You're Using a Torque Wrench Wrong: MythBusting 10 Do's & Dont's
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Join us as we test all the Torque wrench usage myths, rules of thumb, do's & don'ts we've heard from decades using them. We learned some new things along the way, so maybe you will as well.
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0:00 Price
4:05 2 Hand Placement
5:54 3 Torque Adapters
8:58 4 Wrench Adapters
9:55 5 Flex-Heads
11:03 6 Extensions & Attachments
13:10 7 Not Resetting Wrench
14:24 8 Adjustable TQ Wrenches
16:39 Anti-Seize
18:44 Calibration
*For the Anti-Seize* this only applies to threads that spec being dry. The opposite is true for a bolt intended to be lubed but is torqued dry - or for example rusty, even if effort in is the same it understandably results in being less tight. And higher doesn't guarantee failure, simply means the bolted joint will be much more clamped, the bolt twisted and threaded more and closer to its point of no return. There's known formulas for this. Always consult the spec 1st. *For resetting your TQ wrench* we showed it's POSSIBLE on our oldest/cheapest wrench. So not a myth, but that's not to say some aren't barely effected by it. We don't have the data.
Would like to see the follow up on this with threadlocker, if it throws the real torque too
Another fantastic video. As torque is simply a surrogate for bolt tension, it would be nice to always know the friction of the threads, and have a specification for that friction. As dry friction is really hard to know (a lot of variability, especailly if not perfectly clean), it is best to use wet/lubricated threads (and the torque value for that lubricant), as it it much less variable. One thing that is almost always forgotten, is that this toque to tension conversion is only valid for sliding friction (dynamic), not static. In reality, what this means is that all of those people that check a bolt after it has stopped turning, are in reality not doing anything useful at all, as that is static friction. This is not to say that the similar practice of backing it off slightly and then tightening the bolt slowly and smoothly is the often recommended way to tighten things, sometimes in a pattern with multiple steps, like an intake manifold. Note: Dynamic friction is always lower than static friction. This is one big reason that it is often hard to use some digital torque adapters vs click, as the sound is not well timed to the stop point in sliding.
Yeah you make a great point. The wrench torquing the same bolt with and without the anti-seize produced the same amount of torque, it’s just that when they lubricated the treads with the anti-seize it generated more force. It shows how variable torque as a fastening method is!
But I hope people don’t think that anti-seize is bad or makes torque wrong. You just have to use what the manufacturer states should be applied.
Nothing wrong with Anti-Seize, we use it in plenty of places it's not spec'ed to go. Just to make the next guy's life easier. It's just good to keep in mind you might need one or two less ugga duggas on like a suspension component when using.
You can't film torque wrenches, cause the camera adds 10lbs
Man that's a good one 😂😂😂
😳
😂😂😂
Womp womp 😂
Nice one dad
Wow, the 100 foot pound setting with 200 foot pounds equivalent clamping force because of the anti-seize blew my mind
You wrote that sentence better than we explained it
That's why you have to use ARP lube when installing ARP head studs. People use random oil and then snap their studs, then blame ARP when it was their own fault. Diesel guys also snap head studs all the time because they use Detroit Diesel #2 "peanut butter" lube on their threads which was specifically designed to drastically reduce torque specs on large diesel engines. All the light duty diesel guys like to think they drive semi trucks, so they use that lube and over torque their bolts until they snap off.
Yeah that was crazy. Glad I watched this because I had no idea.
our spec in the mines says it affects torque by about 30% guess they were a little off lol
@@MrBOOM546 it can be all over the place based on size pitch and condition
I've calibrated a lot of torque wrenches in the last 2 years. Here's my quick notes for users; Crappy click wrenches are usually terrible at their lowest marked value. Go above 40% for a bit more chance of getting near spec. Click wrenches have about 3° of movement befor they start increasing in torque again. Sneak up on it if you can! The checkers report the "first peak" value, not the final value. Wind up to a setting, not down to it. That's to avoid hysteresis. Deflecting beam tools are great, you ahould have one for the the fastners you care about getting 'right on'. Don't lend torque tools.
I once did , the woman I leant it to promised to set zero , I just happened to be passing her landrover ….not only was my expensive Norbar wrench in the dash it was reading 100ft pounds in a heat wave !! What a fkin bitch !! That all happened yrs ago, I don’t know that anybody will read this I don’t particularly care 😂 it is good to off load my pain I feel better now .. And now he’s lol
That last line is so important! But I get to buy a new tool now.
@@drumbrakes Treat yo'self!
Thank you brother.
17:00 I even look at anti-seize wrong and I turn into the Silver Surfer.
It's more like the Venom symbiote, it gets everywhere and you can't get it off.
I swear that stuff sneaks out of the bottle by itself.
@@cujoedaman sounds like my first wife.
And you should smell the crap at 600 degrees Frankenstein. It is a smell like no other 🤮
Brake clean. Brake clean everything, every where. Use bath if necessary follwed by steam clean. Hope this helps.☢
Wow someone is actually verifying my college physics textbook wasnt gaslighting me. Thank you.
...and sharing it with those who didn't take physics in college.
Fear not...in most cases, they absolutely WERE gaslighting you in those "textbooks".
That's the problem with gaslighters, they'll show you something real just to keep the charade going. That book can't hurt you anymore. You're safe
@johnsmith7676 Oh you're "that" guy.
what I've learned from Aerospace work. 1. Double clicking makes no difference. but should be avoided not to piss off QA. 2. TR should be stored at 20% of the maximum torque. (exe:100lb max on a wrench, so 20lbft store setpoint) 3. As long as the crow's foot or extension is at a 90 deg to the wrench, torque ends up being accurate. 4. Set your TW in the middle of the acceptable range when using. If the bolt spec is 15-20lbft. set the wrench on 17lbft. that way even if the wrench is off 2-3% you are still in the right range.
I learned the same exact stuff at the US Army Aviation school house. For me, it was the AH64 Apache platform.
who cares what qa thinks and under 5 ft lbs doesnt make any kind of difference. bolts dont fail that simply
@@nomercyinc6783 You obviously don't work on aircraft my friend. 5lb off on a 20lbft fuel tank nozzle for example is 20% off the torque spec.
Double clicking does make a difference, because you're trying to overcome the resistance again.
My Goodyear torquewrench goes up to 200Nm at the top and 40Nm at the bottom. I was always unsure if I should turn it back down below 40 but your 20% rule makes sense.
Watching TTC on a Friday at work, life ain't so bad.
Same!
always watch it on my lunch, and I work maintinence so it's "research" if anyone asks
Except for those of us without clerical jobs like your probably is. Some are busy using the tools instead of watching
Torque channel to de-stress 😂
@@elijah3807 At least you had time to look at the comments! 😂
TTC: that was the most informative 20 minutes on KZhead. The amount of research and work that went into this video was well worth it. We all thank you.
As an engineer who is really good at math, I'll admit that I thought that is how using an extension would work, but never was sure enough to try it on anything important. Thanks for confirming what I was never totally sure was correct.
I'm with you, except for the good at math part. I've always been "well it's obvious it shouldn't change" meanwhile my brain is like "Right? I'm pretty sure"
How do you know if someone is an engineer….
As a dude who never got past algebra 2 in community college, I figured extensions would work this way too. The extension might twist... But it's still going to transfer the same amount of torque unless you twist the extension past the metal's plastic deformation point (I think that's what it is...).
@@gpaull2I think the answer is the same as Q: how do you know if a man is a pilot? A: He'll TELL you!
Can't say I ever had any doubt about the extensions. This is pretty simple static system. The dynamics are what complicate the behavior of impact wrenches. Though there was someone who claimed to be a technician at a nuclear plant or something and they were taught to never place a hand on the head of the torque wrench while tightening. The reason I do is usually when I have extensions, otherwise there's enough wobble in the line it'll move to the side, or it'll knock the socket off the nut or bolt. Personally I think putting the hand there is fine and won't hesitate to continue doing it, but would be curious to see it measured. Maybe in a YT short rather than making another long form video. I'm guessing when all the extensions were on TTC was already using his hand on the head otherwise I doubt he could keep the line of extensions straight.
Finally, real proof of what I learned about 3 decades ago, when I decided that since I swapped wheels on my drag race car frequently, a bit of anti-seize might be a good idea, so I don't "wear out" the wheel studs and nuts... and, that is exactly the same time I started breaking off wheel studs while torquing them to the same torque value I did before, and was left scratching my head!? I even went out and bought a new torque wrench to replace my suddenly "inaccurate/broken" one! Finally realized that the ONLY thing I changed was adding anti-seize...once I took the anti-seize off the wheel studs, the problem went away! This was in 1987 or so. No KZhead, no internet (at least not for most folks). Just learned the hard way. About a year later, GM released a TSB warning against the use of anti seize on wheel studs. 🧐
I remember the hours....DAYS...sometimes even weeks we spent researching things before the internet. Trying to pin out an '80s german wiring harness, finding rare parts by spending 4 hours at the local speed shop going through greasy catalogues...blegh. And now all we use it for is arguing with people.
For sure... I was (trying to) fly R/C helicopters in 1989....when they were in their infancy. All I had was one well written book, and some magazines...and chit chat with a hobby shop guy. Talk about trial and error! Amazing the information at our fingertips/keyboards these days, so many people take it for granted! @@-tr0n
It's unreal what you can learn on BoobTube I also had the same problem with lug nuts earlier 80's
Sounds like GM, going for rusty/seized instead of a spec for lubed threads only!
When i was a Disney attraction mechanic they gave us a class showing all this miths, another one pretty interesting was reusing a bolt , comparing clamping force vs torque ,the new thread porous surface act as a bearing with less contact surface, so everytime you torque and lose the bolt it polish the threads giving more surface contact and reducing camping fir e at same torque, but out a drop of oil clamping went back exactly as new bolt.
Would definitely like to see TTC do an additional test with just a drop of oil instead of anti-seize.
I believe the head stud and TTY bolt videos they did covered that.... It's been a while though
So was that proven to be a myth?
"but out a drop of oil clamping went back exactly as new bolt" did you mean to write, put on a drop of oil ?
@@brianblithe2271 lubricating the bolt,using same torque, bringed back same clamping force as when the bolt was new without any lubricant
Very informative video. The anti-seize myth confirmed is mind blowing that it double the torque.
Doubled the bolt tension, basically clamping force. Torque and bolt tension have always held a loose relationship, and using a lever stick and measuring how much effort you're using is still practically cave man era tech. For example engine builders measure bolt stretch on a rod with a micrometer to determine proper bolt tension. But I agree, the anti-seize blew our minds. We probably tested it a dozen times because DOUBLE sounded like it would be hard to even sell you guys on being real. K factor is no joke.
@@TorqueTestChannel Yes. This is why ARP is **adamant** you only use **their** thread lube when tensioning their fasteners to to their torque specs.
@@GroovesAndLands I work maintenance at a refinery, we had a company come in about 10 years ago and show us just how crazy torque can get depending on what coatings, lubricants or loctite are used. it definitely blew my mind!
It didn't double the torque, it doubled the clamping force. I use anti seize on damn near everything, I've never had a bolt or wheel stud break. I have an old f250 that has been sitting since 2017, the lug nuts were torqued to 150ft/lb. I bought a Hercules 20v compact impact gun a month ago (April 2024)and it has no problem with removing the lug nuts. So if doubling the torque was happening these lug nuts would be over 300 ft/lb, that Hercules doesn't do 300, It does 250 at best.
@@truracer20 Exactly. If this was true, Putting oil on head bolts/studs before torqueing them to SPEC would be erroneously taught and Required by every manufacturer on the planet. ... Interesting. Out of all the engines ive built this way, Ive NEVER had one come back for a head lifting off, or being over torqued and warped, leaking gasket ect.. Never.
One of my favorite moments working at a uhaul repair shop was when they sent the shop a torque wrench calibration tool, and my $10 harbor freight was the most accurate one in the entire shop! Even after they calibrated the other guys (and shop) tools, mine still had the tightest range.
I was just as surprised to find this out after buying Snap-on duplicates of all my cheap torque wrenches. Pretty upsetting to have wasted so much money.
Not uncommon at all, even with precision measuring equipment like calipers and micrometer prices doesn’t equal accuracy. Even more surprising mechanic who regularly uses torque wrenches can be within 10% without a torque wrench.
@@zacharymorris9917That doesn't mean it's a waste of money. Your Snap on may not be as close now, but give it 6 or 7 thousand bolts before you make your judgement for sure
@@maxscott3349 he can buy one a year at harbor freight for 6k bolts and sill be saving $
@maxscott3349 I've given it at least 10 years so far. The Snap-on are definitely more user-friendly, ergonomic, and comfortable. Using them correctly is definitely more accurate than the others being used incorrectly.
For the anti seize myth. Glad to see it in action. From working with big machinery. There's a metric bolt chart for tightness depending on hardness and wet v dry
Working at shipyards, we lubricate every fastener. Our torque specs require anti-seize to be to legitimate.
Yep, follow the work procedure re wet vs. dry torque. There are reasons why one or the other is specified. In automotive applications it is usually dry unless otherwise stated, but the front matter of the service manual is a common place to find that info.
@@berrymacokener4393 this is how it shoud be either everything needs anti-seize or nothing does lol
@@joey9511small correction, everything should have anti-sieze unless it needs thread locker/sealant
@@williambartholomew5680 I guess it depends on the terminology, but anti-seize is used in high-temperature applications. There is a big difference between bolting an exhaust manifold and a door hinge. How about just following instructions? In many applications, dry connection is just fine. And personally, I would rather default to mild thread locker (i.e. non-permanent) unless higher temperatures are involved as vibrations loosening fasteners is more dangerous than fasteners getting stuck (that's just expensive and annoying). But still, I need to know whether the torque specified is wet or dry.
Double the torque using anti-seize is insane. I use anti-seize quite a bit on bikes and had no idea I could be torquing the fasteners with up to double the force. In fact if anything I thought it would result in less torque I'll definitely keep this in mind going forward. The problem is a lot of the time bike manuals don't specify any lubricants for fasteners, just a torque value. And you know that if you don't put anything on the threads it's gonna seize and be a nightmare to remove. You should do a video looking deeper into torque values when using different lubricants, e.g. different types of grease, loctite, anti-seize. Would be interesting to see the effect. Also the effect of putting more or less lubricant on threads.
I agree. The anti-seize is something I've never taken into consideration.
There are charts you can reference to convert dry torque value to wet, but you are assuming liability
Some applications will specify what lubricants to use - engines for example often require oil on threads when torquing, some engine bolts require thread sealant, so the manuals state different specs for both. So for anti-sieze or oil, those should only be applied to fasteners you don't need a torque wrench for - tighten to what you're comfortable loosening at. Anti-sieze on my lug nuts tightened as hard as I can get them with my 12" diameter 4-way lug wrench will result in no damage and the wheel won't fall off nor will the lugs naturally loosen either. But anti-sieze on an axle bolt that needs a very specific torque spec and you shouldn't be touching frequently? Definitely do as manual describes
@@williambartholomew5680 you should NEVER put anti-seize on lug nut threads ever ! And tightening them down as hard as you can with your 4 way wheel brace is insane. If you do that to either alloy wheels or steel wheels you will fck up the studs on the hubs and alloy wheels will eventually crack from over tightening. There’s a reason why lug nuts are torqued to specific foot pounds or newton meters ! False information people,never put anti-seize on lug nut threads.
@@williambartholomew5680 all this coming from a guy that assembles Lego 😆 dude you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
How about testing torque wrenches at room temperature (75F*) vs a torque wrench at freezing temperatures. That would be great information for mobile mechanics in various weather conditions
Probably not much difference for spring wrenches. The spring constant slightly rises with lower temperature, which means the wrench will stop at a lower Nm. However, it will also heat up quickly due to the compression, so it may counter the ambient temperature by itself.
@@Asto508 Maybe, but you can't adjust it when the handle is frozen in ice. I think the heat is worse. I have the numbers tattooed on my hand from when the sun shifted and the torque wrench was out in the sunlight when I grabbed it.
I got a new digital torque adaptor, I tested out my cheap old click type and T type as well. With practice I consistently got under one pound. When I first started I was 3 or 4 pounds off. Basically, go slowly and you will get better results,
We usually set digital around 3ft-lbs low and go until the beep and then check the display and it's fairly spot on from going over a bit, just as you say
Can't state the number of times we were called out as being "dead wrong" with everything this episode covered and confirmed. The only hope is those heathens will stumble upon this data one day and realize we actually do know what we're talking about. And a well deserved shout-out to Tools Tested was definitely in order. The man does no-nonsense videos that are short and to the point. Cheers!
If you ever do a torque wrench part 2 myth, I would love to see if the wrench needs recalibrated after being dropped at all, and if being dropped while in the case does anything
I couldn't count the amount of posts I've read to do with storing your TW at whatever setting. Many many many folks would all tout the same advice that springs don't deform or change over time so therefore u need not set it to zero. I've heard it from machinists, engineers, spring steel experts, long time mechanics, just about everyone. BUT...the manual always said, 'when storing your TW reset to zero'. 🤣 This is an information lesson where often the 'expert' offering advice is just Jo Blow who is repeating something he's read. And that happened like thousands of times. This happens on the internet in communities where the gene pool of 'original' information is small. Good job TTC!!
Keep in mind this was a cheap harbor freight spring cranked all the way in. It's just one data point. For example leaving your wrench anywhere other than cranked all the way in may not matter. The tool designer could also design a little more leeway in how compressed the spring actually is at full adjustment as well. All it confirms is that it can happen in a worst case scenario with a cheaper tool.
@@GigsVT I'm gonna chime in with more anecdotal evidence, USGI AR-15 magazines stored loaded work less reliably when stored full of ammo, than when kept empty. Springs are springs after all, and the magazines we had that were kept loaded for months at a time would not feed the first 2-3 rounds as reliably as the magazines that were allowed to decompress. Yes, they were cheaper magazines with a single coil spring, however they were bad. Also to note, US Army doctrine used to be that those magazines had a 5 year expiration date from manufacture, but that wasn't followed much of the time since magazines come out of the unit budget. If you still had them, you kept using them until they were bad.
@@GigsVT I agree with you here. I've got an SK click torque wrench 1/2 drive (25-250ftlb range I believe) that I leave at 80ftlbs for the lugs I torque most often. I've had it set this way for more than a decade. When I periodically test it versus my Mac digital torque wrench (that I have sent out for calibration) it's spot on. I think where the adjustment is left at and the quality of the spring probably makes a big difference.
@@loki91t Doesn't really matter the quality of a spring, they will all hold memory eventually. even just using them as intended and zeroing will deform with time doesn't matter what spring steel was used, nothing lasts forever. it may make a difference but doesn't make it immune to deformation so the info in the video is still valid.
@@mattlitton8066 I would argue that it *does* matter as there are quite a large variation in steels and alloy qualities. Materials science comes into play here (part of mechanical engineering field of study), and there is such a thing as an edurance limit for steel that means it stays in an elastic range of strain and therefore does not yield plasticly.
I knew the anti-seize 'myth' wasn't a myth because every torque spec I've ever seen for heavy truck axle options lists a dry and a wet torque spec. It definitely wasn't this severe though, I think wet spec is about 1/3rd-1/4 less applied. I suppose this is based on a specific amount of anti-seize applied and is probably less severe with larger thread sizes. Come to think of it I had a job where we replaced all of the intake and exhaust pipe on a navy ship. I, along with big buddy Dave personally torqued almost all those bolts on those big pipe flanges, 200nm, stainless M16 or M20 bolts with copper anti-seize. 200Nm isn't a picnic but it seemed like a pretty big 200Nm... We stripped out and snapped a bunch of those bolts, I never really considered applying wet torque to those specs, lesson learned, hopefully she holds up.
I guess that's the thing they mentioned on 18:36, it's all over the place depending on content of anti-seize, application (thick, thin, dot, etc.), bolt and nut conditions.
Stainless steel is a somewhat unusual. Depending on the exact ally It galls very easily and strip easily. The other problem is torque wrenches are less accurate at the edges of their range. I have had a few cases where the wrench didn’t click before the bolt did.
With the anti-seize, I remember people telling me this when I was younger, my objection was and still is, if the thread is rusty then the torque figure will be wrong too. So when working on old cars the torque wrench is pretty much useless because the values will be all the place, this is why the hand is more accurate. Yes if you are working on a plane or shuttle, you would use a torque wrench, but you also get all new fasteners, so that is an apples and oranges comparison.
If the threads are bad, on a fastener that you care about, clean up the threads before tightening.
You are correct. In aviation, we discard important fasteners after a few uses because on worn fasteners, the preload changes even when a properly calibrated torque wrench is used. Some fasteners are less important. The ones holding on the propeller? Pretty important. (And pretty expensive.) The ones holding on the inspection panels? I think some of ours are factory original (from the 1980s.) On the other hand, we don't actually torque the panel screws. If you get them too tight, the nut-plate they screw into breaks, and you have to replace it, which is annoying and time-consuming. You learn pretty quick how tight to make them to avoid breaking nutplates and still keep them from falling out on the ramp and puncturing tires. (These are small, slow planes. When I worked on airliners, we definitely did torque the panel screws, and we replaced them often.)
Really cool video! The one myth I am still curious about is the one that says that if you loosen fasteners with with a torque wrench (like it's a breaker bar) it destroys the accuracy.
Many wrenches work in both directions, so it probably depends on whether you have to keep pulling on it after it "clicks". If you keep pulling after the click, I can see how something might get bent or distorted and affect the accuracy. Otherwise it should be fine in either direction, for wrenches designed to work in both directions.
Click type torque wrenches, contain moveable mechanical parts. So using a torque wrench as a breaker bar will only succeed in adding additional wear to those movable parts. Most torque wrenches that I have seen and used, do go both ccw and cw rotation. After all there are left hand threaded fasteners. Irv.
@@sssnipercoyote60 there are some that only go one direction, I've got one. In it's a bigger one, I don't remember the range off the top of my head but it's a 1/2 drive
At 14:21 you confirmed that leaving a torque wrench wound all the way up is bad, which is why everyone says to unwind them. Most people say to unwind them all the way, but all the manufacturers say to either wind them down to the lowest setting on the scale, or 20% of the max. The explanation I've heard is that unwinding all the way can cause the sitting mechanism to unseat, and shift, therefore affecting the calibration.
All the clickers I've owned say in the manual to store it below 1/3 or 1/4 the max setting.
I’m not sure that is correct if you have a 10-80 lbft wrench you would store it at 10 lbft not 20% which would be 16 lbft.
I know my Tektons have instructions stamped right above the scale that indicate the storage setting in ft-lb. On all three I have,this happens to coincide with the bottom end of the scale, but that doesn’t mean anything for other manufacturers. Handy that it’s consistent across models, and that it’s easy to remember.
one common issue you didnt test here was a dropped torque wrench. Also some people keep torque wrenches in their cars. Exposing them to temperature fluctuations, vibration and moisture.
Great video. One comment/caution about resetting the torque wrench to zero. Be careful the handle does not come apart as mine did once. I used to set my old Craftsman click type torque wrench to “zero” (there is not actual zero setting on it) until I found that the adjustment twist handle had come loose and moved, changing the calibration. Now I leave it at 20 ft-lbs, which is the lowest setting. Keeping it at that low level is just enough to keep the parts together but it is not enough to put a set into the spring. I took the wrench apart and found nothing that I would consider to be a defect. I think this is just a flaw in the design, which causes the handle to come apart. If you ever want to cover even more torque wrench myths, I can think of 2 more. One is how fast a person raises the torque to and past the click, and then quickly does several more clicks to “ensure it is good” (I guess?). The other is to go past the “click” and keep applying force to the torque wrench handle. Does it continue to raise the bolt torque? I have found that to be a yes.
Going past the click I've seen someone do after I handed them a torque wrench only to find out they had never used one before and didn't know what the click meant (hard to fathom I know). I also wonder if it damages the accuracy of the torque wrench doing that.
I've actually only ever heard to leave it at the lowest setting, not zero. Sounds like you found that out by accident :))
i dont think the handle coming apart changes the calibration has happened to both of my cheap 20€ wrenches and the torque still seems to match i think the adjustment "handle" just screws onto the usual black nut which is what drives the innards to adjust the torque setting
I had the same exact thing happen, also with an older Craftsman clicker type wrench. The handle and calibration bolt just came loose when turning it down to zero. The wrench had been re-calibrated by a 3rd party company before that happened, so maybe the company who calibrated it didn't snug the bolt down very much, I don't know.
@@toiletgaming2005 Actually it did change the calibration. When turned, the handle would alternately engage and then disengage from the internal part that actually changed the setting. This resulted in a change in the setting. It was a bit of an effort to get it back into calibration.
Lots of myths covered in a short time. Impressive! The never seize suprised me. Excellent video!
I knew about the dogbone 90° angle concept and that micrometer torque wrenches need to be reset after every use, but I did not know about the swivel adapter error, or that split beam torque wrenches don't need to be reset. Thanks for the education!
You guys are great. Finally someone looked at the age old questions about torque wrenches and the results were as expected.
Thank you for testing Myth #8, I'm an HVAC mechanic and I use the adjustable wrench head torque wrench for tightening the flare fitting on mini split units. Luckily I have one that was made only for adjustable wrench head, but something to look out for in the future should I need a new one.
Glad to see someone test the storing a torque wrench above the lowest setting myth. A bunch of keyboard warriors flamed me when I explained that on another video saying “they do it all the time and it works fine.” Time for them to actually check their calibration.
I remember the instructions for using a dog-bone to TQ starter mounting nuts on a turbine engine: "Use documented TQ setting but ensure the dog-bone is at a 90 or less angle." Apparently, slightly under-tq'd was better than over'tq'd.
Under -torquing is (usually) okay on shear applications and where the part can be distorted and damaged by over-tightening, or where you risk tearing out threads. But you do not want to under-torque a bolt in a tension application when there will be frequent loading, such as a head-bolt in an engine. Repeated stress beyond the preload of the bolt can cause fatigue and failure. If the engineers say it's okay, then you can take their word for it. But it is dangerous to apply an application-specific allowance as a general rule!
I'm glad I tuned into this video, myth #9 was pretty eye-opening to me. I work for a manufacturer of heavy equipment and we slather pretty much everything in anti-seize (including hub studs, got me to chuckle when you mentioned us in th Rust Belt). I'll have to consult with engineering to see what spec they're following because nearly doubling a 100 ft-lb reading could have an impact depending on our application.
I had a class in auto mechanics in high school. Taught by a man who was an aircraft mechanic during WWII. He stressed the torque wrench should only be pressed from the defined handle and pressure should be slow and steady not snapped. He demonstrated snapping the wrench could result in being off 20 pounds when wrench is set at 120. This was a very good video, many thanks. I'm glad you showed how the wrench with twist dial should be stored unloaded. He explained the necessity of accuracy with torque. Most bolts are designed to slightly stretch sort of like a rubber band. That stretch is what keeps them tight. It is not just the friction of the surfaces that touch.
Your channel makes me smile every friday. Thanks for all the hard work you do.
The Old Heads on Facebook are gonna HATE this one! Love the work TTC you're giving all of us tradie plebs a look behind the curtain at the Cal Lab and Physics at work
One more comment: How about a shootout for bolt tension vs. joint tension for various bolt coatings and surface treatments? Zinc-oxide, chromate, black-oxide, bare metal, sputtered Al, etc for coatings. Anti-seize, grease (several types), graphite, vacuum grease (Braycote, Kluberalfa, etc), PTFE, silicone? I've heard tell of some bolts busted on a particular space station that were done up with vacuum grease and torqued to spec - they would never publicly admit such foibles, but it does happen to the 'best' of us. Cheers!
Came here to ask the same thing.
I appreciate the addition of comments and notes as more information is needed and/or available. This channel succeeds in this where others fail. Thank you.
One of your best videos yet. All of my torque wrench questions answered. Thanks for all of the hard work, learned an incredible amount today. When using anti-seize I always reduced my torque by about 30 percent, but wow, double is crazy
Will you please check if using just a little bit of the high temp copper anti-sneeze makes as big of a difference as the silver one. To see if just a little bit can mess everything up. You guys SLATHERED it.
It is obvious that less anti seize is going to give less of an erroneous result.The more you use,the worse it gets.That why when putting anti seize on spark plugs....you use just a little and adjust the torque...just a little.Honestly with plugs...you can feel it when the plug is properly torqued..
@djsi38t Modern plated plugs should not have any anti-seize used on them, period. And you really shouldn't be running cheap, unplated plugs on modern engines either.
Great video and info on anti-sieze. Lived in Oregon as a kid (the rustiest rust belt state), can confirm that AS will bust fasteners 250 lb-ft on a Cat drive wheel bolt that's been AS'd will result in a broken off bolt. In industry, the big bolt guys use something called a 'bolt tensioner' that precisely stretches a bolt to a specified length, the nut is hand-tightened to meet the surface, thus you always get the same bolting force (pressure on the joint). Since coatings, temperature, humidity, corrosion, and other factors can significantly change bolt tension, that is the 'best' way to measure bolting force - although your tester is doing just that, measuring bolting force and back-calculating twisting torque based on the basic formula. It is all a bunch of math and assumptions that get us to the solution. Love the channel and the content - Cheers!
"... Lived in Oregon as a kid (the rustiest rust belt state)..." Not even close, and NOT a "rust belt state".
@@MrShobar he should come take a look at wisconsin lol. We got vehicles driving around with half their body panels missing and frames welded back together from the salt. I drive one of those vehicles.
Love this channel. You folks do such a good job. Thanks for Busting and/or confirming some of the things I've either heard or things I've thought about.
Incredible work on this video. I was hoping on straightening out the question of whether "warming up" a torque wrench actually matters or not (setting it to its maximum torque and pulling it on a big lug nut or vice grip) but you confronted myths that were a lot more important than a moot tip like warming up a click type torque wrench.
What a ridiculously good channel. The closest comparison is Project Farm, which is great, but TTC is another level.
Project Farm is totally unbearable to watch and hear
Well, I need to recall a few cars now to retest torque settings! Solid video. 😊✌️
Apparently I do to, Engines that have been running for 150K+ miles on oiled torqued head studs/bolts... Funny how they have never had an issue. Nor with wheel studs. BS.
@@crisnmaryfam7344 Head studs are supposed to be lubed in the specification. And wheels put on too tight wouldn't stand out in most shops, it's the regular around here.
Very useful information in this video for torque wrenches! Thank you for taking the time to test all of this stuff IRL!
I've done some work in load transfer and always wondered about dry vr lubed fasteners, thanks for taking the time to show us this
test more lubricants or even thread lockers effects on torque readings
love you calling out tools tested. much like project farm they have made alot of informative content nobody else seems focused on. They were the only one who i could find with a video load testing ridgid batteries. The octane mid torque impact you tested in its original video with a 2ah battery had abysmal results then later with a 4ah with substantially better results. this was reflected in tools tested video where they found the 2ah to produce less voltage than it probably should. the 4ah was much more inline with what you would expect, same with the high output 2ah. but the 8ah stood above as you may expect being both large and the only 21700 cell battery of these 3. i know it may be too much to ask but id very much like to see this old octane (perhaps the high torque aswell) tested with an 8ah, i use the octane midtorque and the ridgid subcompacts at work, the subcompacts certainly enjoy the 8ah but dont seem to get the same bump in power the octane midtorque gets(perhaps because it was originally designed for octane batteries some of which used 21700 cells) i know theres likely not many who care for the smaller brands but it seems interesting and it makes me wonder if your score doesnt make the most of this tool
The fact that the conversation is being had at all, is just pure benefit. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing results! As an apprentice up in Canada I often wondered about several of the myths. Great and informative video
The BEST video I’ve seen on the subject of torque wrenches
I've been using the same Craftsman beam torque wrench for thirty years. Simple and reliable. After removing the threads from an aluminum head along with the spark plug, I became a consistent user of anti-seize compound, when appropriate (aluminum). When using anti-seize I utilize the poor-man's torque wrench.
If you're willing to do the math marking is more accurate. As they say in the video. As a DIYer, the physics makes sense but I hadn't put 2 and 2 together on anti-sieze. Glad I got lucky and did not make that mistake.
I love your videos. There no fluff. Just the facts. Keep up the good work.
This is the nerdy nerd content I love KZhead for. Thank you for answering so many questions I'm carrying with me since day one working with tools. Simply awesome.
Thanks for the Tools Tested mention.
Legend
The anti seized one was a mind blown thing for me. I couldn't believe it was double
Nothing new. It's "mind blowing" for uneducated folks only.
Really awesome video. Great job TTC! I would love to see more about the anti-seize (and threadlockers) with different shaped fasteners. Like simulating conical lug nuts. For my track car, most bolts either get anti-seize (lug nuts and exhaust) or medium strength threadlocker (blue loctite on brakes, flywheel, clutch, and other engine stuff.) I've heard that blue loctite has about the same effect as torque/clamping as anti-seize does.
You guys are so much appreciated. I review your videos when I am buying tools and able to make informed choices.
Lmao you guys are noobs. You don’t need a torque wrench when you have a calibrated wrist.
My wrist is on point, the damn tool length just keeps changing
I would like to see if you really need to "break in" clicker torque wrenches by running it up and down the torque scale 3 times before using them at a set value. I know it's manufacturer recommended but observers of you doing this in the field think you're dumb lol. And I only do it once a day max. But some manufacturers directions seem to indicate you should be doing it every time. I'm sure no one does that. Tools Tested really deserves more attention than it gets. It's an awesome channel! Finally I want to thank you for putting all this info in one video. I'm a home gamer mechanic and knew all this stuff already but it took HOURS of research to find it out. You guys are really saving other people's time here and that's of real utility!
Great surname! I second your vote of thanks to the creator, I would have valued it in the past when I've had YT comment discussions about torque wrenches with some characters. I think in this video I observe several occasions where a sequence of measurements moves from off-value to stabilizing close to true over 3 or 4 repeats. I'd suspect those are occasions when the wrench was not given warmup cycles before commencing. In the past whilst making a simple demo video of torque variation from hand position, I found that in order to have consistent accuracy and repeatability through demo and multiple tries (unedited single-take demo) I needed to exercise the wrench prior to a take.
Wonderful video! Great job guys. Tackled a lot of interesting and debated topics. The Anti-Seize finding is hugely important! I hope people realize now how much it impacts bolt stress/tension.
Learned a lot with this one, thanks for the enlightenment.
Thanks i was just getting into an argument at work the other day and was looking at your channel for this video. Always good content!
Wow, some of the results were not what I expected. Thanks for another great video!
Fantastic info. Have had a go at coworkers for using antiseize on specced bolts before but had no idea the swing could be that bad. Nice to have the torque converter and open-end to torque wrench stuff justified and explained for use against management at a later date, too.
Thank you for making this, I have seen a few of these said in my comments and I am glad my thoughts are online with this! Nice work!
Our pleasure, thanks for the words
@@TorqueTestChannel I will be sending them all here in the future haha 🙂👍
Such a great video. Thank you so much, I really needed this, the affordable torque wrenches, and the Mythbusting.
Great channel, valuable insights. I have a couple of HF clickers and did a rough check of calibration - they were within stated accuracy.
I haven’t even watched yet and I’m thankful for this video. There are a lot of questions around these things and I hope this helps.
Just found your channel and since you confirmed two of my fathers commandments about his now 50+ year old Craftsman torque wrench I am a new sub. Old man was right about relieving the tension after use, I always set it back to zero even over short periods of non use. And he was also correct about anti seize.
Great video as always! I would like to see thread locker compared like the anti-seize to see if that acts like a lubricant also.
wow you really set the bar high for quality for these videos, knowing you spent at least six months on this video just so you test one thing shows your dedication
6 minutes in and this is already the single most educational & practical video on torquing something to spec I have ever seen.
We were just talking about torque adapters at the shop today. I had recently heard that they didn't affect the readings at 90° but we weren't sure about it. A lot of digital torque wrenches have a head offset feature built into them so you measure the offset then input that data into the wrench and you're set. This is at least true with Snap-On ones. I also liked the anti-seize portion of the video. Overall an amazing video with a lot of great information!
Awesome video, very well explained.
Great vid as always, i wonder what eould happen with the torque adaptor, and how they compare. Thanks for vids.
Excellent video, very informative
One of the best and most interesting presentations. Thank you.
Fantastic work. Thank you!
Very good information. I have a HF Pittsburgh Pro click stop that I've used for a few years now and before I use it I always check it on a scrap engine block against my manual beam type torque wrench for consistency and it has never steered me wrong. 😃 I refer to it as my "magic wand". The second those values are off I'm taking it apart to check if it's worn or if it needs calibrating. If it's ever rough I'll get another one. Before my Pittsburgh Pro I had a PT brand one from Oreilly's and it was a hunk o' junk. Lasted just long enough for me to do a couple tasks on my Chevy and then it stopped working entirely. Taking it apart, the inside of it looked like hell. It had become a chrome paperweight.
Thank you for this one! Answered all my questions.
Great series of tests, great video 👍🏻
Thanks. The one that really surprised me was that handle extension / where you hold on the handle changed actual torque. I figured it would just change how much force I had to apply to get to that torque. And I'm guilty of storing my snap style wrench without zeroing the setting. I'm familiar with the spring fatigue concept for other things (gun clips for example) but never thought about it on my torque wrench.
I'm a new fan of the channel. These are SO many of the questions I have had and never found an answer for. Thanx
This has to be one of the best episodes I have watched. Thank you for presenting quantitative facts.
Excellent information.
Awesome video, thank you, that was super informative; pretty shocked by the antiseize results, that‘ll surely stay in mind next time.
Incredibly interesting video! Thank you for making it!!
Brilliant video. Thanks for doing what you do, TTC crew!
Hats off to TTC...For doing what they were designed to do.Excellent work guys...Carry on..
Good video with useful info, thank you.
I appreciate your honest scientific reviews. Your channel has helped in making more informed tool purchasing decisions. Thanks.
Thanks. Nice video. Answered a lot of my doubts when using T wrenches.
Your video convinced me to buy the dewalt impact and now I’ll be saving my money on torque wrenches. This channel rocks!
Thank you for the outstanding information!
Great video. VERY informative. Subscribed...
Great video. Torque on a fastener is not necessarily tension. There is a great video by applied bolting. They are related and the best example is Myth #9 with th K factor. That changes with different lubricants and thread condition and finish applied to the bolt. Myth #10 is true. Except for one fact, some applications will need that torque certification documentation. Mostly business and industry where documentation is needed. Click style wrenches should be stored at the minimum setting (not zero as some may try to do). Again, great video.
awesome stuff, i learned a few good tips with this!