Saturday, February 7, 2009

The delicate art of the torque wrench

One tool that is a complete must-have when it comes to working on cars and bikes is the torque wrench. Don't skimp on the price either - get a decent one and it will last for years. Having said that, you also need to get matched parts for it, by which I mean the driver bits, sockets and heads. I was over at a friend's house this afternoon and he was working on the brakes on his Moto Guzzi. As he came to tighten the final bolt on the brake caliper mount, the torque wrench suddenly became very loose. We both thought he'd stripped a thread, but it turned out that the socket set he was using was a 7mm hex head on a 1/8 inch mount. That was attached to the torque wrench with a 1/4 inch adapter. The 1/8 inch driver just didn't have the strength to deal with the torque he applied to it, and it literally shattered. I'm home now and he's off to our local tools emporium to but a 7mm hex driver on a 1/4 inch mount....

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

A torque wrench is about the best investment you can make when working on cars.

I've recently heard 2 of my friends say that they have put rims on their car , and the car developed noises. Turned out the wheel nuts weren't tight enough.

And to save myself that kind of trouble , I allways use my torque wrench. I have one in 1/4 and 1/2 inch.

Anonymous said...

Hurray for the proper tools. I adjusted the suspension on my bike the other day and there's nothing better than the reassuring click of the torque wrench telling you that it's all done and that it's time for a cup of tea.

In my book anyway.

Anonymous said...

Couldn't agree more.
But I am the paranoid type. Any time something isn't done with a torque wrench , I'm afraid it will fall off. lol

Anonymous said...

Apco Mossberg toque tools cannot be surpassed in reliability and quality. I've purchased a few pieces from Mossberg and can't live without them.

Anonymous said...

Funny, I just recently realized that Apco Mossberg is still in business....really amazing considering Frank Mossberg started this company in the 1800s and merged with Apco in 1930 or so. They still manufacture Torque Wrenches and they are still in the same building in Attleboro that Frank Mossberg had built. I'm a history buff and found this amazing. I'd think if you're looking for a good ol' made in the USA torque tool, Apco Mossberg would be a good bet.