300+ ft-lb torque wrench?

[GarageGuy89]

Anyone have a need to go north of 300 ft-lbs when working on their cars? If so what for?

My ****** needs a nut torqued down to 275 ft-lbs on the main shaft and my 1/2" drive torque wrench only goes to 150 ft-lbs.

Trying to decide if I want to pick up a Tekton 3/4" ratchet style wrench that goes to 300 ft-lbs or a 3/4" digital one that goes up to 750-ish ft-lbs.

Digital seems to be the obvious choice, just never used one and it seems weird...

I don't want to dump money into the Tekton only to have to get something bigger a year from now during this rebuild. Hoping to hear some thoughts from you guys and get a discussion going on this topic.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GLITFW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0EG1H3/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Why not a 1/2" that goes to 300, even 350?
Cost?
We've used adapters like the Neiko before with decent result in testing tools, they seem to hold accuracy.

 

[dsaabm]

I've seen a handful of axle nuts and harmonic damper pulleys require over 300 ft/lbs on cars, centerlock wheel nuts on Porsche/exotics around 450 ft/lbs. Not real common but it depends on what you work on.

A 3/4" torque wrench should do beyond 300 ft/lbs, a good brand 1/2" drive torque wrench will do 250-300 ft/lbs. Once your in the bolt size range to require 3/4" drive tools, the torque specs will usually be more than 300 ft/lbs.

 

[GarageGuy89]

Why not a 1/2" that goes to 300, even 350?
Cost?
We've used adapters like the Neiko before with decent result in testing tools, they seem to hold accuracy.

I guess it would mainly be cost. The two items I listed in the OP are around $80. I can't find anything close to that price range in different platforms.

I'm not going to get hung up on accuracy, I will probably only use the big torque rating a few times, which is why I want to keep the price down.

Really leaning towards the digital adapter now, just cant find any good reviews on them...

 

[mike93lx]

I guess it would mainly be cost. The two items I listed in the OP are around $80. I can't find anything close to that price range in different platforms.

I'm not going to get hung up on accuracy, I will probably only use the big torque rating a few times, which is why I want to keep the price down.

Really leaning towards the digital adapter now, just cant find any good reviews on them...

If you aren't worried about accuracy, why bother?

You don't want to be torquing to either end of the limits anyway, it isn't the most accurate part of the range

 

[FuzzyTiger]

I'd go with the adapter. I can't imagine anything needing a 3/4" drive tool or that much torque would be in some cramped, inaccessible place.

 

[GarageGuy89]

If you aren't worried about accuracy, why bother?

By that I meant, i'm not going to sweat over 1% here or there. I see guys talk about a couple percent and they lose their ####. That's all, just looking for ball park numbers.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Really leaning towards the digital adapter now, just cant find any good reviews on them...

We use it, it's fine. And we use it on some tasks you should not normally ask of a tool like this.

 

[engineer2]

I have a 3/4" drive 300 ft-lb Harbor Freight I've used on harmonic damper bolts and it works fine.

 

[GarageGuy89]

I have a 3/4" drive 300 ft-lb Harbor Freight I've used on harmonic damper bolts and it works fine.

Just wish it went up to 600 ft-lbs like the rest of them...

 

[dlwilson]

Back in the 1980s when we worked on VW buses, the axle nut was something like 275 ft/pounds. I used a3/4" breaker bar with 36mm socket and cheater pipe, weighed myself, and figured out how far to stand to get 275 ft/pounds.

 

[Al Borland]

2004-2008ish F150 wheel bearings, 295 Ft/Lbs
Wheel bearings are part of the rotor for 2wd models, with a one-time-use retaining nut that has a cupped flange that is flattened during installation.
Harbor Freight 3/4" Torque wrench.

 

[Daveyclimber]

Use a smaller wrench with a torque multiplier?

 

[unslow1]

I found a guy with one and gave him $20 to let me use it once. I figured I would probably never need it again and I haven't.

 

[bobcatdan]

Snap on's newer digital 1/2" torque wrenches go up to 300 ft lbs.

 

[Robbie B]

I’d go for the one at 750. The middle of the torque range tends to be the most accurate and the would put what you need in that area.

 

[GarageGuy89]

I found a guy with one and gave him $20 to let me use it once. I figured I would probably never need it again and I haven't.

Thanks for the input guys.

Has anyone ever rented a tool like this from their local auto parts store? Not sure if they have something this big. Since I've been working on this big diesel, they have not had any of these big tools for rent, only smaller versions.

I will call around, but wondering if anyone else has had a rental on something like this big of a torque wrench.

 

[visionguru]

I will call around, but wondering if anyone else has had a rental on something like this big of a torque wrench.

I would just rent (borrow) a 1/2" torque wrench from AutoZone that goes up to 250 ft-lb, then torque to 250ft-lb, then pull past the click slightly. From 250~275, the bolt shouldn't even have an obvious movement.

 

[unslow1]

I've never seen a place that rents the tools to work on larger stuff. If you ask around for advice on how to work on it you will likely run into someone with the experience and tools to do it. They will also be able to point you in the right direction for tools to buy.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

When I was doing brakes on my P/U one bolt was 280ftpds . My 1/2 went to 250 , so I put a 3/4" one on my watch for Princess Auto sale list. A 300 ftpds one came on sale for $45 and I picked it up. It suspiciously like the 1/2 0-150 ones that go on sale for $20 . I have a couple of those ones for tire changes and checking trailer lug nuts. I did see a 0-600 go on sale a few flyers later at 3x the price. If I had equipment , it would have been a better choice.

 

[pbon]

Years ago, I had to do a 300lb crank pulley so I bought a cheap clicker 3/4 wrench that did that or a little more. Might have been HF but not sure. It was about $80. More recently I found a 600 lb Precision 3/4 on sale for about $150 and bought it. It is massive. So big that when I recently did another crank pulley, it would not fit unless I removed the radiator. I did not want to do that so I used the cheapie again.

 

[motofool33]

front axle nuts on alot of german cars are 340ft lb, track bar bolt on my cummins 205 ftlb

 

[hoffman912]

on a porsche 912 or 356 - the fly wheel gland nut is 400 ft/lb., and the rear axle castle nut on the hub is about 250 ft/lb. While not over the 300 mark the rear axle is more than the avg torque wrench. i was always told the margin of error is much greater when you are at the extremes - high or low, on your torque wrenches limits, and to go up or down to the next wrench for those.

A torque multiplier helps.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I have a proto 6020AB goes from 120 -600 lbs, it’s a great wrench if you have the work for it. It’s a little hairy when you’re torquing a bolt over 450lbs, kinda hoping it doesn’t snap, you get a lot of leverage with a 42” long handle.

 

[Iron Beaver]

Clearly you need one of these:

https://www.ebay.com/i/164522163079...QysZaMCYhAXbfw3ShhjOBh-QFSEc7tSRoCjkEQAvD_BwE

 

[Bruce Amacker]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-To...210332?hash=item1cfa2b0f9c:g:Ri8AAOSw0GJfvY37

730 ft/lb, under a hundred bucks. I've had one for 3 years and love it.