Switched from using a torque wrench on every lug nut to a calibrated clicker style after a disaster in Phoenix

I used to always use my old beam style torque wrench on every single wheel removal, thinking it was the only way to be accurate. But last month a set of lug nuts on a customer's Ram 1500 came loose on the freeway because I didn't recheck a couple after a test drive. Has anyone else had a bad experience with beam wrenches getting knocked out of calibration by just being in a tool box?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancyd8510d ago

Wait wait wait... did you just say a Ram 1500's lug nuts came loose on the freeway? That's terrifying. I've dropped a few beam wrenches off the side of a workbench and never thought twice about it. But now you've got me wondering if I've been driving around with wheels that are barely hanging on. I'm definitely checking the calibration on mine tomorrow morning before I touch another car.

beth5599d ago

Right, but did you actually break the torque wrench by dropping it, or did it just hit the ground and you put it back in the box? A lot of people don't realize those click-type ones can get knocked out of spec from a simple fall off the bench. If you're just checking the calibration and not actually testing it against a known standard, you might be giving yourself false confidence. That Ram guy's story makes me wonder how many of us are trusting tools that have taken unnoticed hits.