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1/2" Vs 3/8" Click Torque Wrench.

Discussion in 'The Tool Shed' started by Bigdaddy13, Nov 25, 2020.

  1. Dec 11, 2020
    Oldriginal86

    Oldriginal86 Member

    Pasadena, Md.
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    Most of the major tool manufacturers offer this service through their dealers. (Tool truck). I’m sure the web has multiple listings for this.
     
  2. Dec 17, 2020
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    Hence the problem for folks like me... I 'NEVER' see a tool truck and finding one or getting to talk to one is next to impossible since I'm not a professional mechanic - I've tried.

    It would be like telling you to simply install a Kubernetes cluster you can call from your Kafka pipe to process the eventing traffic before loading it into your Hadoop lake in parquet format. That way you can put Delta Lake on it for the Spark transformations.... That I can do.
     
    SFaulken, Downs and Fireball like this.
  3. Dec 17, 2020
    teletech

    teletech Member

    Santa Cruz, CA
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    Go to a local garage/dealership and ask when the tooltruck guy comes by.
    As has been pointed out though, it's not hard to DIY.
     
  4. Dec 17, 2020
    Warloch

    Warloch Did you say Flattie??? Staff Member

    Falcon, CO
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    Been there - tried that - its a bit of a drive to the nearest dealership. Had a buddy that worked at an import specialty shop (works on my Audi's for me) and even his tool guys are inconsistent.

    I'm now on the 'DIY' mode - but there are times I'd like to get some special tools. Used to get them from the Matco guy at the mine my Dad worked at. But that's been over 25 years ago now.
     
    Downs likes this.
  5. Dec 17, 2020
    Oldriginal86

    Oldriginal86 Member

    Pasadena, Md.
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    Nov 5, 2014
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    https://www.mountztorque.com/site/Other Documents/Mountz Calibration Price List 2020.pdf
    Found on the web. Two locations and the calibration price is more then reasonable. I may send mine to them.
     
  6. Dec 30, 2020
    mortten

    mortten I can’t put my finger on it 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Peninsula, Ohio
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    I have a Craftsman 1/2” clicker, a 3/8 Snap-On 0-300 dial inch lb. and a 1/4” Snap-On 0-30 dial inch lb. The Snap-ons were my Dads. No idea what he used them for. He was an electrical engineer. He had them for work.
     
    Downs likes this.
  7. Dec 30, 2020
    Bigdaddy13

    Bigdaddy13 Member

    So.Cal
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    Nov 19, 2019
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    Well, Mrs. Bigdaddy13 decided for us. Husky 3/8's clicker. It's shiny and new and I'm sure will serve my shade-tree needs. :D :D
     
    Twin2 likes this.
  8. Jan 8, 2021
    Steve's 70-5

    Steve's 70-5 Active Member

    Louisville, Ky
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    On a click type torque wrench. When torquing something do you click it One or Two times.





    Per my conversation with a Jet Engine Mechanic that work on military aircraft.

    One click. Two clicks over torqued

    He said there torque wrenches were checked every couple months.
     
    jeeper50 likes this.
  9. Jan 8, 2021
    Downs

    Downs Rattlecan All The Things!

    Hunt County Texas
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    I was a gas turbine engine mechanic for 5 years (rebuilt GE T64s that went on CH53 helicopters) and a flight equipment technician (o2 systems, parachutes, ect) for another 8 and our torque wrenches were on an annual or ever 6 month inspection cycle, I can't remember which I've been out of aircraft maintenance for over 4 years now, if you dropped it or felt it was inaccurate you could "short cycle" it to the relevant shop to have it re-calibrated. This was in the Marine Corps.
     
  10. Jan 8, 2021
    Oldriginal86

    Oldriginal86 Member

    Pasadena, Md.
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    I’ve never heard or believe it’s over torqued at the second click. Just a waste of time.
     
  11. Jan 9, 2021
    68BuickV6

    68BuickV6 Well-Known Member

    Hesperia, CA.
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    I work in a shop, I've got a 3/8 Snap-on click type, 5-75 ft lbs for general work, a 1/2 Snap-on 40-250 wheel adjust for suspension and wheels, and a Craftsman 3/8 in lb 25-250 for precision work.

    As has been echoed in this thread over and over, its about what you're gonna do. I use the 3/8 daily on oil pan drain plugs and spark plugs, the 1/2 on wheels, and the 3/8 inch rarely. For my needs none are too big.

    But it drives me up the wall when guys throw their torque wrenches around or click the dang thing 50 times. Once is enough! I've heard in aviation and aerospace clicking twice can make a difference and push it to over torqued, also depends on your field and the tolerances.

    I take my torque wrenches to the college I went to once a year and use their digital torque wrench tester to make sure the calibration is good. Haven't had to send them out yet.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2021
    Downs likes this.
  12. Jan 31, 2021
    Arnold Layne

    Arnold Layne Member

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    As a general rule I shy away from modern methods but, anybody using the modern digital stuff? Local motorcycle shop doesn't have the time to work on my antique bikes so they let me do my stuff there, and they have a full compliment of nice tools. The ability to hit your torque value AND read your torque-to-yield angles blew me away. How does the wrench know that? I think it's probably voo-doo. I used to swear by the beam, used the clicker only occasionally, now I feel like I'm being punished using either of 'em! Along the lines of game changing tools, is anybody using the SuperScrapers? A person can only get so excited about a gasket scraper but these things are really nice.
     
    Fireball likes this.
  13. May 1, 2022
    FlatlanderCJ5

    FlatlanderCJ5 Member

    Wichita, KS
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    This is a little bit older thread but I will give you my input. I work in an Air Force cal lab (PMEL) and we calibrate thousands of wrenches a year, obviously for aircraft. Firstly, the main difference between the 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 is of course the range it can go to, but the ratchet assembly gets tougher as you go up in drive size. The 1/4 has a more delicate ratchet as compared to the 1/2, but has finer teeth and needs less rotation to find the next tooth on the ratchet. The clicker type (called snap action) is the most popular with the techs because it gives a positive indication and requires only one person. Some of our dial type wrenches require 2-3 people, two to apply torque and one to watch the dial. Those big jets have big nuts. Giggity.
    Secondly, the type of wrench is really up the user and what they can afford and like. I personally have one 3/8 snap-action, two 1/2 snap-action and one 1/4 flex beam. I use the 1/4 for screws on rifle scopes, works great. The beam type will last a lifetime of not abused. The dial type will last a long time, again if not abused. The snap action will last a long time, if not abused, maintained and calibrated. we calibrate most of the snap action wrenches every 90 days. This isn't practical for home users so keeping them in good shape is your best bet.
    A word on calibration. We calibrate our wrenches with a CDI-2000 system with multiple and single range transducers. We can go from 2 in/oz to 1000 ft/Lbs. We calibrate our own transducers every 90 days using a dead weight method with a calibrated length arm, calibrated weights and gravity correction to our site, all traceable to NIST (formerly National Bureau of Standards). We generally calibrate in only the clockwise direction. We will calibrate counter-clockwise on an as-needed basis. We were spending too many man hours and throwing away a lot of wrenches that were never used counter-clockwise anyway. We calibrate the wrenches 20-100% of range, after being exercised 6 time at full scale.
    Thirdly, brand. Most of our wrenches are Snap-On. They are not cheap but if you need a reliable wrench that can be used for many years as long as it's maintained, that's what we get. For me, I have two older Craftsman wrenches because I can't justify buying a $200+ wrench that I might use once a year. I have recently calibrated some Kobalt wrenches from Lowes, I guess, and they were pretty accurate and had reliable readings. Most of the discount wrenches are made in China. If you're buying one just to make sure lug nuts are tight, they might be okay but like everything else, you get what you pay for. I would avoid them if you can afford a little more. I have a newer Craftsman that I bought for 250 ft/Lbs and I looked all over it and can't tell where it's made. Usually if it's made in the USA they will make sure it's marked in big letters somewhere. For my limited use, it's okay. I took it to work and checked it and it was within tolerance.
    The best way to make you wrenches last is to treat them like a precision instrument, which they are.
    Keep them clean, set to the lowest setting after use (sets the internal spring to low tension), and only use them for final torque, if possible. One click is sufficient. We get wrenches in that have obviously been used as breaker bars. Also keep them dry. Water down inside will rust the pawl surfaces and give very unreliable readings. Imagine a knee joint with a square precision machined metal block in the middle of the joint. The when you hear the click, that's the pawl (metal block) clicking over inside the knee joint. More spring tension from turning the handle, requires more torque to get it to break over. Any rust of lack of lubrication inside that joint area will really affect your readings. I personally take my wrenches in the house when not in use. Probably overkill but at work we had to let them stabilize at 72 deg F for eight hours before calibration.
    Anyway, a lot of words here but hopefully it will help some of you. Cheers.
     
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  14. May 1, 2022
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Interesting. Thanks for posting.
     
  15. May 1, 2022
    Admiral Cray

    Admiral Cray I want to do this again.. Staff Member

    Bainbridge...
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    X2...
     
  16. May 2, 2022
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    And to add something, never use a torque wrench to loosen fasteners. The sudden snap release can damage them.
     
  17. May 4, 2022
    termin8ed

    termin8ed I didn't do it Staff Member

    Mason, MI
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    I've got 3/8" and 1/2" electronic snapon torque wrenches. The main and biggest reason I got them was torque to yield bolts. they do degrees, and you can do it in multiple pulls. Very easy to get your reading in tight places. I did alot of engine, trans, and drive line work. They will read in foot pounds, and many other standard and metric measurements you probably never heard of.

    Used my collapsible/extending 3/4"drive Matco ratchet (about 4' extended) with me hanging on it to tighten crush sleeves, then broke out the 1/4" beam torque wrench with 1/4-3/8-1/2-3/4 adapters to use the 36mm+ sockets to test pinion preload on axles.

    Tim, fwiw, every bolt on Chryslers has a torque spec listed in their service info. Don't know about Ford and gm...
     
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  18. May 9, 2022
    OnlyOneDR

    OnlyOneDR Member 2023 Sponsor

    R
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    I keep all mine in cases with fresh silica gel dessicant packets (they are in half of everything that ships now so they are pletiful and keep things dry). All my tools live in an insulated but non-conditioned garage and these things keep all my tools from rusting.
     
  19. May 10, 2022
    hooliganrick

    hooliganrick Sponsor

    San Diego, CA
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    As mentioned a few times....if you can afford it, get one in each drive so you can cover the wide range of torques that you will need. A ratcheting wrench is the way to go. You get a uniform torque on your work if you torqueing multiple hardware jobs etc...heads, bearing, so on. also having the 3 drives lets you use the torque value that falls in the middle of the wrench specs. You don't want to use a torque wrench set at it's minimum or extreme max....it's not designed for that. You get inconsistent torques. So I have one in each drive.
     
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