That brake job at my buddy's shop in Akron changed my whole approach

I was helping out at Dave's Garage in Akron last spring and he showed me why he never uses a torque wrench on lug nuts. He said 'feel it out, you'll know when it's tight enough' and I was skeptical at first. Has anyone else learned a technique from an older mechanic that goes against what the manual says?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthonykim1mo ago

Man that torque wrench thing always cracks me up. My grandpa used to tighten everything until he heard the bolt start to groan then back it off a hair.

robertsmith1mo ago

The old "feel it past snug and back it off" method works fine on lawnmower blades and muffler bolts. But on something like an engine head or a aluminum intake manifold, that's how you crack a casting or pull the threads out. I see it at the hardware store all the time when guys come in for a helicoil kit after they did the "grandpa's ear test" on something critical. A torque wrench is cheap insurance when you're dealing with anything that has a gasket or a specific spec. I get that old school is fine for farm equipment, but modern engines don't like guesswork.