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Torque wrenches, calibration and trust


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Ok, how do you know if your torque wrench is properly calibrated, how can you ultimately trust it, and which brands are notoriously reliable and which are unreliable?

 

I.E. How do you know that your harbor freight wrench is inferior to a snap on, or do you know? It could be (albeit unlikely) that the snap on is further out of calibration than a harbor freight wrench.

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I don't know what they do to calibrate torque wrenches, but they are calibrate-able, or at least you can check them to make sure they are within spec. When I'm back at work next week I will ask the guy who is in charge of sending all of our gauges out for calibration if he knows what they do with torque wrenches.

 

One thing I've heard is to measure some distance, put a weight hanging out at that distance and set the torque wrench to that torque. 1ft-lb is 1 lb out at 1 foot. You wouldn't check a wheel torque wrench at 1ft-lb, but it gives you the idea. If it clicks at the correct distance, but not closer in to the center of the wrench, then you are good. I've never actually done this to check one, but it makes sense as an quick and easy check for personal use. EDIT: Nate beat me to it while I was typing this, albeit with much better info.

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I take my Craftsman units to sears and they send them off to be recalibrated. I do that twice a year and the last time I got mine back they gave me a print out in varying ranges of how off they were and how close they got after calibration.

 

 

If you drop one you REALLY want to get it recalibrated.

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Wayac Scales and Calibration in Hilliard can calibrate your torque wrenches. I worked there for awhile and Ive seen them calibrate many mechanics torque wrench.

 

Dont know the pricing but tell them Chad sent you if you decide to check them out. They just might charge you double.

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Ours get calibrated and fixed by corporate @ DTC and we have a gauge to check it digitally at our store.

 

Also lets us know when the Gauge is out also.

 

We bolt up and hand torque every wheel we put on a car. Million of wheels an hour in over 15000 stores.

 

Just sayin

 

real talk

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