Worst tool description ever.

[Bustedwheel]

I saw this and thought it was pretty funny. I know what Foot pounds of force is, but I've never heard of Inch pounds.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90798

 

[adams77]

Never heard of inch lbs?

Really?

Pretty common for smaller fasteners.

 

[mtwaterguy]

There's 87 ft lbs in 1044 in lbs. So what's funny about that?

 

[Bustedwheel]

Really? I never have, but still, I doubt they use this to assemble rolexes

 

[Mike83]

Its a bad description because inch-pounds is not a measure of force, but torque. Inch-pounds are used to inflate the rating of the tool I think. 1044 sounds like a lot more than 87, despite the fact that 87 ft-lbs is more conceivable/practical in most of our minds.

 

[GearBeer]

Inch pounds are pretty common in the automotive world when it is important that a small bolt is torqued accurately (i.e. a sensor retaining bolt).

 

[tdkkart]

1044 sounds like a lot more than 87

Exactly my thoughts.......


I use my inch/lb torque wrench far more than I use my ft/lb one. Of course most of what I work on is go-kart motors and my Harley.
Anything under 5/16 or 3/8 is better torqued in inch/lbs, ft/lb torque wrenches aren't super accurate in the lower ranges.

 

[krooser]

Inch pounds ratings are very common... what I hate is the guy who decided to change "ft/Lbs" to "pounds feet of torque"...

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Then there are inch/ounces too.

Charles

 

[MotoDave]

Technically it should be 'foot-pounds' or 'inch-ounches', as torque is a force multiplied by a distance.

ft/lbs implies 'feet per pound'.

If you really want to get technical all the forces should be pound-force, so as not to get confused with pound-mass.

 

[PistolWhip]

Inch Pounds are used for 3/8" and 1/4" torque wrenches all the time. I have quite a few and use them all the time for things like intakes, throttle bodies, plenums, timing covers, etc... Anything that requires a torque that's less than 75 Ft/Lbs, I step down to my In/Lbs torque wrenches. They're usually more precise for smaller torque levels than a large, cumbersome 1/2" Ft/Lbs wrench. It's not something that's new, its just a smaller scale of measurement.

 

[ddawg16]

Or we could use Newton or Kilogram....or milligram.....Stone....

 

[stimpee]

Technically it should be 'foot-pounds' or 'inch-ounches', as torque is a force multiplied by a distance.

ft/lbs implies 'feet per pound'.

If you really want to get technical all the forces should be pound-force, so as not to get confused with pound-mass.

You actually contradicted yourself in this post.

force * distance = torque

lb (or lbf) * feet = lb-ft (hyphenated for convenience)

lb * inch = lb-inch

ounce * inch = ounce-inch

Hence the use of "pound-feet" instead of "foot pounds". Pound feet is technically the "more correct" term, if there is such a thing.

lb/ft is entirely incorrect as it has been pointed out, since it implies division.

Fun stuff huh?

 

[MotoDave]

I maintain the result of force * distance or distance * force is the same, therefore it doesn't matter in which order you say it

I was just pointing out that ft/lbs isn't correct, though the intent is widely understood.

 

[e-tek]

Sounds like BustedWheel learned a thing - or three - things here!

 

[jonsdoghouse]

A must when torquing valve body bolts on an automatic trans.

 

[Kewl Bus]

1 ft/lbf = 12In/lbf
1in/lbf = 0.083333333 ft/lbf
For those of you that want to do the math

 

[e-tek]

Exactly my thoughts.......


I use my inch/lb torque wrench far more than I use my ft/lb one. Of course most of what I work on is go-kart motors and my Harley.
Anything under 5/16 or 3/8 is better torqued in inch/lbs, ft/lb torque wrenches aren't super accurate in the lower ranges.

When any of you are using inch-pounds, do you convert from the ft/lb reference, or what? I've never seen any references listing any torque requirements in inch-pounds.
That being said, thanks for the conversion table - I think I'll convert for some of the smaller fasteners on the 240Z I'm doing.

 

[nate379]

Yup. ft/lb multiplied by 12 = in/lb and vice versa.

 

[flymach86]

I was a mech. in the Air Force in the sixties and we used inch pounds a lot.

 

[airbassador]

Change the rear pinion seal on a later F250 Powerstroke Ford. That requires an inch-lb measurement, and you don't want to get it any tighter than recommended.

I bet you're feeling pretty silly now for starting this thread aren't you.

This will help:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=inch+lbs

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Technically it should be 'foot-pounds' or 'inch-ounches', as torque is a force multiplied by a distance.

ft/lbs implies 'feet per pound'.

If you really want to get technical all the forces should be pound-force, so as not to get confused with pound-mass.

Over here (England) we say "pound per foot" if you said "foot-pounds" you'd get some funny looks.

 

[MotoDave]

'per' implies you're dividing one unit by another, and is not correct in this case.

psi = pounds/in² = pounds per square inch

 

[kwb]

Over here (England) we say "pound per foot" if you said "foot-pounds" you'd get some funny looks.

pounds per foot is a loading condition for a evenly distributed load when calculating a beam deflection

 

[Moose-LandTran]

pounds per foot is a loading condition for a evenly distributed load when calculating a beam deflection

In England it's a measurement of torque.

 

[JCQuick]

I have a friend that works on turbos for some nice race cars they require inch lb torque wrenches. you do not want to twist some of those exotic shafts

 

[ZRX61]

Hence the use of "pound-feet" instead of "foot pounds". Pound feet is technically the "more correct" term, if there is such a thing.

I've been known to pound feet on occassion....

 

[Steevo]

I own a Snap-on torque-meter that reads in inch-pounds. I used it every day when I was a motorcycle mechanic in the 1970's

 

[Art From De Leon]

I have a MAC 0-150 inch pound dial type torque wrench. It was used to adjust the Perma-Clutch on JD 30-60 series tractors.

 

[Hodge]

In the bicycle industry, 99.9% of stuff is in inch Lbs....

Cheers and beers
Hodge