well Snap on is the best quality but by far not the cheapest. If your looking for quality and price id go with Craftsmen.

 

And is there something specific I should be looking for in a torque wrench?
Would this suffice?
http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Torque-Wrenches/1-2-in-dr-Click-Type-Torque-Wrench/2919389.p

 

I recently got a CDI brand one from Amazon for about $130. Same company that makes Snap On, but about half the price. Torque range of 20 to 150 Ft/lbs.
I had a few cheap ones in the past like from Harbor Freight, but after snapping an exhaust clamp bolt trying to torque it because of the cheap wrench, I decided it was worth it to buy a decent one.

 

Hmmm... What torque should be put on lugs...? And is it different between OEM and aftermarket lugs?

 

I do believe it's in your owners manual.

 

If you buy Snap-on, CDI, Proto, you will have no trouble with it. If you buy Craftsman, you may or may not get a good one. A $40 torque wrench, I wouldn't touch it. If costs more than that to get one calibrated.

 

I have a Mastercraft one that I bought from Canadian Tire. They put them on sale quite often. I got mine for $50 regular $130. Can't go wrong with that deal. I believe it goes from 20-250 ft-lbs so it has a good range. Highly recommended for a guy on a budget and not wanting to go all out for Snap On or Mac Tools.

I torque my lugnuts to 140 ft-lbs. I believe that's pretty close to what the manufacturer recommends.

 

if you are thinking about working on things like rebuilding engines, transmissions, & differentials
Get well known mechanics tools

lug nut tightening does not take a professional mechanics tool, just about anything with a torque indicator will work, Clicker type or BEAM type
i would not buy a digital torque wench for automotive equipment

the only thing about the Beam type, is that you need to be able to see the dial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo2sq9BIC_8

 

Thanks, guys!

So, on Crappy Tire's website there are two versions... Mastercraft and Mastercraft Maximum...

I am going to go out on a limb and say that I probably will not need the Maximum version. I don't care about ergonomics, I'll use this sucker 2x a year and I don't care about the moulded case. They both have the same warranty.
Something I am not considering?

 

X2 I have a Mastercraft regular, been using it for years. I rotate my tires twice a year with it amongst other things. I Torque the lug nuts to 135 ft lbs.

 

Ya it's just the regular Mastercraft one that I have. Works great.

 

That torque wrench should work great for your needs. I think it is a good idea to not leave the wrench set to the 120 - 140 ft/lbs you need to torque the wheel nuts when you store it. Back the setting off to its minimum for storage. Try to not be rough on it to save the calibration. After sitting up of months, set it to a lower setting, maybe 80, and torque a couple of nuts to get the internals lubricated again before you try to torque to the full value.

 

Great advice right here ^^ Always back the adjustment all the way off after you're done using it or it will go out of calibration. That's one of the key items in keeping a torque wrench working properly.

If you're not going to be doing alot of mechanical work on your truck, save your money.
The biggest problem is getting lugs off. The tire guys rarely put grease on the threads and are tough to get off when needed, and that is at night in a storm on the side of the road.
Get a quality truck size 4-way wrench, they put plenty of torque on the nuts and after driving a couple of miles you can just check them again. They store nicely under the front passenger seat.

So are you trying to say a torque wrench isn't necessary to put wheels on a vehicle? That's terrible advice.... Wheels always need to be torqued on properly. There are a ton of other items on a truck that need to be torqued on properly as well. A torque wrench is pretty much a must have tool for any mechanic. To say "save your money" and not buy one is simply foolish.

 

If you're not going to be doing alot of mechanical work on your truck, save your money.
The biggest problem is getting lugs off. The tire guys rarely put grease on the threads and are tough to get off when needed, and that is at night in a storm on the side of the road.
Get a quality truck size 4-way wrench, they put plenty of torque on the nuts and after driving a couple of miles you can just check them again. They store nicely under the front passenger seat.

 

I completely agree with kidmechanic. I've never heard of anyone torquing lug nuts with a torque wrench. I know mechanics almost never do it at the shop, regardless if they claim to. And I never have.

I have different torque wrenches for different uses, but I agree if you are ONLY buying it for wheels save the money.

I prefer the old beam type(I have a craftsman) as it's most accurate. I have click type for when I can't use the beam type(either can't see the face plate or not enough room).

I'd really recommend not getting a torque wrench just for wheels. If you have other uses yes it's a great tool.

 

So are you trying to say a torque wrench isn't necessary to put wheels on a vehicle? That's terrible advice.... Wheels always need to be torqued on properly. There are a ton of other items on a truck that need to be torqued on properly as well. A torque wrench is pretty much a must have tool for any mechanic. To say "save your money" and not buy one is simply foolish.[/QUOTE]

That's what I'm saying. If It was so important, the manufacturers would give you more than a toothpick to change a flat.

If a 4-way wrench isn't enough torque, then perhaps you should leave working on your vehicle to the pro's.

Next!

 

That's what I'm saying. If It was so important, the manufacturers would give you more than a toothpick to change a flat.

If a 4-way wrench isn't enough torque, then perhaps you should leave working on your vehicle to the pro's.

Next!

They give you that because a spare isn't meant to be used for every day driving. It's meant to be put on just to get you home or to the tire shop. Then changed right back to your proper wheel/tire.

You're not understanding the point... a torque wrench isn't necessary to get the nuts tight enough. It's necessary to get them all to an equal tightness. That prevents warping. By your logic you wouldn't need a torque wrench for anything... I'd like to see you go build an engine and see how long it lasts without torquing anything properly.

Pretty unwise of you to question the level of mechanic that I am. I pretty much guarantee I've done way more mechanic work in my life and am far better at it than you are. Including building 700+ hp engines, rebuilding transmissions, custom building frames and suspensions for 10 second race cars, working on cars that have gone to SEMA and won top awards at shows all over the states, building and customizing suspensions for circle track cars, lifting trucks, building up my 6.7 Cummins etc. Don't question someone when you have no idea what they've done or what they're capable of.

Sometimes people are way too technical. There are oem specs for just about everything. When I added the fold flat floor to the rear of my truck under the seat I did not bust out the torque wrench to tighten the seat bolts to the oem spec. I paid attention to how tight they were before and tightened them to roughly the same. Yeah it's not exact, but it really does not matter. It's close enough for this application.

I've put hundreds of thousands of miles on vehicles and never once used a torque wrench on a lug nut. Never broke a lug nut and never lost one. Use common sense, get it tight enough but not too tight. It doesn't have to be perfect.

BTW, torque readings will vary GREATLY depending on how clean/dirty the threaded surfaces are, if a lubricant is used, etc. So even using a torque wrench there's a large variance. And I doubt anybody wire brushes the lugs off then applies a torquing lubricant to get it exact. It's just not necessary.

But to each their own. It takes long enough to rotate tires, I don't want to make it longer lol.

I agree with the first part of your post. There's a lot of things I don't use a torque wrench for that a manufacturer would recommend. I just don't see it as necessary.... The fold flat floor example that you said is a perfect example of that. In no way does that need to be torqued to a proper spec. It just doesn't make sense. But there are a lot of items that do. Where it matters more is where you have multiple nuts holding something on that has the possibility of getting hot. Wheels are an example of that. It's not the wheels that are going to have the problem from not being torqued properly, but the things behind them will. If everything isn't torqued equally (or close to it) you're going to have way more problems with warping disks, hubs, or drums. It's not as extreme or as likely, but it is possible.

It's like this, and kind of what I referred to in my post above, would you ever build an engine without a torque wrench? No. Plain and simple. It's just not possible. Ya you'll get it together, but is it going to last very long. Not a chance. The difference being that things are getting that much hotter and therefore have a greater chance to warp. It would be like me putting head studs in my Cummins (which I did) and not torquing them down to spec. It would be a complete waste of time and money because as soon as it got hot and I put my foot into it, it would have blown the head gasket. No question.

By saying you don't want to spend the extra 2 minutes it takes to torque your wheels on properly when you rotate your tires just doesn't make sense. It's an expensive truck with expensive wheels and tires.... 2 minutes is definitely worth your time to keep it working properly and prevent things from wearing out prematurely.

Anyways... rant over...

 

Always torque the lug nuts. Previous posts are correct, the shops don't always do it because it takes for time. However, after replacing a couple of warped rotors because of that, I always double check the torque. I have also seen many broken lugs from over tightening, and have also seen wheels come loose and damage the wheels due to under tight lugs.
The lug wrench supplied with the jack is for use in an emergency, if you have a flat. Even then, check it when you get home.
If it was not important, there would not be a spec in the OM for it.

 

Sometimes people are way too technical. There are oem specs for just about everything. When I added the fold flat floor to the rear of my truck under the seat I did not bust out the torque wrench to tighten the seat bolts to the oem spec. I paid attention to how tight they were before and tightened them to roughly the same. Yeah it's not exact, but it really does not matter. It's close enough for this application.

I've put hundreds of thousands of miles on vehicles and never once used a torque wrench on a lug nut. Never broke a lug nut and never lost one. Use common sense, get it tight enough but not too tight. It doesn't have to be perfect.

BTW, torque readings will vary GREATLY depending on how clean/dirty the threaded surfaces are, if a lubricant is used, etc. So even using a torque wrench there's a large variance. And I doubt anybody wire brushes the lugs off then applies a torquing lubricant to get it exact. It's just not necessary.

But to each their own. It takes long enough to rotate tires, I don't want to make it longer lol.

 

Any reputable shop uses air guns that are adjusted to torque specifications. Yes, there are lug nut torque spec's. If someone is applying too much torque with a hand wrench, ease up on the steroids. Replacing a flat tire isn't always an emergency, it's just a flat tire and the tools given by the manufacturer are sufficient to do the job and carry on with your travel. If a full size spare is provided, it's recommended to replace the defective tire for future use. If you are not a mechanic, then stop and have a professional check your work. AAA is a good thing to have, you won't even get your hands dirty.

 

@snrusnak, Well said. Have someone get you some 'rep' points, I don't think I'm qualified

 

Kudos to the OP for doing things correctly, and looking to get set up to do it right. And cheers to brandonjanson - all very well said.

Torque specs are there for a reason, and considering what are involved with your wheels, their operation, components, and how integral they are to functioning (and surviving) there is no reason not to set them to spec.
I get this argument all the time from a buddy of mine along with plug gap; he never gaps his plugs, just pops 'em out of the box and into the engine.

His idea of torque measurements is 'as tight as he can get'. Ever heard of Young's Modulus of Elasticity? He lost a wheel on the way to work when the lugs backed off. He also collapsed two lifters, but that was a different yet equally hilarious adventure.

And while I am on a soapbox: the only tire place in town I use was selected because they insist on using a manual torque wrench on all vehicles as a final step (as well as torque sticks on the rack, but they double check once back on the ground).

 

@brandonjansen, At what time should a flat be driven on? Great mechanic!

 

Yup, cause the fact that I had one typo in my post that entirely disproved your whole argument makes me a bad mechanic. Glad to see that was your only response here bud. I've obviously made my point.

 

It seems to me the most important things to get right on your vehicle is proper mounting of the wheels. Your family is literally riding on them. How can you be satisfied with someone's WAG as to how tight they are? Torque wrenches are worth the expense and it only takes a few minutes to use it. Like someone said, there are mechanics that mount wheels to you vehicles that don't use them. How do you know the wheels will still be attached miles down the road. If I am not able to watch a mechanic use a torque wrench on them at a tire shop, I check them myself. Like Brandon said, some things don't need it, wheels ain't one of them. By the way, as far as I remember it is recommended to not use grease or any lubricant on the wheel studs. They are meant to be torqued dry. If there is rust on them, they should be wire brushed.

 

Hey Brandon, Bud, You do have a point there somewhere. I never mentioned anything about not using proper build technique on anything, and the toothpick I was referring to was the jack handle/wrench, not a temporary spare that you went off about. I just made a slight joke about your typo.

My mistake was thinking that when I gave my opinion/suggestion that all involved are seasoned mechanics and can read between the lines without ad infinitum detail. My apologies to your extensive knowledge and years of experience.

You appear to be a high ranking member of the forum, so by all means just delete my account, please, and do us both a favor. Thanks

 

I realize you were talking about the jack handle/wrench. I brought the temporary spare into the argument because that's what the jack handle/wrench is meant to be used on. Just a temporary item, not your everyday wheels.

But whatever... no need to argue about this any further.

 

I pretty much guarantee I've done way more mechanic work in my life and am far better at it than you are.

That's a pretty damn bold statement...

To each their own but I wouldn't spend $100+ on a good torque wrench if my ONLY use for it was torquing wheels. I've put hundreds of thousands of miles on my vehicles never used a torque wrench, never lost a lug nut, never broke a lug nut, only time I've replaced rotors is not due to warping it's when they have 150k or so miles on them and are getting scored. I don't have an issue with this but just saying it's not NECESSARY.

I've never seen a mechanic adjust the air gun to torque wheels and have watched every time I've had tires put on. They leave it at the same setting all day long.

 

I've used mine for all kinds of things, not just the lug nuts. Picked mine up on sale and it's definitely been worth it to have one, just saying.

 

My dad ran a gm dealership and now controls an rv dealership. Torque wrenches have always been used on lugs.