Can we talk about torque wrench calibrations? Check every 30 days or trust the sticker?

I had to pick between sending my torque wrenches out every 30 days for calibration (costs about $40 each) or just trusting the factory sticker and hoping for the best. I went with the 30 day route after a buddy found a 20 ft-lb error on a 100 ft-lb setting last year. What do you guys do for critical safety jobs like engine mounts?

2 comments

2 Comments

stella2798d ago

My buddy Mike had his click-style torque wrench misread a bolt on his race car's caliper bracket. He was torquing to 85 ft-lb and it clicked, but when he borrowed my calibrated one to double check it actually took 105 ft-lb to click. That's a huge difference for something like brakes where you really need it right. He'd been using that wrench for like 2 years without ever checking it. Now he sends his out every 6 months just to be safe. $40 every month sounds like a lot but he says it's cheaper than a wrecked engine or worse.

raymartin8d ago

@stella279's buddy story is exactly why I went with the 30 day thing. That 20 ft-lb error his friend found is pretty much the same kind of thing mine had, and it scared me straight. For something like engine mounts or suspension bolts, you're trusting that click to keep everything together at highway speeds. I got a logbook for each wrench now, date stamped every month, costs me a bit but it's peace of mind knowing the numbers are actually real.