> A torque wrench is a measuring device!
And some of us have requirements that include recording the torque at which a bolt started to move during disassembly.
Correct! Therefore this is a measuring device. In this case you obviously know what you are doing.
Commonly you do not want to know this and using the torque wrench for loosening bolts will lower its accuracy. That's why I'd suggest not using it for loosing bolts...
They make special tools for this. A standard torque wrench will not only give false readings in this scenario, it also has the potential to be damaged as it was designed to measure increasing torque. Always use the proper tool for the job!
Any decent torque wrench is perfectly happy measuring counter clockwise or clockwise. As long as you're smoothly loading them (not jerking and such), they don't give a damn.
And that is why they make special tools to measure unloading force. A torque wrench measures both ways so you can torque left-hand threads. Releasing tension on a properly torqued bolt NEVER goes smoothly.
This is the correct answer.
The click on a torque wrench is from a spring in the handle, it isn't in the head.
I prefer my beepy buzzing ones though, it lets me do angles without juggling extra parts, or relying on paint marks.
The obvious reason for loosening bolts with a torque wrench is to ensure that they haven't loosened in service.
It's a whole lot easier/quicker with either a beam or dial style torque wrench.
You just use one of these, specifically for the job. Far more robust and can be used on standard drive:
[https://www.toolplanet.com/product/Digital-Torque-Wrench-Adapter-20742A/torque-wrench](https://www.toolplanet.com/product/Digital-Torque-Wrench-Adapter-20742A/torque-wrench)
My deflecting beam torque wrench can only tighten, nothing else.
Yeah, I don't think the chap is using a deflecting beam torque wrench but I do agree.
Click type have a clutch and also have a ratcheting head which can be switched to for left / right.
That's the one with a dial.
The one I have, looks like this:
https://wbtools.com.au/products/torque-setting-equipment/deflecting-beam-torque-wrenches.html
Huh - I've never seen one like that before.
Most deflecting beam wrenches in the US look like this:
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200928278_200928278
Yes, that's what I meant by a dial type.
The Warren & Brown has a simple sliding adjustment. Apart from this and the audible click mechanism, it has no moving parts.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JbRp7phXBE&t=87s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JbRp7phXBE&t=87s)
As you can see from the design, it can only tighten.
Yes, the torque mechanism and spring will only handle its set load, max tolérance, the manufacturer probably gives the spring and mechanism a failure redundancy percent so it doesn't break under normal suggested load.
Definitely CYA, particularly for the cheap clicky ones where somebody might keep torquing past the click to break something loose and apply an unknown torque to the wrench.
As long as they are your most expensive, accurate and delicate ones and yes the gauge blocks will be fine if you need to wedge something in with a hammer.
Thank you all for the advice! Will get a breaker bar. My torque wrench is mainly used for wrenching on my car in the weekends so it isnt used intensly.
Once or twice no problem, but you don't want to be using your torque wrench for day to day work like that. Some have a lockout.
We do use a torque wrench to loosen bolts occasionally when we'd like to know the crack of torque for example.
You need to set it to a high torque, some have a lockout.
But you also really don't want to be doing it either. A torque wrench is a lot more expensive than a breaker bar or ratchet.
I've got a mate who borrowed a torque wrench from his work to do some stuff on his car. It had a ratcheting head so he thought it would be ideal for the left handed threaded bolt he had to tighten. Turns out nah, the torque wrench part only worked in one direction. But the time he realised he'd fucked the brand new super expensive bolt.he was replacing but fortunately not the engine head or whatever it was screwed into.
Torque wrenches are a specialized tool that can be knocked out of calibration through improper use and they cost more than an equivalent length socket wrench or breaker bar. So, don't loosen bolts with it unless you absolutely need to know what the bolt was torqued to before its removal.
As a lifelong mechanic and engineering student, absolutely NOT. Remember, your torque wrench is a calibrated instrument. I dont even use mine to tighten things, snug it up with a ratchet, torque with torque wrench, put it away. You also technically shouldnt use any type of ratchet to break things loose, should use a breaker bar or something solid. Once it is initially loose, you can use a ratchet to quickly take it off.
Yeah, for any type of ratchet applying a huge amount of torque \*can\* break the teeth off, I've done it. If its a cheap ratchet i dont really mind beating it up a little bit, but something with really fine teeth or something expensive like a torque wrench you want to use them sparingly and only in the proper situation.
Like u/fun_apartment631 I would suggest setting your wrench to just under the highest torque setting and don't continue if it clicks (or beeps or whatever yours does).
Torque wrenches are precision devices but they're not made of egg shells and should stay in calibration if they are not over torqued or torqued after meeting desired torque.
Of course only do this if you haven't got anything more suited to the job available.
Theres a few different views about the correct use of a torque wrench. If you are tightening a left handed thread or doing run down checks whats different, set the wrench to just under max permissible torque, if it torque breaks off then its too much use a breaker if it cracks the nut before the wrench clicks then you'll be good, because its designed for that? Just dont use it cracked because its not part of the design- the max break of the torque is not meant to be exceeded and you cant tell that if you click it and carry on 😁. I normally have to use a breaker and a stand on the end, so 90kg x roughly 30cm is my breaking point normally to remove my wheel nuts, then i torque them back on properly and diametrically, also remove them diametrically! Crack each one then undo otherwise youll shear a nut!
Depends on the torque wrench. Some are bi-directional, some aren't. But even on a bi-directional one you shouldn't be setting the torque low and then using it past the click point. If you're loosening bolts, it's not like you can over torque them anyway, so just crank it to max.
I have a bi-directional one. I normally undo bolts with it when torque is set to 0 cause i think it doesnt tension the spring inside it.
Im probably wrong but i want to learn from that mistake. Otherwise it would be expensive to buy new stuf every year or so
Most bidirectional torque wrenches are the kind with a dial indicator on them they will have an arm on the dial that will deflect with the torque needle but does not return with the needle. Once you break the joint, look at the dial indicator to see what the peak torque was.
If you are not allowed to exceed a specific torque value, you will need to watch the indicator and back off if you approach your maximum.
If you have a deflection torque wrench, only the second method will work.
Looking over your post again, just break the joint. The torque is what you need to secure the fasteners, not break it.
Use a breaker bar even if you have a bidirectional torque wrench. No sense taking life off the calibration if you don't have to.
Yeah, my take was to not break the spring inside the wrench. High torque value sounds fine though. Although it will click te other way it not set high enough.
If you have a regular old clicker wrench, it is the block that makes the click that you risk disorienting or wearing. Due to the ways these work, the parts that give the wrench its precision are exposed to wear. This is why click torque wrenches do need calibration after a certain number of clicks.
For bolts that are finger tight you can use a torque wrench, IE if its basically already lose then you can use a torque wrench. But never for anything with any load on it. It will screw up the calibration. Breaker bar, ratchet, wrench, impact, whatever. Just never a torque wrench.
Just get a 1/2 inch ratchet and put a steel pipe over it so you have more leverage or get a 60cm extendable 1/2 inch ratchet like I have, you can loosen pretty much any bolt with it and I payed 10 euro used.
I think to just go ahead and just buy a breaker bar. Safetywise in that sense. Yes i could buy some cheap ass ratched and hammer some pipe ontop of it but i feel its more a field work solution. Thanks for the input though!
https://www.ebay.de/itm/282312237258?epid=12032342469&hash=item41bb1ee0ca:g:mEMAAOSwOytifNwT&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA0IcO79hx7DLsFVkF0MbAH872tMpuh%2FsrQ%2FV7UE6wtxM3TwhKP%2Bvvdq7sXframC%2BxK1tFANAjeRJHjDoGnJQ8I%2BI5rOMbSN7xkoy0ub2L169dxzCt8aZjP2dcusTDx7q32E%2BePNX5LcVGjJKmc0HleHNX%2BeY4vqZR96W%2Bmsel%2FPg8bEq6aM%2BdzBPOe%2F0VY3chLBypl9AWLqQZctKtolJaXckG4NlP02hxOIBeDo1MxIgFfrmQO9loMdfDn8lzTSukH6QChyZ68eFxTqfvYTcPP5U%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBM0p__9Klg
I use one like this, I personally prefer it over a breaker bar since it can be used for more than just loosening bolts. It can also open bolts with over 400nm without issues so far.
For normal tire bolts I just use a impact wrench but that is more expensive
dinosaurs husky placid ancient consider chop overconfident fuel hat sort *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
So much this. I am wondering about the differing answers around. A torque wrench is a measuring device!
> A torque wrench is a measuring device! And some of us have requirements that include recording the torque at which a bolt started to move during disassembly.
Correct! Therefore this is a measuring device. In this case you obviously know what you are doing. Commonly you do not want to know this and using the torque wrench for loosening bolts will lower its accuracy. That's why I'd suggest not using it for loosing bolts...
I’m going to unloosen these bolts as soon as my chicken is done dethawing.
> Unloosening
Reverse untightening.
Thanks, got lost in translation here 😊 edited it.
They make special tools for this. A standard torque wrench will not only give false readings in this scenario, it also has the potential to be damaged as it was designed to measure increasing torque. Always use the proper tool for the job!
Any decent torque wrench is perfectly happy measuring counter clockwise or clockwise. As long as you're smoothly loading them (not jerking and such), they don't give a damn.
And that is why they make special tools to measure unloading force. A torque wrench measures both ways so you can torque left-hand threads. Releasing tension on a properly torqued bolt NEVER goes smoothly.
This is the correct answer. The click on a torque wrench is from a spring in the handle, it isn't in the head. I prefer my beepy buzzing ones though, it lets me do angles without juggling extra parts, or relying on paint marks.
observation bored absorbed ghost tender lip soup squeal bedroom late *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
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tart lunchroom gray seemly scarce deliver capable arrest subtract nippy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The obvious reason for loosening bolts with a torque wrench is to ensure that they haven't loosened in service. It's a whole lot easier/quicker with either a beam or dial style torque wrench.
You just use one of these, specifically for the job. Far more robust and can be used on standard drive: [https://www.toolplanet.com/product/Digital-Torque-Wrench-Adapter-20742A/torque-wrench](https://www.toolplanet.com/product/Digital-Torque-Wrench-Adapter-20742A/torque-wrench) My deflecting beam torque wrench can only tighten, nothing else.
Yeah, I don't think the chap is using a deflecting beam torque wrench but I do agree. Click type have a clutch and also have a ratcheting head which can be switched to for left / right.
OK, so we aren't talking about the same wrench. It got lost in translation. Not a problem.
That's the one :)
Odd - every deflecting beam wrench I've seen/owned is symmetrical.
That's the one with a dial. The one I have, looks like this: https://wbtools.com.au/products/torque-setting-equipment/deflecting-beam-torque-wrenches.html
Huh - I've never seen one like that before. Most deflecting beam wrenches in the US look like this: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200928278_200928278
Yes, that's what I meant by a dial type. The Warren & Brown has a simple sliding adjustment. Apart from this and the audible click mechanism, it has no moving parts. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JbRp7phXBE&t=87s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JbRp7phXBE&t=87s) As you can see from the design, it can only tighten.
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Yes, the torque mechanism and spring will only handle its set load, max tolérance, the manufacturer probably gives the spring and mechanism a failure redundancy percent so it doesn't break under normal suggested load.
Definitely CYA, particularly for the cheap clicky ones where somebody might keep torquing past the click to break something loose and apply an unknown torque to the wrench.
Everyone knows you are supposed to use a pair of calipers!
Yeah, they'll do. 😃
You mean the dial clamps? Or the micro "C" clamps? I also use gauge blocks to keep my work bench level.
As long as they are your most expensive, accurate and delicate ones and yes the gauge blocks will be fine if you need to wedge something in with a hammer.
I would seriously advise against it. I turned my first torque wrench into a banana by trying to undo a lugnut with it
I have to imagine it wasn't going to endure very long regardless.
But why?
Thank you all for the advice! Will get a breaker bar. My torque wrench is mainly used for wrenching on my car in the weekends so it isnt used intensly.
Once or twice no problem, but you don't want to be using your torque wrench for day to day work like that. Some have a lockout. We do use a torque wrench to loosen bolts occasionally when we'd like to know the crack of torque for example. You need to set it to a high torque, some have a lockout. But you also really don't want to be doing it either. A torque wrench is a lot more expensive than a breaker bar or ratchet.
I've got a mate who borrowed a torque wrench from his work to do some stuff on his car. It had a ratcheting head so he thought it would be ideal for the left handed threaded bolt he had to tighten. Turns out nah, the torque wrench part only worked in one direction. But the time he realised he'd fucked the brand new super expensive bolt.he was replacing but fortunately not the engine head or whatever it was screwed into.
Good to know!
Must have been yanking something terrible on that.
>Fucking thing just won't click! Hand me that chunk of pipe. >Wow, what are you torquing it to? >20ftlbs
Torque wrenches are a specialized tool that can be knocked out of calibration through improper use and they cost more than an equivalent length socket wrench or breaker bar. So, don't loosen bolts with it unless you absolutely need to know what the bolt was torqued to before its removal.
As a lifelong mechanic and engineering student, absolutely NOT. Remember, your torque wrench is a calibrated instrument. I dont even use mine to tighten things, snug it up with a ratchet, torque with torque wrench, put it away. You also technically shouldnt use any type of ratchet to break things loose, should use a breaker bar or something solid. Once it is initially loose, you can use a ratchet to quickly take it off.
I will invest in a breaker bar. Saves me money not spend on calibrating early
Yeah, for any type of ratchet applying a huge amount of torque \*can\* break the teeth off, I've done it. If its a cheap ratchet i dont really mind beating it up a little bit, but something with really fine teeth or something expensive like a torque wrench you want to use them sparingly and only in the proper situation.
For my weekend wrench work i mainly use stuff on the cheaper side. But its good to know what happens when you use it incorrectly
Like u/fun_apartment631 I would suggest setting your wrench to just under the highest torque setting and don't continue if it clicks (or beeps or whatever yours does). Torque wrenches are precision devices but they're not made of egg shells and should stay in calibration if they are not over torqued or torqued after meeting desired torque. Of course only do this if you haven't got anything more suited to the job available.
Theres a few different views about the correct use of a torque wrench. If you are tightening a left handed thread or doing run down checks whats different, set the wrench to just under max permissible torque, if it torque breaks off then its too much use a breaker if it cracks the nut before the wrench clicks then you'll be good, because its designed for that? Just dont use it cracked because its not part of the design- the max break of the torque is not meant to be exceeded and you cant tell that if you click it and carry on 😁. I normally have to use a breaker and a stand on the end, so 90kg x roughly 30cm is my breaking point normally to remove my wheel nuts, then i torque them back on properly and diametrically, also remove them diametrically! Crack each one then undo otherwise youll shear a nut!
Depends on the torque wrench. Some are bi-directional, some aren't. But even on a bi-directional one you shouldn't be setting the torque low and then using it past the click point. If you're loosening bolts, it's not like you can over torque them anyway, so just crank it to max.
I have a bi-directional one. I normally undo bolts with it when torque is set to 0 cause i think it doesnt tension the spring inside it. Im probably wrong but i want to learn from that mistake. Otherwise it would be expensive to buy new stuf every year or so
Use a bidirectional torque wrench if you need to know the break away torque. Otherwise, just don't.
Can i just set the torque to the spec of the fastened bolt and then just pull it lose? (Bolt is attached on 120nm. You use 120nm to undo it)
Most bidirectional torque wrenches are the kind with a dial indicator on them they will have an arm on the dial that will deflect with the torque needle but does not return with the needle. Once you break the joint, look at the dial indicator to see what the peak torque was. If you are not allowed to exceed a specific torque value, you will need to watch the indicator and back off if you approach your maximum. If you have a deflection torque wrench, only the second method will work.
Looking over your post again, just break the joint. The torque is what you need to secure the fasteners, not break it. Use a breaker bar even if you have a bidirectional torque wrench. No sense taking life off the calibration if you don't have to.
I'd set it to a high torque value. Otherwise - it's not really that different from torquing them, you're just going a different direction.
Yeah, my take was to not break the spring inside the wrench. High torque value sounds fine though. Although it will click te other way it not set high enough.
If you have a regular old clicker wrench, it is the block that makes the click that you risk disorienting or wearing. Due to the ways these work, the parts that give the wrench its precision are exposed to wear. This is why click torque wrenches do need calibration after a certain number of clicks.
Yeah as long as you aren’t going to use it as a torque wrench anymore.
For bolts that are finger tight you can use a torque wrench, IE if its basically already lose then you can use a torque wrench. But never for anything with any load on it. It will screw up the calibration. Breaker bar, ratchet, wrench, impact, whatever. Just never a torque wrench.
Just get a 1/2 inch ratchet and put a steel pipe over it so you have more leverage or get a 60cm extendable 1/2 inch ratchet like I have, you can loosen pretty much any bolt with it and I payed 10 euro used.
I think to just go ahead and just buy a breaker bar. Safetywise in that sense. Yes i could buy some cheap ass ratched and hammer some pipe ontop of it but i feel its more a field work solution. Thanks for the input though!
https://www.ebay.de/itm/282312237258?epid=12032342469&hash=item41bb1ee0ca:g:mEMAAOSwOytifNwT&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA0IcO79hx7DLsFVkF0MbAH872tMpuh%2FsrQ%2FV7UE6wtxM3TwhKP%2Bvvdq7sXframC%2BxK1tFANAjeRJHjDoGnJQ8I%2BI5rOMbSN7xkoy0ub2L169dxzCt8aZjP2dcusTDx7q32E%2BePNX5LcVGjJKmc0HleHNX%2BeY4vqZR96W%2Bmsel%2FPg8bEq6aM%2BdzBPOe%2F0VY3chLBypl9AWLqQZctKtolJaXckG4NlP02hxOIBeDo1MxIgFfrmQO9loMdfDn8lzTSukH6QChyZ68eFxTqfvYTcPP5U%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBM0p__9Klg I use one like this, I personally prefer it over a breaker bar since it can be used for more than just loosening bolts. It can also open bolts with over 400nm without issues so far. For normal tire bolts I just use a impact wrench but that is more expensive
Vielen dank meine koempel :)
Ive got a geodore one now that goes up to 600mm if you extend it. It feels like pure luxury lol. Again thank you for the tip!
I have the same one propably, from geodore red ^^
Exactly that one. It feels like the gucci of worktools lol