Torque Wrench for Car repairs

[zhelevn]

Heya,

Last year I killed my torque wrench during my car's last DIY service/repair. I need some suggestions on a new one that won't break the bank, but would be decent as a tool to use that once or twice a year.

Needed for car work such as: spark plug, intake manifold bolts, aux belt bolts etc.
I think my last one was maybe 50-200 Nm range, which covered most sump plugs and wheel nuts, but maybe better to get one for lower torque spec stuff and another for larger bolts?

Kind Regards,
Nikolay

 

[Blister]

Cheap does not last quality does
I have 2 Snap On units that could be available .

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Pm me, I have one here that you can have in exchange for a bowl blank

 

[Sideways]

Torque wrenches pop up on ebay regularly. Including MOD surplus some of which look little used. MOD won't buy rubbish and some of the tools they buy are very good indeed.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

How did you kill the old one? Undoing seized bolts?

 

[zhelevn]

How did you kill the old one? Undoing seized bolts?

No no of course not

Yes, it was the longest bar I had at the time. Now I have a 60 cm bar for stuff like that, but lesson learnt.

 

[zhelevn]

Cheap does not last quality does
I have 2 Snap On units that could be available .

Thanks details? Feel free to PM me.

 

[Agent_zed]

I had a cheap torque wrench that broke, so I welded the ratchet part solid and now use it as a breaker bar.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No no of course not

Yes, it was the longest bar I had at the time. Now I have a 60 cm bar for stuff like that, but lesson learnt.

Strangely enough I bought a two foot breaker bar a few months ago because it was a decent brand and cheap. I thought it might come in handy. Its first outing was to get the insert out of a bath tap. A 15" Bahco on the tap, the breaker on the insert.

 

[zhelevn]

I had a cheap torque wrench that broke, so I welded the ratchet part solid and now use it as a breaker bar.

That's a good idea. I mean, I've not taken it apart, maybe there's a part I can either fix or replace.

Strangely enough I bought a two foot breaker bar a few months ago because it was a decent brand and cheap. I thought it might come in handy. Its first outing was to get the insert out of a bath tap. A 15" Bahco on the tap, the breaker on the insert.

It's one of those things where once you buy it, you wish you had it since birth. Just makes light work of all those times I've huffed and puffed and fireman hosed a bolt with WD40.

 

[paulrbarnard]

That's a good idea. I mean, I've not taken it apart, maybe there's a part I can either fix or replace.

It's one of those things where once you buy it, you wish you had it since birth. Just makes light work of all those times I've huffed and puffed and fireman hosed a bolt with WD40.

I bought a landrover then a couple of days later bought a BIG breaker bar. Yes the two purchases were related

 

[Blister]

Thanks details? Feel free to PM me.

I thought you were offered a free one ?

 

[yngndrw]

I quite like the Halfords ones, they are decent and have a lifetime warranty. I've tested their lifetime warranty on other tools and they replaced not only the screwdriver bits which had broken, but also ones I'd told them I'd simply lost in an engine bay.

 

[RonnieI]

I quite like the Halfords ones, they are decent and have a lifetime warranty. I've tested their lifetime warranty on other tools and they replaced not only the screwdriver bits which had broken, but also ones I'd told them I'd simply lost in an engine bay.

Plus one for the Halfords Pro stuff. A ratchet of mine that I'd had for ten years or more decided it wouldn't ratchet. Took it back and they gave me a new one without question.

 

[zhelevn]

Plus one for the Halfords Pro stuff. A ratchet of mine that I'd had for ten years or more decided it wouldn't ratchet. Took it back and they gave me a new one without question.

Ohh that's good to know thanks.

I thought you were offered a free one ?

Still not sourced one. Happy to see what the options are.

 

[Glitch]

Halford Advanced tools have the Lifetime Warranty.

They have a couple of torque wrenches.

Can't argue with the quality and value for money.

There is a condition applied to the lifetime warranty for their torque wrenches:

• The Lifetime Guarantee for our Halfords Advanced torque wrenches is conditional on you being able to produce a valid Declaration of Conformance (previously known as a ‘calibration certificate’) when you request a replacement. For the purpose of this guarantee, certificates are valid for 18 months from the date of purchase or re-calibration (whichever is most recent).

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bought a landrover then a couple of days later bought a BIG breaker bar. Yes the two purchases were related

I had an Austin Gipsy about 50 years ago. I had a slow puncture and couldn't get the wheel off, so I went to a tyre place I knew and borrowed a huge spider - it still wouldn't budge. The wheel nuts were right hand threaded on one side and left hand on the other. I put a ten foot scaffold tube on the spider .......... still no movement. I got someone to hold the spider and I put the tube out to the front of the vehicle and drove onto it. I swear the crack as the nut released could have been heard a mile away. After that the first thing I ever did when I bought a second hand car was to undo the wheel nuts/studs, clean them up and copaslip them.

 

[Owd Jockey]

I use 3 Torque Wrenches, a RoeBuck (up 300Nm) which has lasted for almost 40 years, a Britool (up to 30Nm) and a Kamasa (up to 180Nm). The RoeBuck and Britool were both made in the UK, the Kamasa was Japanese.

I think the key to ensuring your torque wrench has a long and useful life is a)Never EVER use it as a breaker (unless it is 'knackered' anyway b) Always remove the torque on the torsion bar/spring after reach use.