Do Torque Sticks Work?
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- Check out The mec a nic's two videos here:
• Do torque sticks work?
• Do torque sticks work ...
This is an Astro Pneumatic full set of torque sticks (Astro makes good stuff): amzn.to/2z6je00
Or you might be interested in this set of the most common Torque Sticks plus wheel lug nut sockets with protective sleeves: amzn.to/2z6DChJ
Or you can get the Harbor Freight ones here: www.harborfrei...
Check out Milwaukee Tools:
Milwaukee 2767-22 High Torque Impact Wrench Kit: www.milwaukeet...
Milwaukee 2861-22 Mid Torque Impact Wrench Kit: www.milwaukeet...
My mailing address for correspondence or swag of any kind is on my about page.
This video is for entertainment purposes only. 50sKid assumes no liability for any repairs or modifications performed by the viewer as a result of the information contained in this video.
Great video :)
Thanks man!!
50sKid believe it has something to due with the mass of the hammers in the gun. The mid torque has smaller faster hammers compared to the big gun. I have a feeling that the hammers faster cycle is really just hammering it down even with the stick as to the big guns hammer cycle is wide enough the stick gets that millisecond to recoil properly.
Exactly, the inertial load, the mass and velocity of the torque wrench's hammer assembly, on the torque stick will affect the accuracy of the stick.
The some other points that the chap seems to have missed are -
that there is a difference between stack and dynamic (moving) friction. It takes more force (torque) to start motion (rotation) than to continue the movement.
the slight movement noticed when 'clicking' the torque wrench is part of the torquing process for the tool
best practice is a smooth motion until the wrench indicates the desired value is reached, without continuing to 'click' it.
Overal, though, an interesting test and why I do not trust them to be used on any of my vehicles - I use rather expensive 'wrenches and read their calibration sheets - so far, they are all within a lb.ft of nominal value.
Good video you are on the right track! Here is my opinion as to what is actually happening: The principle of operation of the torque stick is based on the spring constant of the individual torque stick. The torque stick is simply a torsional spring. Small diameter stick yields small torque and vice versa. But this only is accurate for a certain amount of torsion applied to the stick for a certain amount of rotational twist of the stick. In essence, the stick is designed for a certain amount of twist to produce the desired rated torque. If the impact wrench 'over-twists' the stick during each hammer blow of the impact wrench the resulting applied torques would be different. For example, I bet if you took a torque stick and placed one end in a vice and the other onto a torque wrench and stressed it to the rated torque written on the stick you would get a certain rotational angle of the stick. Then, if you used a different stick and repeated the same test using the rating of the different stick you would get nearly the same angle upon reaching the rated torque of the new stick. I bet the amount of rotation in degrees for all the torque sticks will be about the same. So why the results in your test? - well, the wrench operates based on rotating masses hitting an anvil inside the impact wrench. Different designs will produce different characteristics during the impact operation inside the impact wrench that affect the rotational angle of the driven shaft caused by each impact. The torque sticks may be designed for a general impact angle and if a particular impact wrench produces an impact larger than the angle that the design of the torque stick the applied torque will be higher as the test showed. You would think the medium strength impact wrench would produce lower torque during the test but as I tried to explain, this may not have anything to do with the actual torque applied.
Based on what I heard there is a definite difference between the air impact wrench and the mid range wrench you used. The air wrench is slower (impacts per second) while the mid range tool is faster and has more impacts per second. This means that the torsional impulse applied to the fastener is different for each tool and the rotational angle produced with each anvil strike inside the tool is different also. My guess is the rotational angle of the slower tool is more in line with the rotational angle measured with the stick in the vice and as a consequence the applied torque matches the stick rating. The less powerful mid range tool applies a larger impulse because it is applying more impacts per second.
I would have to do some research to tweak this off the cuff explanation but I think it is close to what s actually happening. btw: your test confirms that you really do need to match or calibrate your torque sticks to the particular impact wrench you are using. And if you are using an air tool the air pressure would also affect the results. Impulse = Force x time. Changing the force by altering the air pressure or the time by using a faster impact wrench will affect the output of the wrench. Good video!
Part of the fuctionality of a torque stick is that it needs to come to a rest in between each strike. It needs to go back to its original state so it's ready for next strike. If you're hammering it too fast it tightens up and can't deflect the next impact. So you're basically using a stiff stick.
Engineer here, I think I know what might be happening--sorry that this is going to be long.
First, a word about how torque sticks in general work. You'll note each stick is thinner as you go to lower torque specs. This makes each stick have less "torsional stiffness." Think of a graph with the torque on one axis and the rotation (in degrees angle) on the other. Each torque stick will have a different trace of torque vs angular displacement. The smaller ones have more angular deflection for a given amount of torque. Keep this in mind.
When you have no impact mechanism, this reduced torsional stiffness is irrelevant because the force is constantly applied. Thus, all the torque applied is passed along to the end of the torque stick. And the time associated with force application is irrelevant because it's essentially zero.
Now what happens with the impact mechanism? Starting with no or very low torque, the mechanism doesn’t actuate, you have no hammering action, just a steady/smooth. It takes a certain minimum amount of torque to cause the hammering action, which occurs when the torque (reaction torque, here) overcomes the dog/pin static torque, causing relative motion between hammer and anvil.
Since we have enough reaction torque to activate the mechanism, the tool behaves differently. Now, it delivers torque in discrete “chunks.” The torque delivered is much higher, but is short in time duration-an impulse. This is how a regular hammer works in striking a nail-the mass of the hammer and its velocity determine that energy it will be able to deliver to the nail.
But what if that carpenter’s hammer hits a nail covered with several thick layers of rubber? In this case, that impact energy is diverted into compressing the rubber instead of driving the nail. The same amount of energy is present, but less is delivered to the nail because more went into compressing the rubber matting over the nail.
The torsional stiffness of the torque sticks creates the same effect-the discrete impulse of the hammer mechanism is diverted into twisting the torque stick, causing each impulse to be changed into a longer time but lower peak event. The less stiffness, the more time and the less peak force. The more stiffness, the less time and the more peak force.
That time component is absolutely key. There is a time parameter associated with each combination of torsional stiffness and impact force. The more torque or the less stiffness, the more time is consumed by each event. After each blow, some time must pass when the energy absorbed (stored) by the torque stick is returned to the system. Engineers would definite a “torsional modal frequency” to capture that time.
If the impact tool can apply another hammer blow before the torque stick has dissipated the energy it stored, then not all the energy from the torsional deflection will have been returned to the system yet; so the energy “accumulates” and the applied torque will increase. It’s as if before we had a swimming pool being filled at the same rate it was leaking out, causing the water level to remain constant, then suddenly someone plugs the pool’s leak and the water starts to rise.
Because the deep socket is less stiff in torsion than the short socket, it mimics some of the effect of the torque stick and it makes that time factor longer. This makes it more likely that energy will “pile up.” More specifically, it lowers the natural torsional resonant frequency of the system.
The shallow sockets have slightly higher torsional frequency, make the additional energy “pile up” at a much lower rate.
All that to say this: the “medium torque” cordless has much higher rate of hammer blows, and that frequency being higher than the natural torsional resonance of the system, it will allow the energy to “pile up” a bit, causing the delivered torque to the exceed the rating of the torque stick.
Torque stick manufacturers would do well to publish a maximum blows per minute “BPM” for each torque stick corresponding to its torsional modal frequency. But since they don’t know what sockets you’re using or anything, they can’t publish anything meaningful.
The takeaway here is not that the torque sticks need to be “calibrated”-it’s that they need to be used with a tool that has a low enough BPM rate to fall beneath their natural frequency.
PS: If you tried the highest torque rated sticks with the medium torque gun, you’d find this problem almost entirely disappears. WHY? The higher rated sticks are stiffer, have a higher frequency, and this frequency is almost certainly higher than the BPM rating of even the medium torque cordless gun.
Not an engineer, but I was thinking along similar lines as to the frequency of the hammer causing it to over torque due to the way the stick bends under load.
Awesome!
Excellent explanation.... thanks for taking the time out ... !
THIS is why I ALWAYS cruise the comments section... there are always knowledgeable people willing to impart extra info on top of the vid ... or even correct an error in a vid ! 🙄😏
I understood the shank of the extension eating torques up, but I never considered the impact being a factor. Neato to reado.
Bluepoint sells torque sticks that have the socket built in.
Nice job. Another simple way to look at how they work would be an air bad system in a car. The air bag bleeds down it pressure allowing the occupant to 'ride down' the impact over a longer period of time as opposed to the shorter duration stop of something harder......
Man assaults two BMW lug bolts for 13 minutes.....
Fuck those lug bolts!!
But I LIKE my lug bolts! I had 2 broken on the rear and one broken on the front when i bought my car. Pulled the wheel and rotors and the damn things threaded out by hand. This was my first BMW mind you so it was a pleasant surprise to not have to pound the damn things out and trash my wheel bearings! Of course putting the wheel on is always an extra labor of love!
What the fuck is a lug bolt?
RoBo Roket the bolts that hold the wheel on
Zachary Jog there are wheel bolts, there are wheel lugs, and there are studs. There is no such thing as a “lug bolt”.
Great video. I'm an Engineer. I believe that the hammer frequency is so high with the MID-Torque gun that its hammering when the torque stick is fully torqued, tightening the nut further. A traditional impact gun hammers at a lower frequency, in tune with the torque stick.
Dang you said it easier than me. Seems like pneumatic really impact at a low frequency so they work well with the torque sticks while the Milwaukee high torque is just low enough for it to work.
This is a simpler and shorter explanation for those of us without an engineering diploma. Thanks!
@@ernestkanu1247 brr too fast, needs ugga dugga
Impacts per second.
I believe you're right.
Thanks for the info! I bought these with 1,000 ft pound electric impact. Just as good as my old torque wrench. But at age 50 and with arthritis i come to the point of retiring the manual wrench. Now i can take off and on lug nuts all day and pain free!
All lugs are tight at 4 ugga uggas
pine laughed too damn hard at this
Easy there little fella. Depends on the car. Small Hondoos are good at 3 ugga duggas. 1, 2 BBQ baby.
80 and older cars usually get almost 6 ugga ugga's
TheRedneckNinja !!! 6 ugga duggas with the Astro Nano. Yeehah baby.
Pine: I laughed more that I should have at your comment. Happy New Year everyone.
My snap on guy has a torque tester so I had him check my wrench. 14 years daily use never calibrated and it was off 1 foot pound at 100.
it has to do with the number of impacts from the hammers/anvils in the Mid Torque in a set period. What is happening is the torque stick is unable to spring back because of the rapid succession of hits that the Mid Torque delivers as opposed to the slower heavier hits of the impact or High torque.
You nailed it.
You can even get the system to resonance that will result in extremely high torques.
When the impact occurs the system bounce back and fourth a number of times even thou you don’t add energy. If the next impact of the gun synchronises with the resonance of the socket and stick you will be way to high in torque value. The same applies but in the opposite direction if the impact hits when socket and stick rotates backwards but you will be way to low in torque.
The toque gun itself is a tuned mass system and the stick, play to the socket and weight of the socket will all offset the intended resonance.
Nothing beats your torque wrench for precision.
Thats exactly what I took from it, David Jones. I have to completely disagree with Per Kallberg's suggestion of a resonant frequency. And as a physicist the explanation of resonant frequency seems somewhat quirky and completely backwards. The problem is that the torque stick doesn't have time to "bounce back" at all, not that it's rotating back and forth repeatedly. If it doesn't have time to rotate back you will keep adding torque whilst the stick only manages to dissipate a fraction of that before the next impact reaching an equilibrium significantly higher than designed. If it had time to unwind and "bounce back and forth" it would be able to dissipate the energy before the next impact.
Also for what its worth with a spring like that the q factor will be high enough that the frequency band at which it resonates is so thin that the impact gun wouldn't be constant enough to make it resonate. Impact guns have a very random and sporadic rate, sometimes they hit twice a rotation, sometimes they won't hit for multiple rotations. There is no constant frequency to make it resonate, especially with such a tight resonant frequency band.
Olivia Lambert you might be right. I have some problems with your explanation thou.
I think the stiffness of the rod gives it a higher resonance frequency than the frequency of the gun. Since you can clearly hear the individual impacts it’s fairly low.
When you use an impact gun the socket dance around. If the stick always applied a torque greater than 0 it wouldn’t dance around.
For your argument to work it would have to always be in the first quarter of the cycle and that just seems unlikely since the gun then would have to be at least 4 times faster than the rod.
The stochastic nature of the gun is actually what makes it hit the resonance. It only has to match one impact to the next not a continuous standing resonance.
How high in physics have one come to call oneself a physicist on UA-cam? 😂😂😂
I know for a fact I'm right. I've seen an impact hammer in slow motion. They all have impacts at absolutely random intervals, therefore there absolutely cannot be a resonant frequency involved if there is no set frequency at all.
You seem to misunderstand what a resonant frequency is exactly. It is the frequency of the entire system. If the entire system has a different resonant frequency to the frequency of impacts then there is no resonance. They need to be the same frequency or they will not resonate. And as I have said before, there is no frequency of impacts if it is random and thus there is no resonance.
For the next part you probably want to get off google and put down the thesaurus. It ultimately makes sense whatsoever. I don't mind if you use basic language or complicated, all that matters to me is the ideas are good. Complete nonsense doesn't benefit anyone.
Anyway what we all seem to agree is happening is the impact hammer strikes, this twists the rod. The rod then begins to unwind based on its spring tension and the inertial mass of the system which is almost entirely in the rod. This is how it keeps a fairly good approximation of the correct torque and so far is how it should work. However when the wrong impact hammer is used a second strike comes before the rod has enough time to unwind adding more torque, and then another, and then another, and so on. As there isn't enough time for the rod to unwind it absorbs the strikes and smooths the impacts out to a constant torque, a little like a drill. Therefore, like I said before, the torque transmitted will be based on the average rate of the impacts and the total power of the impact hammer which is absolutely not how it is supposed to work, hence the broken results.
As for how far I've got, a degree and some paid work on the academic side of physics. At least until I've had to stop for a little while. But quite frankly you don't need to study at university to understand what is going on hence all the other replies saying the exact same as I have.
"Hey, you wanna buy some torque sticks?"
"You don't want to sell me torque sticks."
I see what you did there 😆 😉
May the fourth be with you
@@shannonspear8751 lol a little early for that dude
I want to go home and rethink my life.
You win the internet!
I used them in school. We tested them against torque wrenches and they were good. Guess I don’t know how long they stay accurate though.
Torque sticks limit applied torque by flexing once the desired torque is reached. If the stick is constantly held in the sprung state it will act as a solid object and fail to limit torque. The problem is the gun used has too many impacts per second. Torque output of a gun is typically never going to be the issue.
That's exactly what I was thinking, impacts are happening before the torque stick has had enough time to flex back to its neutral state and, in turn, causing rotation to progress beyond what's it's supposed to
This explains what you were telling me last time we talked. Nice to see your results. I use deep impact sockets because sometimes the short socket won't let the lug nut go all the way down before the stud hits the socket . Plus if you buy a set of "lug nut" sockets they're always deep. I think the deep socket let's the lug nut keep turning because it has the same effect as the Lisle socket designed to remove Honda crank bolts with the extra mass it has..
But the short socket still has the same effect where it doesn't "stop" and "go no further" you know? You saw what it looks like with the big guns on full blast--how there is a definite stop. So weird how you don't have that same behavior with a lower powered gun.
50sKid yeah it baffles me. Nice to see the results you got. Thanks for pronouncing the name of my channel correctly lol 👍
50sKid good video. I only know of one calibrated torque wrench. It’s the one from the movie my cousin vinny
Haha
50sKid Marisa Tomei looked amazing in that movie . And who can beat a craftsman signature series torque wrench calibrated by top members of the department of weights and measures. To be dead on balls accurate. LoL 😂.
There are so many factors, and one of the biggest in my mind (having worked for a company that does torque calibration) is that impact is your problem. The impact causes the tool/meter/rod to feel less torque than is being applied because the force being perpendicular to the threads creates more clearance between the threads of the nut and bolt, but when it rebounds, the the threads re-compress on each other creating a higher final torque. When we used DC nutrunners, the final torque or loosening torque would actually be slightly less than the metered torque. We also had pulse pneumatic tools, which are more accurate and actually provide a better breakaway torque. The pulse tools "hammer" parallel to the threads rather than perpendicular to the threads.
The condition of the square drives is very important, once the edges get rounded out the Margins on the torque obtained with widen out.
Torque sticks are not for final torque. They are to allow you to use impact tools to put on fasteners to a lesser torque than finish with a torque wrench to proper spec.
Kind of a waste of time to use torque sticks now that some impact wrenches have a mode where it will stop torqueing like the rigid Gen5x auto mode
This was the most sensible comment. - Now imaging you use a progress star-pattern; Start with a lower number, then go around again with a higher number close to but not above finishing torque. Then you do the last 1/4 to 1/2 turn with a torque wrench. Ah, professional mechanics' Nirvana is achieved.
Grab 3 sockets; the first one doesn't matter and a short and long impact -- used appropriately will save time and still get a professional job.
And remember to lubricate threads, to get the proper specs. I can see how these can prevent serious over torquing, that is not so uncommon practice in some shops.
@@dunckeroo1987 Lubing wheel studs and bolts after taking the time to torque wheels properly is doing nothing but shooting yourself in the foot and looking for a wheel off scenario. Under no circumstance should those threads ever be lubed due to the fact that you'll always exceed the factory set torque.... RTFM the proofs in the manuals. A lubed wheel nut torqued using a good, calibrated wrench set to 100 ft.lbs will wind up with a clamping load far exceeding whats set on the wrench and what the studs are rated for in most cases. I wrench professionally in a climate that sees a lot of snow, salt and rust every year and there are tonnes of guys in the rust belts that do this and 9 times out of ten I'm the guy replacing studs because of stretched and damaged threads. Just food for thought, wrench safe.
At my dealership, the guys in the back use ONLY torque sticks. Express Maintenance guys torque stick, drop car, torque wrench... guys in the back torque stick, leave car up, and run through them again and let the gun hammer on there.
@@jodybarrett8832 A little research shows the general opinion is mechanics might use a little WD-40 to clear up rust and wipe off the excess. But some manufacture do recommend 1 or 2 drops of SAE 30-weight oil on hub piloted wheel nuts : oiled torque will be reduced 35 -40% of dry torque spec.
Great vid.. in my personal application I would use the stick just lower than I want and still check the lugs with the torque wrench. speed up the tightening process while preventing over tightening.
Just don't do that in front of a respectable mechanic you will lose all credibility instantly.
I tell my students all the time to use the sticks, then check with the torque wrench to be sure. But always go less than the total value to ensure the proper torque is achieved. Great video!
I see two issues that might be affecting your measurements in a very real way:
1. Static torque vs Dynamic torque ( Wiki static friction for more details on that )
Once the nut is torqued and stops moving, the amount of torque required to get it moving again is significantly greater than the torque that was applied while it was being tightened ( this is called break away torque ). You can actaully see this if you use an old school deflection type torque wrench. For that 95ftlb example that you showed, you'd see the needle on the deflection type torque wrench go up to 95ftlbs, but as soon as it started moving the needle would quickly fall down to maybe as low as 80ftlbs.
2. Torque sticks can ONLY be accurately used with single hammer impact guns ( I don't know if this applies to you )
I once had a conversation with one of the guys that helped design these things. He explained that they worked by acting like a spring. When the proper torque on the fastener is reached, the torque stick flexes like a spring. This happens each time it is struck by the hammer in the impact gun. The torque sticks absorbs the blow by flexing, then springs back. This bounces the hammer in the impact gun back to its home position without rotating the socket/fastener any further.
However, if you have a duel hammer impact gun the 2nd hammer is hitting the torque stick before it is fully retracted. This partially defeats the spring action force absorption in the torque stick causing it to apply a higher torque than its rating.
Had to go through so many comments before someone else saw the torque wrench issue.
If he's getting 95ftlb breakaway, theres no way his 90ftlb torque stick is getting to 90flb tightening torque.
It would be neat to get AvE to take a look at a set of these things.
If anyone can figure out how to take them apart, it's him!
Made with high quality Chinesium!
No.
its that type of steel in a very specific diameter to make it flex at specific torques, way more simple than you think. nothing to take apart really
If anybody could make 'em chooch, it'd be him.
the mid torque impact does more impacts per minute. thank you for the video!!
Find a combination. Verify results. Recheck for different wheel types. Bottom line is that without torque sticks, high power air guns frequently over torque the lugs. Over torque actually weakens the metal. If there is any doubt in your mind, use the sticks to 10 lbs under spec, then put it on the ground and use a proper torque wrench.
Having a little trouble with those curbs huh?
Used car. Came that way :-)
50sKid that's what they all say. Lol
Jesus Christ I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it. This guys must be madly in love with cement to be kissing it that goddamn much.
A dork that cant drive
Probably the wife’s car😏
Torque sticks were designed to be used with pneumatic impact wrenches. They've been around for decades. I used to use them in a shop when I was young. The way that they were intended to be used is with a couple of solid taps following running the lug nut down. This is of course in the star pattern; first running all of the nuts down, and then tapping them twice on the second round. This may actually get better results with electric impact wrenches; given that torque is traded for RPMs in them. I'm not sure though. It's an interesting test just the same. Thanks for sharing.
I never trusted torque sticks. I am only 21 and have had a couple of jobs at shops. One shop required you to use them and were always on your case about using them. I always torqued wheels with an actual torque wrench to the manufacturers specs. It only took like another 2 minutes and always let me sleep easy at night. Just glad I am not working at that shop anymore
And that is definitely a great way to do it and you didn't go wrong, but I hope I proved to you that my particular 90 ft lb torque stick and impact combo is accurate.
you did yourself a big favor by quitting that kind of shop. you're right, how much more time does it take to do it your way. they don't save time anyway. 2 or 3 minutes on every car, any creep that runs a shop that way is just a jerk.
Assuming you do not go over torque with your gun to begin with in which case the wrench will click always. You want to have the wheel barely touch as to not apply higher push out force on the top of the wheel/hub then torque then drop to the ground then roll forward and torque then backward and torque again then torque again after a 100 or so km at highway/city speeds and bumps and braking to remove any slack that was involved in the process to begin with usually due to corrosion and angle of the dangle.
How often do you or a calibration lab check calibration of your torque wrench? I suggest buying a new one every year, if you aren't already. I have tried to "torque test" wrenches with bolts and weights in comparison, the results vary widely! The thing nobody talks about is coefficient of friction of the bolts, nuts, rims etc...
Used torque sticks my whole career. Three years going on four. Never an issue. I know no professionals who waste time with a torque wrench for wheels, maybe an engine repair but it's tight or it isn't for wheels 😂 no science here guys. How you can tell a green horn
I never thought that I would be interested in a video about why torque sticks work. Very cool
Torque sticks work on torsion, they absorb rotational force. To work they need to be built with 3 things in mind, 1) desired output, 2) amount of torque input 3) recoil time. Most shops using torque sticks do not use top shelf guns, they use 600-800lb/ft double or single hammer. Knowing this, the manufacturer of the torque sticks can design it to function properly My clutch type nitro cat states specifically it can NOT be used with torque sticks as it does not allow for recoil of the stick. Most shops also require you use the next value lower (by a min of 5lb/ft) stick than final torque and finish by hand with torque wrench.
Regardless of what others may/may not criticize you for, at least you take the time and care enough to crack out a torque wrench and use it. Half of the guys I work with:
A - run the lugnuts straight on with nothing but the impact over tightening and most likely crossthreading or
B - do what they can with a 4-way and leave it at that, undertightening
in both situations, without a care in the world for the customer. Good to see another one out there who takes his time and does it right.
Interesting results. I believe there are two things. 1 is the extra mass of the deep socket vs regular. That could cause a very slight issue (not much). The second and the main reason is the higher rpm/ipm on the mid torque. High torque 2767 (1750rpm/2100 ipm) and the mid torque (2400rpm/3000 ipm). Great test to know about. I personally use both my impacts. Put them on power 1 when tightening and as soon as they are snug I stop. Then I use the torque wrench to make them all the same proper torque. I choose either impact based on the required power difference for nut busting (loosening) not tightening. Heck- my 1/4" m12 or m18 fuel impact driver can do both if needed under 100ft/lbs. Obviously I dont use them for that, but tested them just out of curiosity. If you over torque by a large amount the bolt/nut should be replaced since you permanently stretched the metal. I would rather be safe and under torque and do it by hand.
The Milwaukee mid-torque one-key version has repeatable torque available by changing the amount of torque via a Bluetooth app. Hence the torque sticks become obsolete. This specific mid-torque has three settings and three buttons. I set it like this. 1- 90 ft. lbs for cars. 2- 150 ft. lbs for suvs and 3- max torque for lug removal. This is the best way to do lugs if you can afford it.
You talk SOOOOO PRETTY
@@joelnordstrom8049😂😂😂😂
This is great. I treat torque sticks as a way to ensure you are close. I carry a dewalt mid range cordless impact, lug sockets, and torque sticks in my trunk for quick side of the road tire changes and it’s great for being in the ball park. Which is way closer than if you use a long breaker bar etc. for home use I use a stock 10-20 ft lb less than final torque and always finish torque using that. I’d much rather have and use these than not.
Torque sticks aren't as bad as people make them out to be, it comes down to the operator not the tool. Like you said as long as you know how to use them properly, don't keep hammering away when they stop, and test them with a torque wrench to get a feel for them, you're golden. After I got mine I spent a couple weeks verifying the torque on every car and I've been 100% confident since then.
Is what I am going to do is get torque sticks to try.
My step brother Josh is a ftard.
I'm 100% confident he is a TOOL.
I feel sorry for your customers having to have brake work 10k-12 k after you service their vehicles.
There are very different rates of impact in the tools used. The medium duty Milwaukee hits at a much higher rate of speed than the heavier duty impact. It looks like the torque sticks are acting as a spring to absorb the extra energy supplied by the gun. At a slow speed it seems to work well, but at the higher impact rate the extension may not be fully rebounding, or perhaps has even gone resonant or some multiple of resonance that throws off the torque.
Great video and a great demonstration of how the driver changes the response of the torque sticks.
As someone who has used torque sticks almost everyday for 5 years all I have to say is you have to know your impact gun and listen to it or you might under or over.
Lol the instructions clearly said for him to calibrate the gun to the tourque.. so it’s simple user error that he should’ve avoided for the video
In my shop, we use the torque sticks with the built in head, no socket needs to be used.
We always hand torque them after using the torque sticks, and usually the lug-nuts will turn a bit more with the hand torquing.
The torque sticks get the lug-nuts close to the factory torque spec, but always hand torque with a torque wrench to get them exactly where they need to be. It's just a tool to get them close, not exactly on.
I see it's been mentioned a few times already but I would guess the mid torque gun has much less time between pulses. I suspect they are fast enough to the point where the torque sticks have not got a chance to recoil back to a nominal state. As to the difference between the short and deep sockets, I would assume it has something to do with the additional mass having to react against the pulses from the torque wrench.
My 2 bits worth anyway!
I work as a tyre fitter and on truck wheel nuts, get the biggest heaviest socket you can. The extra mass really makes a difference undoing and doing up and extensions take a lot of torque away. And the torque sticks are the go for new cars that have a floating disc that is held on by the wheel, it needs to be torqued or there is a chance of warping disc rotors.
Torque it with impact till it snaps then back it out 1/4 turn 💯
Bad idea
I just hit it with impact, just to wind it up the long threads, then I get out the wheel brace and tighten them from there using my biological torque wrench.
@@SeriousSchitt and what's your biological torque wrench exactly? Lol
Torque it with the impact till your wrists snaps, THEN back it out a quarter turn
That's the dumbest I've seen so far. Tighten your lug nuts insanely high to then slightly undo them blindly. LOL. just LOL.
I work at a tire shop and we only use torque sticks for zipping down lug nuts before we torque them with a torque wrench. Most Japanese and Korean compact cars are 76/80/90ft lb, most mini vans, full size american sedans, and small suvs are around 100 ft lb. most full size trucks, full size work vans, and full size suvs such as tahoes and suburbans are around 140-150 ft lb.
Did not know about these until this weekend when I had my tires changed at walmart. They used one on my car, but they followed up and checked them with a standard torq wrench.
That is not the concern. Their follow up does nothing to make sure the nuts are not too tight. I have twisted off an impact extension breaking loose lug nuts tightened by a shop.
1D10CRACY best to never go to Walmart for automotive servicing
I work at Walmart and they check how tight the lug nuts are 3 times lol
tri-u watersports the torque sticks don’t over tighten them lol. We use a torque wrench afterwards to see if they’re tight enough but not the extreme
tri-u watersports I’m not saying it’s the right way. It’s not my shop so can’t blame anything on me if I’m following their procedures 🤷♂️
Thanks 50s Kid, I thought this was good input, I have been doing similar testing kinda on the fly with mostly 1inch guns and adjusting the air regulator close to the gun,I have concluded that bigger slower guns are easier to tell than the smaller faster guns that want to keep tightening, the pressure can be regulated near the compressor, but the psi near the gun may need to be increased, as things wear psi may need to be increased, as things are replaced psi may need to be decreased, in a big shop it's hard to get cooperation so we had to go with at the compressor and use the service truck for the tough ones, Thanks for posting.
This correlateds perfectly with my experience! Thank you for clarifying the reason!!!
My experience is some shops having delivered very close together (+/- 5-10%) using torque sticks and other having HUGE differences, to the point where a brand new tire, perfectly balanced, would feel like unbalanced. Because of this i've always redone the nuts/bolts at home
Right on. I've noticed a similar difference with the stubby 1/2 drive impact Mac tools make, compared to the big red brick Snap-on makes. The little 1/2 stubby has a faster impacting drive mechanism in the construction of the gun. My thought is it can hammer the torque stick multiple times before the stick can relax its twisting motion and therefore double hammering the stick. The sticks were designed in an era where the impact drive action on the guns had less impacting. I've run into this as well. Impact sticks save a lot of time and are safe to use once you understand how the work and use within there design. Just my 2 cents. Love your video. Great work. Please if someone knows different correct me if I'm wrong.
I always run the lug nuts down on a low to medium setting with the impact and then finish with a torque wrench. This is how I do it for my car at 90ft lbs, pickup at 130ft lbs, and semi at 500ft lbs. Using torque sticks would simply be an extra step for me since I would still want to verify using a torque wrench.
Well you get used to whatever impact you use. Each impact will be different but over time you learn what setting and how long to impact to get the desired torque. You don't need torque sticks
True
The moment point of torque is where the female portion of the torque stick is located... When using a deep socket versus a shallow socket you effectively change the length of perpendicular measure of the moment measurement thus affecting the torque value ...basically the length of the torque stick extension with the socket length do change torques using different length sockets and/or socket extension lengths...I totally agree on testing out each torque stick with what that person is using... And also agree on the type of gun to use... I have both the Milwaukee guns and the large impact one is accurate but the mid gun varies too much and I believe is to do with blows per minute rating and power delivery.. I only use the midrange for lower torque requirements...
How you use torque sticks is as follows...
-Throw tires on
-Use torque stick and preferred impact
-final torque lug nuts with torque wrench, if done correctly you should get no more then 90 degrees, this is for speed. Flat rate.
Torque sticks are very reliable, but you never use a tool like this for your final torque. It is irresponsible and not something a qualified mechanic will ever tell you to do. They are designed to allow torque to break so you can move fast in a shop with your high powered tools. I personally use a 65lb stick on passenger vehicles.
Also, ONE click and move on. Never "check" it again by clicking it over and over.
They do work and you will find they are reliable in delivering a consistent torque. What you worry about most is your driving tools ability to insure the lives of the people whose vehicle you are promising is safe to operate.
I get in fights with junior mechanics about this and my answer is always the same. Hand torque wheels or get out.
Thanks for this. Your video needs more science, especially an explanation as to how the torque sticks work. Knowing exactly how something works is the key to understanding situations in which it will malfunction. I made my Ford dealership put a big note on my file. NO TORQUE STICKS. Put on my wheels with a hand torque wrench only. Made a world of difference with pulsation while stopping. Especially on the 1995 Windstar. Got that tip from Smokey Yunnick's column in Popular Mechanics and I actually had to teach it to Ford. Worked like a charm to stop the strong pulsation when braking, especially in the mountains.
the empactions per second between the two impacts might also make a difference.
I have the Harbor Freight torque sticks and they are very accurate. I use them with a mid-torque Ryobi 300 lbs/ft cordless impact wrench. The deep well socket carries more inertia and can *_possibly_* cause the lug nuts to slightly over-tighten. That's one of the reasons you are supposed to calibrate your pneumatic impact wrench for each torque stick - each torque stick has a different weigt. If you've ever seen the socket they sell for removing crank bolts, it has a lot of mass. The reason being, an impact does not supply constant torque, it's on-off-on-off. The more mass you have spinning, the harder it is going to hit. If you were to tighten a lug nut with something that supplies constant torque, then mass does not affect the equation. Thus, using a torque stick with something that supplies constant torque, it absolutely will not work properly, it will supply the same amount of torque as is being applied by the tool.
".....I'm gonna bump the torque up....up.....up.....up...."
*Strips the bolt*
I don't know if anyone has cleared this up yet but if not, here goes. The impact wrench has a torque rating but that will only get applied in a condition where the full impulse can be transferred (i.e. ridged condition where the object getting the bolt is sturdy, not moving due to applied forces, and the bolt is already tight). Since the impulse of the impact wench lasts for only a short time, the torque sticks work on the idea that after a certain torque is achieved, the remaining energy from the prior impact can be fully absorbed through elastic deformation of the torque stick and released before the next impact. If the impulse lasts for too long, certain parts of the system have too much rotational inertia, or the system is too ridged to allow for the release of torsion from the steel rod, the bolt will continue to turn.
This whole thing would be similar to using a leaf spring and a hammer to tighten a bolt. The first impacts with little resistance would be just as effective as using a ridged system. As resistance increases, so does deflection of the spring to the point where all you are able to do is cause the spring to deflect without overcoming static friction, therefore not turning the bolt. If you were to increase your follow through with the hammer to achieve longer impulse duration, or increase the rate at which you hammer so spring was not allowed to return to it's starting position, you could continue to apply enough force to the bolt to turn it.
I would wager that the deep socket adds enough rotational inertia and has enough slop between it and the bolt that it acts as a tiny impact wench that bypasses the torsional absorption of the torque stick (the ideal socket for this system would have zero mass and zero backlash). As for the wrench that "over torques" I suspect it has a higher impact per minute rate and/or more rotational inertia in the drive unit that can deliver a more sustained impulse.
Hope this helps and hope I'm not repeating someone else!
Good video.
I believe that the sticks are made to rotationally flex a certain angle at that specific torque. This angle is related to the angle at which the tool skips to the next position. So the maximum amount of skips per rotation (or angle between skips) that the tool is made with is important.
Personally I would never use these. I tighten them at the lowest setting, then use a torque wrench!
i agree. accept for things like lug nuts (i believe there is about a 15% +/- cushion in those) and a few other non-precision nuts/bolts its ok. But i've seen guys try to torque flywheel nuts on outboards with these. One guy did it to a 225 evinrude... sheared the flywheel key right off because it was under-torqued. don't be lazy... do it the right way ha.
You and me both Bro~!!!
Torque sticks cost me a set of brake rotors and lug nuts and studs. I’ve carried my own torque wrench into tire shops sence then.
Same but these are good for people that are constantly working around wheels like a tyre shop for instants
@@pullenjo no no they are not good for a tire shop. If a guy at a tire shop tried to torque my tires down I'd beat him with it
In Laymen’s speak. Basically the torque stick requires a minimum hammering action for the torque stick to work correctly. In the medium torque cordless gun it’s not enough to activate the torque limiting properties of the torsion (torque) stick. Therefore turning it into an extension. Same applies to the deep socket. General rule. Use a high powered air gun or an equally powerful heavy 1/2” electric as well as standard sockets to get consistent results.
The amount of metal shavings I can see in that bolt recess is concerning.. Guess I'll stay with manual tools for that job
Impact-Vector I was thinking the same thing
More the likely from the wheel as they are aluminum and typically your aren’t taking your wheel off and continually loosing and torqueing. I’ve always started the nuts then running them down and snuging them and then torqueing
You can see the lug nuts getting pieces ground off. Its much worse with the smaller impact gun. I think its because it has more impacts per second than the bigger one, so its more vibrations.
I stick to torque wrench to. I never trusted torque sticks.
What difference could it possibly make that there are a few metal shavings. Its an alloy wheel and a steel lug nut which is much harder than the wheel its a given that there will be a bit of metal. Take it from a man who takes car wheels of every day.
This was very educational. I have never took a wheel off in my entire life. Just needed how to get the darn things off to change brake fluid! You probly saved me from a disaster.
The difference in mass of the socket will affect the result - all other things being equal... as it will change the dynamic of the function of the torque stick. Great video tho.
In 2 years of doing truck/4wd suspension, I have never once used a torque wrench or stick to put wheel nuts on, just zip up with the gun and stop as soon as the “hammering” effect starts, never had an issue
Keyboard Mafia! Cracked me up.
Not all Sicilians with computers are mafioso. This is racist. Might as well pick on the German nazis with iPads, Russian commies with Androids, Somali pirates with X-boxes, or Keebler elves next time... Bigot.
Keyboard engineers
Jeremyrockjock I’m an ex-engineer. Well...I suppose you can quit, but you can’t quit being an engineer. Even if it involves light switch covers.
If you feel like repeating this, test the torque with a beam type torque wrench. The click type ones can have a lot of error before they click if something is already tight.
I have the H.F. torque sticks and they work great. Some bozos see the Pittsburgh brand name and assume that H.F. has their own factory in China where they make everything. These torque sticks are made in Taiwan and are most likely sold under an number of brand names.
Yes, it does matter if you calibrate your impact wrench to your torque sticks, that's exactly why you are not getting correct results and exactly why the maker of the tool tells you to do so. I use my mid-range cordless with no problems.
More mass equals greater hitting power. There are sockets that are made just to remove Honda crank bolts. They have greater mass for a reason.
Never assume a torque wrench, even a new one, is correct. I returned a brand new Craftsman Digi-Click because it was 16 pounds foot over at 100 - that's pretty substantial. I verified this with my digital torque adapters, (two different ones for verification). They can be had for as little as $30US.
Don't get too pedantic about torquing your wheels. Even the best torque wrench is going to measure different from click-to-click. I used whatever wrench that came with the car for almost 35 years before using a torque wrench and never had a problem. If you watch the old racing videos on UA-cam, they never used a torque wrench when building a car - or for pit stops either.
If you don't know what you are doing, you can still over tighten or under torque with torque sticks. It is depends on how long you hold the trigger and power setting of a pneumatic or electric guns.
For precision use a torque wrench. Torque sticks get it close but not as accurate.
You got it., just start threads by hand, train your trigger finger on the impact, and torque away.
You touched on to a very important part of physics. Sympathetic vibrations, or “resonance”, is achieved at a certain specific frequency of impacts in combination with the weight of the socket/extension used. When you approach that “ideal” combination, the torque stick becomes less predictable and peak torque will exceed the specifications of the torque stick.
I have been doing this for 40 years and here's my take on it. If I grab an 80 lb stick and it torques within 5 to 7 lb, that's no different and using the torque wrench that's been laying in your toolbox for the last 10 years and never being out for recalibration. Why do you think most Snap-on dealers have installed torque wrench Checkers on their truck now? To sell re calibration service because they know 90% of the torque wrenches in tool boxes are not calibrated. If I get them to within 5 or 7 lb my customers can get them off, they're even so I'm not going to warp a rotor, and I am doing a lot more to get them right then the other 50% of technician population that Just throws a socket on a gun and hammers them down.
I used torque sticks in a Toyota dealership I worked at in the mid 80s . There were lots of issues with warped rotors, and torque wrenches or torque sticks seem to solve this problem, along with not washing hot/ just driven cars.
Both torque sticks and torque wrenches seem to work equally well to illuminate rotor warpage .
I also found that the torque sticks did not work reliably at home using the same impact wrench but a lesser compressor than the one that was available at the dealership. So the amount of air pressure and volume seem to make a difference on how reliable the torque sticks were.
My set of torque sticks also have sockets as part of the stick
The thing about engineers is they know how things work in the real world vs what's actually, really, physically going on, so you might be mistaken in thinking we have all the answers for you, but I think I can provide some insight on this issue nonetheless.
A torque stick relies upon friction; friction within a lattice of, basically, iron atoms, laced with alloys and carbon atoms... a mix which we commonly refer to as steel.
Now, the thing about friction is, it's made up of two parts: static friction and dynamic friction. I.e. the force required to get it moving and the force required to keep it moving are different, where the dynamic friction is lower.
And, basically, torque sticks ride that equilibrium: they're weak enough so pneumatic and full torque electric impact tools, initially, smash through the static fase, but then get limited by the mallibility of the material, whereas medium torque electric tools never quiclky overcome initial friction and, thus, end up overtorquing fasteners.
That's exactly how I explained torque sticks to a few people and why a proper impact wrench is needed. I've been very happy with them since I made my purchase. I always use a torque wrench set to a few ft/lbs above the rating of the torque stick and always feel the nut turn a bit before the wrench clicks. Perfect for my needs.
Been using those sticks for years. I too found that if you hold them too long keeps tightening. Get a feel for them and test your results and they are amazingly accurate. Trust but verify....
Ok I got it now . one ugah no dugah and its about close. 😆
Now this could be worth taking a look at. Gives me a good reason to finish what I'm doing and come back to it for a break. Thanks.
“Don’t care what the instructions say about calibrating to your gun” yet the issue up until that statement is that the torque sticks aren’t precise.
Aaaaaand thats enough of that video then.
I've been using a Matco 80 stick for over 25 years working on Hondas with no problems. You can cause (runout) warpage to the rotor and or hub assembly by using uneven excessive torque.
Are we testing h.f. torque sticks with a h.f. torque wrench?
No Future 68 the torque wrench is crafts man I think.
Yeah that is a Craftsman 1/2inch drive torque wrench... I own the same model.
They are both Milwaukee, I don't think you can get that brand at HF since its a top of the line company. I think the brand that HF has is Hercules, or something like that.
I picked up a digital hf digital torque adapter and tested it against my snap on clicker torque wrench, both showed the same values to my surprise
Who cares, hf torque wrenchs work fine. As any toll, even the name brand torque wrench brands have had their share of issues.
Great video. Never had much faith in torque sticks but from this they look to be worth having. At lest these would allow a person to get them close, to finish with a torque wrench, without overshooting.
Wheel Torque is not that critical if you know what you are doing. Can you say warped rotor, I can use my Impact alone to get desired results. Within reason, I would say that sequence is way more important than the torque. Torque Sticks are perfectly fine + - 10 ft lbs will not cause a problem whereas improper sequence can make all the difference. But hey, that is just a 40 Year guess.
Absolutely, but it's still best to not over-torque nuts as the threads can stretch over time.
Wheel torque is very critical. While you maybe off 5 ft lbs, as long as every lugnut is the same its not as bad, but you seem to think + or - 10 ft lbs is not a big deal. So your talking about potentially having some lugs at 90 and others 110. That's 20 ft lbs difference. That's quite a difference when your talking about something at 100 ft lbs. whats worse is a mute point. The point is your still damaging rotors. You might not see it right away, but 10-12k miles your customers are experience brake pulsations. I'm sure you have no problem selling them a brake job not understanding it may have been a result of your own doing and not following OEM requirements. But what do I know, I only have a degree in auto technology, seen this first hand, have been a engineers at one of the big 3, and worked as head of quality control. Oh yea, I am also a certified mechanic and worked as one for a good number of years too.
The longer length sockets have more windup. The torque sticks function by having a calibrated windup and deforming elastically at a specific torque, and the longer sockets add to that wind up and result in a lesser final torque being applied to the nut.
50sKid Are those shiny bits METAL shavings in the lug wells you're testing? Spec or not, I'd be a LITTLE concerned if I were removing material under the head of ANY fastener I was tightening.
Unless the threads are lubricated, even then sometimes, anytime you tighten a fastener with an impact, you will see that. I work what is a cross between industrial construction and industrial maintenance. I use impacts about as often as ratchets. Largest socket I have used was 6 7/8", but that was on a HYTORC, not impact.
Chris Hurlbut Thanks! To my NON-expert eye, it seemed more like the lug nut seating surface of the wheel was getting ground out. Still, how much material can you lose in a safety application before you have a problem? It may be overcautious, but I was taught to always lube threads whenever torquing to a given value, it never hurts. That way you're not measuring the basic thread resistance of the fastener. YMMV. Cheers!
As far as how much material can be lost depends greatly on the application and what will/can happen in the event of a material or fastener failure. With the amount of material that was in those wells, I wouldn't be concerned. Before my current job, I was in the Navy as an aviation structural mechanic working on H-60 Seahawks. These are the Navys version of the Blackhawk. Some places the limits were incredibly lenient and others were almost non existent amounts of wear allowable. In this case, I wouldn't be worried about it. Probably .005" at most.
Also, depending on the equipment manufacturer, some torque specs specifically call for lubrication and others specifically call for dry. Standard everyday torque specs for off the shelf bolts are usually given for both dry and lubricated. But you are correct, once you get over about 50 ft lbs of torque, a lot of that is just to overcome friction. Most of the time when we run across dry specific torques, it is for areas that have a lot of vibration. Some fasteners though such as superbolts from Nord-Lock, get run down by hand, and then there are more much smaller bolts that run parallel to the main bolt, threaded through the nut. These push on a thick hardened steel washer that put the torque on the bolt with zero torsion. The last ones I used were on 1 1/8' or 1 inch bolts. But the smaller ones were a 5/16 UNC thread. These got torqued to 27 ft lbs and with those 8 smaller bolts put something like 34,000 pounds worth of stretch on the bolt. These were used to hold the large coil springs on a shaker conveyor used in the John Deere Foundry in Iowa.
Chris Hurlbut Thank you for your service, and for your insights. I've not seen those exact fasteners, but have had a little exposure to the huge difference between torque and tension as it applies to broadcast towers. If you torque those bolts, your tower will be wobbly like an amusement park ride. If you tension them with the proper tool, the tower will be solid for life. It was quite a mini education I got! I also learned about structural grade fasteners (makes Grade 8 look like putty), and things like Acme nuts that have a lock pin crimped into the nut. They are one way, one time fasteners. Best to ya!
I would also like to point out that the majority of the material in those wells is the aluminum from the rims, mixed in with a touch from the lug nuts.
I don't do much structural work, but I know those A325 bolts with take massive amounts of strain. Especially the non galvinized ones.
I have the same Harbor Freight set and use a 2yr old Harbor freight air impact at home that's not as strong as it was new, but still quite capable, however .I always follow up with a torque wrench afterwards and usually find they often will tighten some more with torque wrench after before it clicks , Some times I'll intentionally use the 100 ft blue one and find my torque wrench set at 80ft lbs still might even budge one or two. I don't care to have to keep laying into a noodle with an impact gun for more than 2 second per nut to reach the stick rated torque.
What I learned from this video:
To stop tightening a bolt once its at the correct tightness.
I am an engineer. This is a complicated subject in many ways and I don’t claim to 100% understand it either. Part of the issue is static vs dynamic friction. That is the reason that the only proper way to achieve correct torque is to use a torque wrench that is also used properly. The fastener must be torqued in one smooth uninterrupted motion. If the motion is stopped short of the proper torque, you must loosen the fastener and start again. Static friction is often 10-30% higher than dynamic friction. Look up the tables of coefficients of friction and you can see the difference for different materials.
So, once you stop torquing a fastener, you can’t start again and get an accurate torque unless the new torque value is well above the difference in friction coefficients. For example, let’s say for clean, dry steel on steel as with lug nuts or bolts, that the static friction coefficient is 20% higher than the dynamic coefficient. Let’s torque the fasteners to 100 lb-ft and stop. Since this involved smooth motion, the applicable coefficient of friction is the dynamic one. However, to get the fastener to move again, we have to overcome static friction. Since that is 20% higher than dynamic friction, this means that you need at least 120 lb-ft of torque to get the lug nut or bolt to turn at all. So, you simply can’t accurately change its torque to any value between 100 and 120. As soon as the fastener moves with the 120 lb-ft torque applied, it will either go quickly to 120 lb-ft or, if you stop quickly enough, it will land at some indeterminant value between 100 and 120.
Impact wrenches use impact to overcome static friction, but this makes it very hard to hit a specific torque value as it is hard to know how far past the static friction point the fastener will go once in the dynamic friction regime. That is why I use air or electric tools only to loosen and remove fasteners, never to torque them, unless they are fasteners where the torque value is simply not that critical. I consider holding my wheels on to be critical, so I only hand torque the wheel fasteners on my cars.
Harbor freight sells torque wrenches also......torque it and move on already!!!
I dont think you work on flat rate
I work at a tire shop and because they are somewhat inconsistent we are required to use a torque stick that’s 20 ft pounds under the required torque the finish off with a torque wrench. This way it prevents over torque
3 ughas lol good to stop then
It’s ugha duggas- SMA
I use sticks and have found them to be usefully accurate @+/-2%. As long as your impact wrench can do 400+Lb/Ft they seem to be pretty good. I have the DeWalt DCF899 which kicks @ 700lb/ft forward and 1200lb/ft reverse.
I believe that the higher torque impacts produce enough power to allow the sticks to do what they were designed to do...flex and absorb torque applied over a predetermined rating. Mid torque wrenches might "stay under the radar" as it were and possibly over tighten fasteners to the limit of the tool if they don't hit hard enough to flex the stick. My .02Cdn!
100-150 ft lbs is fine for mid size cars... this isnt nascar, i like atleast 100ftlbs i usually set the torque wrench to 120 if i use it but other times ill just go straight impact on it and rattle it on... even if it goes up to 150ft lbs thats alot better than the 300-700ft lbs the impact guns put out.. ive never seen anyone break or stretch a stud with an impact gun.. it can just make them a bear to get off, epecially if you have a flat tire and a small tire iron in the winter when its -20 out
Andrew Browner bmws and European cars with the bolt lug are 80ft lbs max and domestic cars 100ft lbs and domestic trucks or not 130 to 145ft lbs
My uncle worked on model T and A and other such old cars and they just got out their biggest rachet and cheater bar and cranked them.down
yeah it doesnt matter.. just tighten them, ive seen people drive down the highway with the lug nuts half threaded on hand tight and wonder what the issue was
Ive broken lug nut studs clean off with a 18" breaker bar. I've also broken them off with a good impact gun.
The actual torque really doesnt matter as long as all are in the same range and obviously tight enough not to loosen up.
Pretty much all cars use a hubecentric rim setup. There is no weight carried by the lug nut, just tension.
Now if you have alloy rims instead of steel, they can get a bunch of crap in between from dissimilar metals. 9/10 if a lug isn't tight enough or lugs loosen up, its because there is crap there.
Personally, I just use a breaker bar or even a 1/2" ratchet and tighten them all the same.
The proper torque is important. For example, a 7/16 20 will generate 10700 pound of clamping force at 80ftlbs. The expected yield point of a 7/16 20 grade 8 is 16600 pounds. At correct torque that leaves the stud capable of safely holding against a further 6000 pound of force to absorb impacts and side loading. If that same fastener is torqued to 150ftIbs, it is effectively at it's yield point and has no headroom to deal with impacts or side loads on the wheel. I see the results of over torquing mostly on heavier pickups like one tons where guys get used to hammering their wheels on with no regard to the torque and then wonder why their studs broke when they put two pallets of quikcrete on their truck.
A little dry but still very informative, I'm a market support manager for the Tire Warehouse in Maine. We use torque sticks and then torque wrenches to insure that all lugnuts are securely installed and torqued to manufacturer specs. We also recommend that every customer return within 24 hours or 25 miles to get a retorque.
Saw 50skid in front of Pearl Harbor Freight chasing his runaway BMW rim after all the lug nuts snapped
Thats why I do my own so I know that its done right, and not rely on a Torque stick. I have had over torqued lugs before from a shop.
borrow a dial torque wrench and test again.
Your a perfectly right: only a continous measure gives dependable information.
At work we use dc driven wrenches that are computer controlled to torque nuts and bolts that are critical. The computer measures the torque curve and shuts the tool off when its in range. With a pneumatic tool or battery gun the torque range is always gonna be inconsistent. Pneumatic and battery gun tools are calibrated at the factory to come up short of full torque. Associates click the fastener off to achieve the final torque. Your test is spot on for what a guy at home would encounter. Try a digital beam wrench and see how the torque changes. With a click wrench you will keep pushing until the desired outcome the wrench clicks. Also try running down the fastener and checking the torque an hour later with a digital beam wrench. The process of tightening down a bolt or nut generates heat and as it cools the torque value goes up. Socket length or extension length has no impact on the torque of the fastener.
I wanted to learn about these but since I like to watch these kind of videos with my daughters I'm very disappointed you felt you needed to include a shot of porn.
You can calibrate a torque wrench yourself with an electronic luggage scale, a bench vise, and a big bolt. Just make sure the axis of rotation is verticle.
Throw them in the trash bin and use your torque wrench,so many variables like battery charge,air pressure,elasticity of different sockets(yes each socket is different and you proved that) then add how many times that nut or bolt has been stretched. The type of wheel steel on aluminum. Bottom line they are garbage. It only take a few minutes longer to do it right.
P Kuudsk it also only takes a couple of seconds for someone to beat you in the office for gravy ticket.
Don't blame me blame flat rate
Aaaaand THATS why I dont take my car to the dealership! "Say, lets sawzall this panel out to get to the fuel pump faster!" :P Seriously though, I would have never made it on flat rate. I am incredibly slow and meticulous but hey at least I have had exactly 0 warranty concerns in 8 years! (Fyi 8 years in business) I charge somewhere in between flat rate and hourly depending on the level of rust, broken fasteners, etc. Full flat rate im not sure I could handle. I like taking my time and being a perfectionist. Hats off to those who can handle flat rate and dont have to cut every corner (sometimes literally!)
P Kuudsk yes you are correct
Modern Lithium batteries are not a concren anymore with the old style NiCD batteries. Lithoum gives 100% of the 18v output until the battery digitally senses it is low and then cuts the power off right away.
Michael Scherling like he'll it does. I can tell when I'm losing power with my Milwaukee driver or drill...
Great test! I love torque sticks they do work and make me not worry about over torque lug nuts. I always double check with my manual torque wrench afterwards. Nock on wood no tires have come off. Its hard when all the import cars have a super low torque specs than domestics. Doesn’t help when you getting use to your new tools.
This whole video and all it's comments have two kinds of people to thank for this sort of crap. Lawyers and Insurance salesmen. They ruined the world and called it progress. We're seriously arguing about how to tighten a bolt ffs. What's next? You used too large a hammer and this roof is not insured?
Mike Ries if u have wheels fall off then yes. If u had any idea how many cars out there i wouldn't want to drive down the road with. 😊
IF YOU THINK ITS CRAP, WHY DID YOU WATCH IT!
2 things: 1 the deep socket add more leverage just like a longer crowbar add more leverage.
2 It hard to rely on your test because you can't prove your torque wrench is perfectly cablibrated to exact torque settings.
And it doesn't really matter because if your torqueing your lug nut tight, chances are they're not going to come off anyway.
First thing I do when I get new tires go home, get out my breaker bar, loosen the lug nuts, set torque wrench to appropriate torque and torque them down.
One aspect: The short socket is torsionally stiffer than the longer socket. The longer socket makes the over system torsionally softer. You'll notice your torque sticks are all the same length but the rod diameter of the sticks are different. Keeping in mind all the torque sticks are the same length you will also notice that the largest diameter torque stick with be the highest torque value (that is what I suspect). The diameter of the rod will probably be proportional to the torque value of the stick. You can check. What is the torque value verses the rod diameter. I suspect it is proportional to the diameter to the 4th power. Excellent video and experimentation! Reference: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsion_constant#Circle
As to the deep well socket, the added length of a tool adds more torque, torque stick or not.
Also the make up of the steel in the socket adds a very slight difference. Torque limiters are designed to a specific length and to be used with high torque guns which give a definitive "set" (oomph, if you will) to the nut when it seats in place.
If you tighten something with a standard wrench, very slowky, adding pressure as you go, it is harder and takes longer to seat the nut than if you use more "determined" (for lack of a better word at 3 o'clock in the morning) action when you tighten the nut.
It's just simple physics, don't over think it. Very good job demonstrating how to use these tools.
I have not read all the comments so if this duplicates another I apologize. The difference in results between the two sockets may be the effect of torsional deflection. The longer socket may deflect more under the stress because of it's length. Try the test using the short socket but add a 6" extension between it and the torque stick. The Torsional deflection stores energy that may affect the results depending on where that energy is dissipated in the wrench or the bolt. Also the backlash in the fit of the square drive hole in each socket could cause different results.
After my past visit to the local mechanic where they did some work on my wifes car, i found the my lug nuts were all different torques and in fact i literally had to stand on my breaker bar to loosen two of them. I called the shop to complain and they seemed surprised. The shop owner said they usually use torque sticks
So in my opinion, no, they dont work reliably. I retorqued my lug nuts by hand using a proper torque wrench and hopefully i wont have damaged rotors now. They seem to be pulsating slightly during slow stops, due to shoddy workmanship here i may have to replace my rotors again next year
Almost every damn shop out there doesnt take the time to properly hand torque lug nuts. Sooo many rotors are destroyed every year by low effort idiots doing poor work
Electric guns are designed to tighten more with an amount of seconds. My gun has a instruction sheet with it that says for example: 3 seconds is 50 ft/lb, 5 seconds is 90 ft/lb etc etc.
The hammer/rattle effect is a lot higher frequency but less intense, I don't think it will properly twist the torque stick and achieve the torque setting like a gun with a lot more torque, that's why it keeps tightening.