Torque wrench calibration- how often do you send to a service

[joe_pinehill1]

How often do you have your wrench calibrated? Not just checking with another wrench, but have a local test lab calibrate it?

 

[Renegade1LI]

For structural bolting most agencies i work for require yearly calibration.

 

[jonesg]

I use a luggage scale.

 

[motorcycle79]

Work does yearly certified cal. And is tested every time it leaves the shop.

 

[AEAdam]

Obviously depends on what you are doing. For shade tree mechanics doing non-engine, misc repairs, never is a reasonable answer.

 

[bcradio]

Obviously depends on what you are doing. For shade tree mechanics doing non-engine, misc repairs, never is a reasonable answer.

This is pretty much the answer. If you are working at a company, they should have specs as to how often to calibrate. If you own your own business and are trying to come up with your own specs, start with annually. If you only do your own work, never.

 

[Skyman]

I check mine by coupling them to my old beam-type torque wrench.

 

[Daveyclimber]

I rarely use mine, so they never get sent in. However I did buy a Wright 600 pounder that was disassembled. I reassembled it and took it to Fastenal and they sent it off for recalibration. It just depends on what your doing with it.

 

[chris142]

I sent mine in after some idiot used it as a breaker bar. I no longer loan my tools to him.

 

[bbrins]

I think for a DIYer, if you buy a decent quality torque wrench and treat it right, you probably don't have anything to worry about. I've never felt the need to send any of mine in. I use mine on my own stuff, occasionally to work on friend's stuff, and on rare occasions, I might bring one to use at work if I feel like something needs that much accuracy. I'm the only one at work who even knows what a torque wrench is, and they probably couldn't care less if it is certified or calibrated. Fortunately, I don't work on anything that's going to fall out of the sky if I'm wrong.

Just curious, do auto mechanic shops require their mechanics to have their torque wrenches calibrated on any kind of schedule? If so, who covers the cost?

 

[General Geoff]

How often do you have your wrench calibrated? Not just checking with another wrench, but have a local test lab calibrate it?

If by local test lab, you mean my workshop equipped with a big vise, calibrated olympic bumper weights, and some high test fishing line, I do it for fun once every couple years

 

[ricleh]

I check the calibration on mine every time before I use them. I have 3 calibration testers so I can test from 5 inch lbs to 250 fl lbs. I have never had one of my torque wrenches need to be recalibrated in the last 20 years and I have about 90 torque wrenches. Over the years I have purchased many used torque wrenches for very little money. When I get them I test the calibration and adjust if necessary. Sometimes they need parts replaced also, but when I get done rebuilding and adjusting they are +/- 2% from 20% to 100% of the full range of the wrench.

 

[zmotorsports]

I just got a few of mine back from being calibrated. I used to have them done every 3-4 years but it has been closer to 10 years since I had these few last calibrated. Moving and building the new shop 6 years ago through of my routine.

For the average DIY'er it probably isn't too necessary as long as you don't drop them or abuse them and providing you purchased good quality ones to begin with. Also, on micrometer style it's probably more important that you don't store them with tension on the springs and they'll more than likely not need calibrating in the time you have them.

 

[dnschmidt]

If you doing government work yearly by a calibration lab is typical. I use a digital torque adapter clamped into a vise to test mine as these digital torque adapters are quite accurate as they use strain gauges which are quite dependable, accurate and repeatable. You normally can tell if a wrench is off if you've got any feel for torque so that's when I test them. Typically they are right on.

Here's the deal with torque. MOST PEOPLE and by that I mean >85% UNDERTORQUE stuff. My best friend was reassembling one of his dozen or so Honda dirt bike engines and when we brought out the torque wrenches he was always under torqueing the fasteners. He damn near **** himself when we torqued things to spec. This is common especially when going into aluminum on something that cost a great deal of money. You're so afraid of stripping a thread out that you by nature under torque. Just human nature.

 

[Al Borland]

Used to test mine annually, they never changed. Don't use them much any more, so...
Torque adapter says they are still good. Done and done.

 

[Schurkey]

From the Team Torque web site:

Torque Wrench Calibration & Repair Service Center | Team Torque Inc.

Team Torque offers professional calibration and repair services for your torque wrenches. Find out more about our services and send in your tools to our center.

www.teamtorque.com

Click Style:
The actual "Click" from a wrench is considered a "Cycle" of that wrench. Most manufacturers recommend click-style torque wrench calibration after 5000-to-7000 cycles.
For most customers, this means you should calibrate and test torque wrenches every 12 months.

 

[dnschmidt]

From the Team Torque web site:

Torque Wrench Calibration & Repair Service Center | Team Torque Inc.

Team Torque offers professional calibration and repair services for your torque wrenches. Find out more about our services and send in your tools to our center.

www.teamtorque.com

Unless your building F22's who the hell does 6,000 clicks a year. I don't do 6,000 clicks in a decade and I use torque wrenches on most bolts and nuts. That's 6.000 bolts or nuts tightened every year. I use to build engines, and still do once in awhile, and I don't think I've torqued 6.000 bolts in my lifetime.

 

[bwringer]

I check the calibration on mine every time before I use them. I have 3 calibration testers so I can test from 5 inch lbs to 250 fl lbs. I have never had one of my torque wrenches need to be recalibrated in the last 20 years and I have about 90 torque wrenches. Over the years I have purchased many used torque wrenches for very little money. When I get them I test the calibration and adjust if necessary. Sometimes they need parts replaced also, but when I get done rebuilding and adjusting they are +/- 2% from 20% to 100% of the full range of the wrench.

You may have an obsession... but today was your day to shine.

Thanks for the info!

 

[KnurledNut]

Unless your building F22's who the hell does 6,000 clicks a year. I don't do 6,000 clicks in a decade and I use torque wrenches on most bolts and nuts. That's 6.000 bolts or nuts tightened every year. I use to build engines, and still do once in awhile, and I don't think I've torqued 6.000 bolts in my lifetime.

That only 300 cars lug nuts.
If a shop does 10 cars a day, thats only 30 days.

 

[KnurledNut]

A calibrated torque wrench is only as accurate as the user.

 

[dnschmidt]

That only 300 cars lug nuts.
If a shop does 10 cars a day, thats only 30 days.

I worked in R&D and not at a tire shop. Every tire shop here in Phoenix uses split beam wrenches which are far less sensitive than the so called "micrometer type."

 

[KnurledNut]

I worked in R&D and not at a tire shop. Every tire shop here in Phoenix uses split beam wrenches which are far less sensitive than the so called "micrometer type."

Yet, PI and CDI recommend re-calibration every 6 months regardless of the style of wrench or amount of use.

Not saying I agree with this. Just their documentation.

 

[Sumboodie]

Annal, and anytime it's dropped or stored not at lowest setting.

 

[dnschmidt]

Yet, PI and CDI recommend re-calibration every 6 months regardless of the style of wrench or amount of use.

Not saying I agree with this. Just their documentation.

I seriously doubt that this ever happens. I don't even theoretically know how a split beam goes out of calibration. What parts wear out? I'm pretty sure that Discount Tire doesn't have some dude going to their hundreds of stores calibrating their PI torque wrenches on a regular basis.

 

[KnurledNut]

I seriously doubt that this ever happens. I don't even theoretically know how a split beam goes out of calibration. What parts wear out? I'm pretty sure that Discount Tire doesn't have some dude going to their hundreds of stores calibrating their PI torque wrenches on a regular basis.

Totally agree.
I swear the torque wrenches are just for show at a lot of places. Gun em on, make it click and ship it. With the volume some places move, good-n-tight is good enough.

I’ve calibrated my PI (Snap-on) split beam. I guess as lubrication wears it affects it.

 

[visionguru]

From the manuals of my Snap On Techangle wrenches, calibration is recommended after 5,000 uses.

For me, I probably never need recalibration.
For a tire shop, 100 lug nuts a day seems minimal. It's like every 2 months.

 

[65ranchero]

do auto mechanic shops require their mechanics to have their torque wrenches calibrated on any kind of schedule? If so, who covers the cost?

Not that I know of, I had my SO click sent out with the truck just because and the calibration charge was on me.
The dealer would of said that's a tool expense and you pay!

 

[65ranchero]

And the torque lug nut thing at tire shops is BS. I have been to a tire shop for a tire swap and could hear the monkeys hammer the lugs on and then use the torque to spec and then have to go home and in some cases use a cheater bar on a breaker bar to loosen them and tighten properly.

 

[WWheeler]

I seriously doubt that this ever happens. I don't even theoretically know how a split beam goes out of calibration. What parts wear out? I'm pretty sure that Discount Tire doesn't have some dude going to their hundreds of stores calibrating their PI torque wrenches on a regular basis.

The ones we use in automotive manufacturing get calibrated at most monthly in our quality lab, as does every other gauge of any type that we use. Every gauge is required to have a calibration sticker with an expiration date and all of our contracts with our customers require such to be implemented throughout the industry. All of those companies that we make parts for routinely send outside companies to come and audit us to maintain our ISO certifications that the contracts require and part of what they do is make sure every gauge being used has that valid calibration sticker. Some gauges, like calipers and mics, must get calibrated biweekly or even more often if dropped. We're not even allowed to change a battery in a caliper or any other gauge that uses them. Only our quality dept can and whenever they do they have to perform a new calibration and put their sticker on it.

 

[Schurkey]

Unless your building F22's who the hell does 6,000 clicks a year. I don't do 6,000 clicks in a decade and I use torque wrenches on most bolts and nuts. That's 6.000 bolts or nuts tightened every year. I use to build engines, and still do once in awhile, and I don't think I've torqued 6.000 bolts in my lifetime.

6000 clicks is not 6000 fasteners, if you're properly exercising the wrench before each use. I suppose it'd be close, though.

Yes, 6K clicks is a lot.

I was quoting Team Torque. That is not stating MY procedure, which is to get 'em checked every few years regardless of "mileage".

A calibrated torque wrench is only as accurate as the user.

An UN-calibrated torque wrench may not even be as accurate as the user. A "false security" potentially leading to failure if a person trusts a tool that could be wildly out-of-spec.

 

[Packard V8]

It depends upon the quality of the tool, the use of the tool and the user of the tool.

What so many users forget is say building engines, the Shop Manual gives a torque range. Whether a used fastner was cleaned, how it was cleaned, how it was lubricated or not lubricated are likely to be the variables rather than the torque wrench calibration.

On newer engines, one-use-torque-to-yield-angle make the torque wrench calibration moot.

jack vines

 

[dnschmidt]

It depends upon the quality of the tool, the use of the tool and the user of the tool.

What so many users forget is say building engines, the Shop Manual gives a torque range. Whether a used fastner was cleaned, how it was cleaned, how it was lubricated or not lubricated are likely to be the variables rather than the torque wrench calibration.

On newer engines, one-use-torque-to-yield-angle make the torque wrench calibration moot.

jack vines

And that's why torque to yield is the answer. Torque is such an indirect measurement that it approaches meaninglessness for all the reasons you mentioned. It is one of the reasons ARP insists that you use their bolt/stud lube. Torque to yield is based on bolt stretch which is easily calculated. There are so many threads per inch I want to stretch the bolt 0.010 of an inch and that corresponds to 90 degrees of turn. We have been measuring connecting rod bolts this way forever in the racing world as that's one of the few places where we can get on both sides of the bolt. I have an ARP dial indicator gauge for just this purpose.

 

[dscheidt]

And the torque lug nut thing at tire shops is BS. I have been to a tire shop for a tire swap and could hear the monkeys hammer the lugs on and then use the torque to spec and then have to go home and in some cases use a cheater bar on a breaker bar to loosen them and tighten properly.

hey, it clicked. Must be right.

 

[bb29510]

never

 

[Jack_K]

I use deflecting beam torque wrenches so that I don't have to worry about them losing calibration quickly. The two standard cheap torque wrenches I have compared them to have been way out even when only a year old.

It is just for personal use not work.

 

[babyseal]

x

 

[LogiLuddite]

Calibration? was ist das?

 

[AEAdam]

And that's why torque to yield is the answer. Torque is such an indirect measurement that it approaches meaninglessness for all the reasons you mentioned. It is one of the reasons ARP insists that you use their bolt/stud lube. Torque to yield is based on bolt stretch which is easily calculated. There are so many threads per inch I want to stretch the bolt 0.010 of an inch and that corresponds to 90 degrees of turn. We have been measuring connecting rod bolts this way forever in the racing world as that's one of the few places where we can get on both sides of the bolt. I have an ARP dial indicator gauge for just this purpose.

Agree 100% except you mean torque angles. TTY is different. It’s where you torque beyond the elastic limits of a bolt. This is done to produce preload that doesn’t go away with high pressures and thermal cycles, most typically in head bolts.

Use of torque angles kinda reduces the effect of tool calibration, “run down or prevailing” torque, It’s better engineering and we'll likely see more of it in the future.

 

[4x4Pete]

I have 2 torque wrenches. An old Snappy my father used at work as an auto mechanic and a newish Husky. I occasionally check them to each other. Tightening and loosening using the same setting on each wrench seems good to me. I haven't had anything come apart or fail when using them. I don't service airplanes, and I don't use them professionally. The most use they get is for lugnuts. When you send out your torque wrench for calibration, how would you know if it's accurate? I'm sure liability would still fall on the operator if something went wrong. How could you defend that you used the tool properly? In industries that require calibrated torque wrenches, there must be a system to address this.
I have a buddy that used to only use the impact gun to tighten lugs. It's the way it's always been done was his reasoning. He lost a tire off his van, no damage besides the wheel, lug bolts and some brake disc. He was lucky the free range tire didn't end up killing a bunch of kids or something. Now he is a full believer in torquing lug nuts. Feeling the tightness and mentally comparing each lug nut with a torque wrench by feel gives you a much more accurate torque setting than an impact wrench can. Calibrating it only helps in certain scenarios, and most home garage diy guys would never see the benefit.

 

[bluedog225]

What’s the accuracy of a torque wrench on a variety of surface finishes and varying degrees of dirty? My guess would be plus/minus 25%. Shirley this has been looked at. If the interwebs still worked worth a shart, I’d be able to find it. Nothing but ads.



Pretty sure no one at discount tire cleans and inspects them bolts or nuts when they put my tires back on.