Hi,

I can't put my hands on my old inherited Torque Wrench.

I am looking at buying a new one that will be used solely for a kit car build. Could any of you recommend me a nice (cheap) one please.

What sort of nm range would be most suitable / required?

Thanks in advance

what do you call cheap ? teng do a fair one for £50.

Draper do one for a bit less.

Have a look on ebay and see if there is good pre owned one near by.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Trouble is I don't know what range in nm (or lbs) that would be best suited for the Kit Build.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Edited on 9/5/10 by Tipster69]

Argos acutally used to do one at about £20 I've used it for engines etc. allway met the ranges I need.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tipster69
Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Trouble is I don't know what range in nm (or lbs) that would be best suited for the Kit Build.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[Edited on 9/5/10 by Tipster69]

---

I got two halfords professional ones the smaller one and the middle one there is 3 I think works well (cant remember torques) smaller one I tend to use on the engine only and even better if you got trade card

things like torque wrenches, i'd buy when you need them. reason being, i bought one in the late 90s, used it maybe 3 times. they're not cheap, so when you need one, go to halfords for example, buy one for the job you need. next time, if your one doesn't meet the range, get another one that does!
thats what i'd do anyway.

I agree^^^ (with Coopz)

I've got the smallest and the biggest halfords ones, which are sykes pickavant ones only a different colour, with a lifetime guarantee, this covers everything you will ever need to do apart from screws and the like, you know, 1.5 NM and stuff, that you can judge by hand.

Having the smallest and the biggest negates the need for the middle one as the range is covered. I think you can get the pair for £110 ish with no trade card but much cheaper with one.

I had to show my qualifications to get my trade card but a mate of mine went in with his apprenticeship certificate and they gave him one, even though it was completely unrelated to the motor trade. So if you know anyone with any sort of papers, give it a go, it's well worth it, especially when you get £3 bulbs for 49p lol

Stott

[Edited on 9/5/10 by Stott]

[Edited on 9/5/10 by Stott]

I've got the smallest and the largest Draper ones. Work well together and I don't have to worry about accuracy at either end of the Nm spectrum. Also quite handy so I can one socket one one (e.g. for wheel nuts) and another on another (e.g. for caliper bolts) when I'm doing something like a brake pad change IE less socket swapping.

Hi,

MANY THANKS TO ALL for the replies.

I now have the ammo I need to make a decision. Getting the Halfords Trade card shouldn't be a problem.

CHEERS

Please forget Halfords they will rob you blind.

You don't really need a torque wrench for the chassis side of things at all, but you do need one or perhaps two for engine work.

Torque wrenches are most accurate working in the middle of their scale range .

Most ratcheting torque wrenches sold in Europe actually are the same wrench under different brand names and the prices vary greatly.

Shop around you should find very decent torque wrenches in the £12 to £25 price range either at your local tool store or off ebay or even Lidl.

If you intend working on modern or lightweight engines such as a bike engine or a K series as a first priority you need a 3/8" drive that reads up to about 25 to 50nm.

For bigger stuff you will need a 1/2" drive that the scale reaches up to about 200 to 250 nm.


To keep it accurate after using a torque wrench you should wind the tension off the spring -- ie turn it back to the bottom of its scale before putting it into storage.



[Edited on 10/5/10 by britishtrident]

£16.30 here

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Automotive/Mechanics+Tools/d60/sd180

you could buy a cheap one but sometimes they are innaccurate, your better off with a breaker bar and a blindfold, see here:

LINK

the draper one did very well for the money but note how many of the others look the same but don't perform, buy cheap buy twice and all that.....

(I know it's an old test BTW)

alterntatively, I've got a cheap poo one in the back of the garage that wouldn't take callibration after a few months that you can have if your into useless garage ornaments, lol

[Edited on 10/5/10 by Stott]

Have a 3/8 and 1/2 draper. They are fine.. Had a problem with the 3/8 would not click, sorted not problem under guarantee..

Like others have said, not strictly required though you could borrow one when needed (handy to have though IMHO, makes me feel happier with wheel nuts ect). Don't expect to be able to sort the hub nut out as these ca be FT, and will need a very high setting (the draper 1/2 will not go high enough).

Also watch out for grease/oil on nut's bolts, I have striped M18 bolt for a tow hitches because of a very small amount of grease got on the tread (grease/wax can reduce torque by 50%, you will know when it "feels funny" but it's too late then!). Also repeated said experiment on M12 suspension bolts!

Dan

Hi,

Thanks again for all the very helpful replies and info (and the offer off a freebie, thanks).

I'm still undecided and may be over thinking it. I think the Draper would suffice, especially at the price.

THANKS et al

I bought machine marts dirt cheap one that is just under £20 does everything from 30 upto 200 (cant remember which range) but is generally enough with the exception of the rear sierra hub nuts which i did with the breaker bar.