torque wrenches that go to 300 ft/lb?

[volaredon]

I just recently got back into wrenching, and the new place wants everything that has a torque spec listed in Mitchell OnDemand, hand torqued to that spec. I have never in my life torqued fasteners like brake caliper brackets in almost 25 years of previous wrenching but I have to now....

today I had to do a wheel bearing on an 08 Ford F150. Its hub nut calls for 295 lb/ft. My torque wrenches I have there both, "only" go to 200 ft/lb, I have one here at home good to 250... and they have a ton of those trucks.
I have been looking on CL and Feebay and anything I can readily see that goes higher than 250 looks to be 3/4" or even a 1" drive.

Do any of you guys know of a 1/2" drive torque wrench that has a range that goes to around 325-350 ft/lb? I really don't wanna buy a 3/4" drive version.

 

[diesel research]

planetary torque multiplier

 

[Steinmetz]

planetary torque multiplier

Yes.

 

[cryan]

Norbar make torque wrenches that go to 1500lb/ft in their industrial range and 300 lb/ft in their pro range. Made in the UK and I consider them to be the best torque wrenches on Earth. I have used them in offshore oil and gas and marine environments and they never let you down.
http://www.norbar-usa.com/about-norbar/our-locations.aspx
This is their US wing. They offer all sorts of Torque products from screw drivers to multipliers and every torque wrench you could require.

 

[6-Speed]

CDI's model 4004MFRMH is in the range of 80 to 400 lb-ft; it has a 3/4" drive.

 

[theknurl]

well your SnapOn choices are
QD4400 to 400 lbft $735
QD4R400 to 400 lbft $795

or a 4X Torque Multiplier GA184A $345

other than that a Swench Wrench from Curtiss-Wright
they are aircraft certifiable but the 1/2" ones are rarer than hens teeth
they go to 500 lbft, the 3/4" to 800 lbft

i've got both

Ford's spec is stupid.....just like the old VW axle nut at 219 lbft

 

[diesel research]

or a 4X Torque Multiplier GA184A $345

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DIG3EK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

http://geartronics.com/x4page2.htm

the american geartronics/snapon x4 is just as cheap as the chinese versions from northern tool.

 

[redline380]

Ford's spec is stupid.....just like the old VW axle nut at 219 lbft

the axle bolt on my audi is something like 90 ft/lbs plus 180 degress same with the crank bolt. i tried to get the extra 180 degrees but i actually started to turn the wheel even with the ebrake on and a friend pressing the brake pedal. i just impacted it and called it good.

 

[diesel research]

around 250ft-lb is towards the upper limit of manual pull torque (non impacting) for the 1/2" square drive.

 

[demographic]

Norbar make torque wrenches that go to 1500lb/ft in their industrial range and 300 lb/ft in their pro range. Made in the UK and I consider them to be the best torque wrenches on Earth. I have used them in offshore oil and gas and marine environments and they never let you down.
http://www.norbar-usa.com/about-norbar/our-locations.aspx
This is their US wing. They offer all sorts of Torque products from screw drivers to multipliers and every torque wrench you could require.

Another vote for Norbar here.
I have several of them.
Good solid British manufacturer.

 

[theknurl]

around 250ft-lb is towards the upper limit of manual pull torque (non impacting) for the 1/2" square drive.

quite true but.....

a manual Curtiss Wright Swench Wrench 1500.....


1 1/2" drive goes to 7,000 lbft and is aircraft certifiable for torque as are the smaller ones

 

[devilsnight]

Local Mack dealer.. "Ya, the axle nut should be tourqed to like 850 but since our 3/4's only go to 600 we just give it an extra 1/4 turn or so" Lol! As stated your probly looking at a 3/4, seems hard to justify to me. The shop ought to provide that in my opinion.

 

[cundifc]

the axle bolt on my audi is something like 90 ft/lbs plus 180 degress same with the crank bolt. i tried to get the extra 180 degrees but i actually started to turn the wheel even with the ebrake on and a friend pressing the brake pedal. i just impacted it and called it good.

Yeah that's plain stupid. Flywheel bolts on cummins 4b are spec'd at 101 pounds. What the hell?

 

[ClrkLndeKmt'su]

Some torque specs are outrageous. IIRC a Linde H70D hub nut is something like 2600ftlbs. We can't even do them in house lol. I vote for the torque multiplier, it's next on my list.

 

[volaredon]

CDI's model 4004MFRMH is in the range of 80 to 400 lb-ft; it has a 3/4" drive.

Yeah I see tons of em that cover the range I need in 3/4 Drive I was hoping to find a 1/2" drive that did so. on these torque multipliers; so if I need 300 ft.lb I set my torque wrench for like 75 lbs?

On a related note I also need to get myself a torque angle gauge.

I work for the State of IL, they have lots of F 150s/250s I'll need to work on....

 

[nahuebsch82]

Local Mack dealer.. "Ya, the axle nut should be tourqed to like 850 but since our 3/4's only go to 600 we just give it an extra 1/4 turn or so" Lol! As stated your probly looking at a 3/4, seems hard to justify to me. The shop ought to provide that in my opinion.

Holy hell, the Freightliner's and International's we work on only torque to 300.....850 seems a bit over kill, hub must be a much different design. We'd be burning up bearings like crazy!

 

[kossuth]

Yeah I see tons of em that cover the range I need in 3/4 Drive I was hoping to find a 1/2" drive that did so. on these torque multipliers; so if I need 300 ft.lb I set my torque wrench for like 75 lbs?

On a related note I also need to get myself a torque angle gauge.

I work for the State of IL, they have lots of F 150s/250s I'll need to work on....

Personally I would pickup a Techangle torque wrench if it is in the budget.

 

[volaredon]

is techangle the brand name?
I spent last nite looking around Ebay at Proto Armstrong, CDI, Snap on Williams and Mac ones.

 

[joe_padavano]

I just recently got back into wrenching, and the new place wants everything that has a torque spec listed in Mitchell OnDemand, hand torqued to that spec. I have never in my life torqued fasteners like brake caliper brackets in almost 25 years of previous wrenching but I have to now....

Not sure I'd be bragging about that...

Least expensive solution will be to get a 3/4" drive torque wrench and a 1/2 to 3/4 adapter. Works fine for me.

 

[mvptrukin]

Techangle is Snap-on's trademark/ brand of torque-angle wrenches. The torque multipliers listed in the posts above have 1/2" drive inputs with 3/4" drive outputs so it would still require some 3/4" drive sockets. I have the Geartronics item and like diesel research mentioned I think they are the OEM for SO.

 

[diesel research]

on these torque multipliers; so if I need 300 ft.lb I set my torque wrench for like 75 lbs?

kind of. depending on the technical accuracy of the required torque. since there is some friction or drag, 4:1 doesnt quite work to true 4:1. kind of like "hp drivetrain loss" the included literature has information on setting up the ratios. Essentially, you might be leaning as much as 83ft-lbs to achieve 300.

having had the norbar and snapon cdi 600, they are ok, but have different pros annd cons. the norbar is far more reliable than the snap on. snapon uses their ratcheting head on the cdi, and it has required several replacements. the norbar has a bizarre "break over" mechanism that requires getting used to. it is not bad, but is not a clicker. it may require a wrench to set higher torque values.

while the torque multiplier is not just a torquing tool, it can also be used with breaker or ratchet for stuck fastener removal. it does require the space to fit a reaction bar.

the torque wrenches can have a higher degree of accuracy w/o having to calculate ratios. they are also much more difficult to safely store.

 

[NWphotog]

If you weren't going to use it often I would suggest the HF 3/4”. In your case it sounds like you will be using it often so something higher end sounds in order.

 

[volaredon]

If you weren't going to use it often I would suggest the HF 3/4”. In your case it sounds like you will be using it often so something higher end sounds in order.

if I buy one, it wont be a HF anything... it may be used S/O or Armstrong even Blackhawk but not HF. I have been scouting CL and Ebay.

 

[pilotman81]

I have and use everything from a 1/4" to 3/4" manual torque wrenches and hydraulic torque wrenches all of the time. All SO except for my 1/2" MAC and the Hy torques. If you are looking for just the 1 application then I would suggest going for the torque multiplier, if you plan on doing other 250ft/lbs + activities then I would suggest finding a good used 3/4" drive torque wrench so that you are not straining with a short handle on a 1/2" torque wrench all of the time.

 

[volaredon]

I have and use everything from a 1/4" to 3/4" manual torque wrenches and hydraulic torque wrenches all of the time. All SO except for my 1/2" MAC and the Hy torques. If you are looking for just the 1 application then I would suggest going for the torque multiplier, if you plan on doing other 250ft/lbs + activities then I would suggest finding a good used 3/4" drive torque wrench so that you are not straining with a short handle on a 1/2" torque wrench all of the time.

yeah I am scouting CL and Ebay for just that, as we speak.

 

[kossuth]

is techangle the brand name?
I spent last nite looking around Ebay at Proto Armstrong, CDI, Snap on Williams and Mac ones.

Basically it is a snap on line of torque wrenches that have an angle gauge built in so you don't need to fuss around with angle gauges or protractors. Gearwrench makes a series that is similar.

 

[skulldrinker]

If you weren't going to use it often I would suggest the HF 3/4”. In your case it sounds like you will be using it often so something higher end sounds in order.

If you got thick skin and can handle the ridiculing the HF one is the ticket for once in a while usage. I have that one also and it only gets used for axle nuts. Paid $69 for it.

But hey if you're pulling down a grand a week then $300-400 for a snap on is not a problem.


PS 8 out of 10 mechanics have at least one HF tool in their box. (even if it is broken)

 

[Charles (in GA)]

quite true but.....

a manual Curtiss Wright Swench Wrench 1500.....


1 1/2" drive goes to 7,000 lbft and is aircraft certifiable for torque as are the smaller ones

The Swench is not a torque measuring tool, rather it is a hand operated impact tool, that is all.

For what the OP wants, there are numerous different brands that make torque wrenches in the 300 lb/ft range, however, you will probably need to go to 3/4" drive.

I would look at a 3/4 drive clicker, such as a Proto or Sturtevant Richmont, or a CDI (owned by Snap On) or a Precision Instruments. Nothing wrong with other brands either.

Charles

Charles

 

[AndyA]

Make some torque adapters. Say your current torque wrench will do 250ft-lbs and is 24 inches from center of the head to center of the handle. Add another 24 inches of adapter and you'll be putting out 500ft-lbs when the wrench clicks at 250ft-lbs. Dirt cheap. Reasonally accurate (say you mismeasure and get a 23 inch long adapter, that's only 4% error. A 1 inch screw up is a boat load).

Edit: Naturally you'll need to use the adapter "in-line" with the torque wrench to make it longer, and not crossways or reversed. A picture is worth 1000 words. Imagine something like what's shown, but with a male 1/2" drive on the end instead of the boxed end wrench, and 24" inches long.

 

[devilsnight]

Holy hell, the Freightliner's and International's we work on only torque to 300.....850 seems a bit over kill, hub must be a much different design. We'd be burning up bearings like crazy!

Sealed grease hubs only, pressed in bearings. When there out of spec you throw em out. As you said, most of our trucks have oiled hubs so I don't have to worry about that procedure very often.
I forgot to mention a tourqe adapter. Can you buy a 1/2" to 1/2"? the conversion is pretty simple to do

 

[AndyA]

I forgot to mention a tourqe adapter. Can you buy a 1/2" to 1/2"? the conversion is pretty simple to do

I've never seen anybody selling a torque adapter this long. How well will a 1/2" drive hold up to 300 to 500 ft-lbs? I don't know.

$20 for a 3/8 to 1/2" impact adapter.
$15 for any 1/2" drive impact socket.
A rummage in the scrap pile for something like 1/4"x2"x25" flat stock (or roughly $0.50/lbs for new material)
And a few minutes with the welder.

It's definitely cheaper than buying a 3/4" torque wrench.

Edit: the 1/2" to 3/4" impact adapter is $21. That's probably a better choice if you already have 3/4" drive sockets.

These prices are from snapon.com so you could do this even cheaper.

 

[P_I_Torque]

The limitations on the 1/2"Sq.Dr is 250Lb.Ft., any more torque applied and you begin to get near shear strength. So you would really need to move into the 3/4"Sq.Dr. models, and for that reason I would not suggest adapting down from a 3/4"Sq.Dr. to a 1/2"Sq.Dr.

We have a 400Ft.Lb. series split-beam style which is very popular for applications not requiring the full 600Ft.Lb. torque usually required in a 3/4"Sq.Dr. torque wrench. PM me if you would like know more on this tool.

I will agree with others, don't go the multiplier route. Due to the planetary gear, torque output can be up to 20% lower than the input torque, after the multiplying. We have conducted many in-house tests, and it's the sole reason we released our DX series multiplier indicator which attaches to the bottom of the multiplier so you are able to read the true torque output. The inaccuracy can be found on the literature with any X4 multiplier purchase. X4 manufactures just about everyones multiplier, great company btw.

Good luck with your search. I'm not sure where in IL you are but we're located in Des Plaines if you ever want to stop in =]

 

[metaleltr]

I've never seen anybody selling a torque adapter this long. How well will a 1/2" drive hold up to 300 to 500 ft-lbs? I don't know.

$20 for a 3/8 to 1/2" impact adapter.
$15 for any 1/2" drive impact socket.
A rummage in the scrap pile for something like 1/4"x2"x25" flat stock (or roughly $0.50/lbs for new material)
And a few minutes with the welder.

It's definitely cheaper than buying a 3/4" torque wrench.

Edit: the 1/2" to 3/4" impact adapter is $21. That's probably a better choice if you already have 3/4" drive sockets.

These prices are from snapon.com so you could do this even cheaper.

If 1/2 drive cannot handle the torque you could do something like this and just weld the socket to the torque adapter.

 

[volaredon]

there were a few on Ebay S/O, CDI, Proto etc for ~$100. I bid on one last nite that is starting out substantially less but I don't expect it to stay where it's currently priced...
I just started this job, and I will have to swap out my clicker I have here at home, because I was working them to the high end of the range today; I had some 195 ft/lb stuff (according to Mitchell Online) and mine at work are both older S/O (circa 1972 and 1974--yes they have been calibrated much more recently LOL) and both are 200 ft/lb models, I have a 250 ft/Lb S/o here at home...

as far as calibration according to the sticker mine are out of date, but while I was outta that field they were dust collectors, not having been used since the calibration...
I see some 3/4 drive ones on Ebay that only go to 350 ft/lb while others go to 600ish....
I am thinking 350-400 for the high end of the range should be sufficient for what I am doing.
I also know that they aren't as accurate in the lower 20% of the range, either.

naah on the idea of making something up home made to me that defeats the purpose of accurately measuring the torque applied.
I have not yet seen my 1st paycheck from this new job, I expect that this weekend; I may have to rack up a couple at least before I can do much.... all of us there have started a "list" of stuff we've had to borrow back n forth a bunch these couple weeks, stuff we see that we will be needing, but I gotta get some $$ coming in 1st.

 

[volaredon]

the multipliers I have seen appear to sell for more than buying a good used name brand torque wrench that has the range I need

anyone know where I can get the ones I have at present, recalibrated? other than getting raked over by having the S/O guy send them out to have it done

 

[Steinmetz]

the multipliers I have seen appear to sell for more than buying a good used name brand torque wrench that has the range I need

anyone know where I can get the ones I have at present, recalibrated? other than getting raked over by having the S/O guy send them out to have it done

Try this: http://www.teamtorque.com/

I sent in a few tools recently. The cost was acceptable, the work excellent, and the turnaround was fast.