Old timer at my shop said to never trust a torque wrench that's been dropped even once

Took me about 3 stripped lug nuts on a 737 main gear last month to learn he was right. My $200 Snap-on clicked fine on the test stand but was off by 15 ft-lbs after a 2 foot fall onto concrete. Anyone else have a tool fail after a simple drop?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant_gibson6d ago

Tbh the real issue is the internal crystal shattering, which a test stand can't always catch until it's too late.

thea6926d ago

Yeah, the "internal crystal shattering" thing is a nightmare. I've seen it happen on a rig that passed every test stand check with flying colors, then grenaded on the second pull at the range. The test stand just can't replicate the same vibration harmonics or thermal shock you get from real firing. It's one of those things that makes you wonder how many rounds you're actually getting before the clock starts ticking.