torque limiting adapter is a rough estimation of torque, it will transmit more torque with a larger impact gun than it will with a smaller impact gun.  I would GUESS, with a battery impact, the amount of torque transmitted through them will vary depending on the charge and temp of the battery, maybe even the temp of the torque stick.  I say guess, because the impact will have the same mechanism hitting whether the battery is weak or strong, unlike different guns that I know will put different torque through a torque stick. 

I would try to make a manual torque wrench, or even just a breaker bar or ratchet, easier to use.  An adjustable prop that holds the pivot head steady will make it much easier to torque and remove lug nuts.  500ft/lbs at 4' is only 125 pounds, if that's too much, then use a 4' cheater pipe to get out to 7' where it will be 70 pounds.  If that's still too much, probably time to call a service truck. 

edit:  The impact will work great for doing most of the work, then torque them by hand.  If you have access to help or the right tools, you can do an experiment and see if the sticks are accurate enough by checking with a torque wrench after they're tightened. 

If you spend a lot more money, the better milwaukee impacts can dial in the torque, you'd have to investigate if that is accurate enough for you, and if you're willing to pay the price.  I know the nuts are a lot more likely to get checked after the first 50 miles if it's a battery impact instead of a torque wrench, stand, and cheater pipe.

Thank you, Ben. I'm thinking I could probably pull/push 125 pounds. That said, I thought a cheater bar could/should not be used with a torque wrench; is that not accurate?

[Jdw12345]

2 hours ago, joefromperry said:

I have a 1/2" to 3/4" impact adapter. Would that not work?

 

No I don’t believe so, I don’t think it will give you the proper torque you want. If you’re going to buy an electric impact, Milwaukee (and other brands) make a 1” electric impact, I think I would lean that way if you want to buy tools. It’s expensive to tool up to do tires and wheels but if you’re going to do the work yourself buy once cry once, jmo!

[joefromperry]

21 minutes ago, cbr046 said:

I took a different approach.  I bought the longest breaker I could find.  40" was barely enough so I bought a torque multiplier to get to 600 ft lbs (you never know how much the last air wrench guy torqued them to, or if the bolts are frozen).  I added an extension for the rear wheels.  For re-torquing I bought a digital torque gauge.  This way I have flexibility for other "projects".

Remember those tires are 120 lbs.  Better have a method of getting the tire on / off.  You can raise the coach with levelers until the axle is light, then use a floor jack to adjust the wheel off the ground.  Also use a pry bar to shimmy the wheel into place. 

I'll add sources when I get home in a few hours.

- bob

Thank you,  Bob. My son and son-in-law do almost all of my heavy lifting.

 

2 minutes ago, Jdw12345 said:

No I don’t believe so, I don’t think it will give you the proper torque you want. If you’re going to buy an electric impact, Milwaukee (and other brands) make a 1” electric impact, I think I would lean that way if you want to buy tools. It’s expensive to tool up to do tires and wheels but if you’re going to do the work yourself buy once cry once, jmo!

Thanks, Jeff. I'm looking at all options.

 

[cowpoke]

I go about this a completely different way from years of experience in the trucking industry. I carry the tire repair plugs in case of a leak I can put a plug in and usually can make it to a tire shop, and most times it never leaks again. You have a good air supply from your coach,  so its plug and go. You may be saying, what if I have a front tire blow out? If you do, you're probably going to need to call a tire shop, but in all the years of running semi's I've never had a front tire blow out, I've had them on the drivers and most of the time able to limp into a tire shop----this is strictly my take on all this. I won't even consider carrying a spare for the coach---I'm loaded down enough, but we all have our own way of doing things.

[joefromperry]

18 minutes ago, cowpoke said:

I go about this a completely different way from years of experience in the trucking industry. I carry the tire repair plugs in case of a leak I can put a plug in and usually can make it to a tire shop, and most times it never leaks again. You have a good air supply from your coach,  so its plug and go. You may be saying, what if I have a front tire blow out? If you do, you're probably going to need to call a tire shop, but in all the years of running semi's I've never had a front tire blow out, I've had them on the drivers and most of the time able to limp into a tire shop----this is strictly my take on all this. I won't even consider carrying a spare for the coach---I'm loaded down enough, but we all have our own way of doing things.

Thank you,  Dexter. The stuff I'm talking about here is pretty much for me in the yard. Anything happening on the road,  I'd probably call my roadside assistance.

[cowpoke]

Yup, I hear ya

[Paul Busch]

I have a German made GEDORE RAHSOL DREMOMETER type D 100-550 3/4” torque wrench I won’t be using any more. 

I can make you a great deal on if you are interested? I can’t remember but I think it was a couple thousand new and I just paid a few hundred back in 2012 to have it recalibrated. It is very accurate. I used it with a 3/4” breaker bar and a piece of 2” x 3’ pipe to work. It is 32”s long.

Around thanksgiving I had a stroke and lost the sight in my right eye. I will be putting my coach up for sale along with a bunch of stuff like this. I always enjoyed fixing things myself but mostly saving money and knowing that it was done right. Let me know if you are interested.

paul busch

[Benjamin]

1 hour ago, joefromperry said:

Thank you, Ben. I'm thinking I could probably pull/push 125 pounds. That said, I thought a cheater bar could/should not be used with a torque wrench; is that not accurate?

Yes, you're right.  Many torque wrenches you can't use an extension or cheater pipe, because it will change the reading or damage the finish.  If the torque is measured at the handle end, you can't extend, and that's hard to tell sometimes.  The adjustment can be at the handle and still measure the torque at the nut, just hard to explain easily how to tell. 

Depending on where they bend, some can use a cheater pipe.  The German one above comes with extensions, and as long as you stay within the rating, then you can add 20' of extension and that might be enough weight to provide the torque, that one bends at the nut, so it can't tell if there's a gorilla at 2' or a little girl at 10'. 

[joefromperry]

14 minutes ago, Benjamin said:

  The German one above comes with extensions, and as long as you stay within the rating, then you can add 20' of extension and that might be enough weight to provide the torque, that one bends at the nut, so it can't tell if there's a gorilla at 2' or a little girl at 10'. 

I don't see a German one.  EDIT: I do now

 

Edited January 9 by joefromperry

[Paul Busch]

I built my torque wrench up in 2places with about an inch of electrical tape so those. We’re where the pipe extension comes in contact with it..

paul

[joefromperry]

25 minutes ago, Paul Busch said:

I have a German made GEDORE RAHSOL DREMOMETER type D 100-550 3/4” torque wrench I won’t be using any more. 

I can make you a great deal on if you are interested? I can’t remember but I think it was a couple thousand new and I just paid a few hundred back in 2012 to have it recalibrated. It is very accurate. I used it with a 3/4” breaker bar and a piece of 2” x 3’ pipe to work. It is 32”s long.

Around thanksgiving I had a stroke and lost the sight in my right eye. I will be putting my coach up for sale along with a bunch of stuff like this. I always enjoyed fixing things myself but mostly saving money and knowing that it was done right. Let me know if you are interested.

paul busch

I am very sorry to hear about your stroke, Paul. Thank you for the offer, but although I am interested, I'm pretty sure it's way beyond what I should spend for a tool I would use infrequently.

[Paul Busch]

I really don’t need much for it. Shipping would be a little. I am in Lake Geneva wi area trying to get ready for winter. The stroke is a setback but it came out of a fib which could have been much worse and a wake up call to pay attention. I had planned on going somewhere warm and now I am preparing for winter but life’s plenty good.😊

[joefromperry]

4 hours ago, Paul Busch said:

I really don’t need much for it. Shipping would be a little. I am in Lake Geneva wi area trying to get ready for winter. The stroke is a setback but it came out of a fib which could have been much worse and a wake up call to pay attention. I had planned on going somewhere warm and now I am preparing for winter but life’s plenty good.😊

Can I email you, Paul? My email is jwlorekjr@gmail.com. Thanks.

Joe

 

[geomoto]

When tightening the rears the socket and long extension are difficult to keep in line with the lug nuts.

I cut a few notches in a 2×6 and found it to work very well. 

[dl_racing427]

18 hours ago, geomoto said:

When tightening the rears the socket and long extension are difficult to keep in line with the lug nuts.

I cut a few notches in a 2×6 and found it to work very well. 

That's a great idea.  Keep it simple. 😎

On 1/9/2024 at 2:29 PM, Paul Busch said:

I really don’t need much for it. Shipping would be a little. I am in Lake Geneva wi area trying to get ready for winter. The stroke is a setback but it came out of a fib which could have been much worse and a wake up call to pay attention. I had planned on going somewhere warm and now I am preparing for winter but life’s plenty good.😊

Paul,  If Joe doesn't want it, please PM me.  I'm interested.

Thanks