Torque Wrenches: What they are and why you need one

Using a torque wrench is simple and can mean the difference between breaking something on your car or having it work exactly right. Watch this video before you buy a torque wrench.
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[@TheGardenMG]

I have a torque wrench, I know how to use a torque wrench, I'm still going to watch Cooley talk about torque wrench for 10 mins.

[@MarioDallaRiva]

Ah, the satisfying sounds of Cooley and the click of a (quality) torque wrench 👏🏻

[@GhostSlayer81]

Glad to see Cooley in a good shape , more of car in tech reviews please ..

[@JamesNickersonThePhotoShopGuru]

awesome and well made video ….thank you

[@doyinsony7563]

I don't need a torque wrench because I don't change my tires, but now I'm thinking of buying one from Amazon even though I know I'll never use it.

[@elijahmurray6094]

The power of COOLEY

[@mongalrai1860]

Awesome ways of torquing method. Like it❤

[@davidjamgochian]

Awesome Happy Holidays🎄

[@KJSvitko]

Cooley needs his own TV show.

[@InternetDude]

No he needs his own KZbin channel

[@CarlosRodriguez-hb3vq]

I have a click type 3/8” drive, max 75 ft pound Craftsman torque wrench that I bought over 35 years ago. It’s been used and abused a lot (possibly as a breaker bar, but I won’t admit it). So before I used it to rebuild an engine, I took it in for a calibration test (accuracy, linearity, precision, etc). Still dead on!

[@cesarkrusaders4742]

Great video

[@giliwsapiandante8454]

Excellent thank you

[@rabbi.rahman]

Good explanation.

[@poonbandit9924]

I use CDI torque wrenches, they’re owned by Snap-on and I check them monthly for calibration on the tool truck. I’ve never had them be out of calibration. They’re super high quality and super accurate, and coming in at minimum half the price of a snap on torque wrench they’re a solid deal.

[@rprestage]

Excellent

[@theplinkerslodge6361]

Great vid. It won't mess you up if you choke up on the handle, but if you ARE choking up I am thinking you need the next smaller size torque wrench.

[@solid1378]

This is exactly what I was looking for!!! I am befuddled by the variety of torque wrenches available and which one to buy...🙈🙈🙈

[@dvxAznxvb]

Husky is good for majority of people; even harbor freight ones unless you need to maintain calibration over hundreds of uses If you are only torquing things twice a year then sub $100 is good range to get

[@solid1378]

@@dvxAznxvb Thanks for the recommendations! I was checking stuff out at Harbor Freight. 👍👍👍

[@PaulNaylor3]

The lug nut sockets may require a 1/2” drive. Tekton makes a good one for sale on Amazon for $42. Pittsburgh brand at Harbor Freight are also a good value.

[@tommytexter4054]

exactly. I think most foot pound wrench is 1/2 inch socket

[@allanzfs]

I like the video, but I disagree that rechecking the click sound a second time makes any difference as the second click will not indicate that the nut is tightened anymore.

[@GmrGy90]

Actually, I don't think it matters where you grab the torque wrench to tighten the bolt. Torque is measured by force x distance: force from you pushing down with your hand and distance being the lever arm of your wrench. The more distance you have for your lever arm, the less force you have to apply with your hand to get the same amount of torque and vice versa. The wrench is calibrated to tick at a certain torque, so it wouldn't matter how its applied. Grabbing it closer to the actual wrench head just means you have to put in more effort.

[@allenjoelson4811]

Thanks, I just bought such a tape

[@randallthomas5207]

If you’ve torqued enough bolts, the star wrench will give you a clos approximation of the torque. The old style open needle wrench is perfectly fine, and gives you a visual, indication of whether the fastener you are torquing is actually clean enough to give you an accurate fastening. The click style can’t do that. And the extension, could mess things up slightly, if you don’t keep it aligned with the axis of the bolt. But if the extension is off axis only a small amount it won’t be off as much as setting torque on dry, slightly buggered up threads.

[@kylehurlbrink]

Correct torque is also important when replacing a wheel with a spare tire. I recommend carrying a breaker bar and socket. The factory tire repair wrench doesn’t work with typical tire shop extreme torques.

[@Wickedstickyflowers]

Do you know why torque is relevant and which project should need to walk meaning if I have steel to steel cement to steal wood do we always need to torque bolts or only sometimes

[@cocolopz1]

I like Cooley good presenter.

[@mattlimberg5763]

You can recheck it, but wait until the end after doing all of them. And don't go beyond the click. At 100 lbft, there will be a big enough tolerance to allow you to do this. It's better to recheck it and overtightened a little bit than it is to find out you missed one and it comes off/out.

[@jstample]

If you need to torque lugnuts on a half ton truck, they are generally 130-150 ft. lbs so you’d need a half inch drive torque wrench which normally has a range of 40-250 ft. lbs or so.

[@kristof46]

What about the switch at the top? It was set to left…shouldn’t be to right?

[@john_gyver]

6:02 Why can't I just apply the force again when I'm not sure if it clicked the first time? I'm just curious about the reason.

[@randallthomas5207]

Over tightening wheel nuts can, cause the knurling in the stud to shear off, and leave it impossible to get proper torque on.

[@joapps8135]

It is my understanding that inconsistent torque on the lug nuts can help cause brake rotors to warp over time, which in turn creates the wobble vibration when braking

[@stephenp8644]

Ah yes... for years I tightened my lug nuts on my Fords with only the cross lug wrench. And I had to "turn" or replace my rotors on a regular basis. Once I started using a torque ratchet and setting them to specs I haven't had a problem with warped rotors since.

[@JohnSmith-ys4nl]

@@stephenp8644 Yeah, too many people think having a lug too tight won't hurt anything. If you change your own tires, you need a torque wrench. Hell, even if a pro does it, it's still a good idea to "check his work" with your own torque wrench.

[@joseph2367]

I think if you are torquing a head for gasket you only torque once . But if you have a good torque wrench you can do two times on a wheel to make sure it doesn't fly out .

[@dtq3809]

That Rolex is slick tho

[@QwertySkill]

COOLEY COOLEY COOLEY!!!

[@binitbshah]

@ 2:26. Curious. Why two gas fill doors?

[@Hintonbro.]

Was hoping Cooley would address why every shop wants you to come back after 100kms for them to re-tighten the lug nuts. What is the phenomenon that is happening where the bolts loosen themselves up (but only once - not ongoing) .

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

Or why the over do it and make it hard to take the wheel off.

[@carlos66629]

Make sure also when you are done with your torque wrench to set it back down to zero so you lose mess up the calibrated spring on the inside.

[@404notfound.....]

Incorrect sir+ that's how you lose the calibration, you dial the torque wrench down to its lowest setting and leave it there.

[@l...]

Thank you May you use KZbin chapters please

[@barrymccaulkiner7092]

I wish he would have said something about not putting any lubricant on the threads.

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

I have heard mixed things about that.

[@wontsteal]

You also don't want to drop a torque wrench and check to make sure if it needs calibration or you might not be getting the torque you think you're getting

[@aussie2uGA]

Anyone know why there is such a massive variance on wheel nut ratings for similar cars? For instance, on a 2011 328xi wagon, it’s 59ftlbs. On the 2011 328i car, it’s 120ftlbs, or over double! There is obviously a huge potential to get things wrong here.

[@SRTMoe]

If I had to guess, I'd say lug nut vs lug stud depending on year/model. I could be completely wrong, though.

[@Stingray_614]

I just use my fingers for lug nuts, I’m built different. Jk but Cooley I’m surprised you didn’t mention digital torque wrenchs- I hear those go bad after a year or so and to stay away from them. Thoughts?

[@GetPsyched6]

I think he did mention digital ones, at around minute 3 or 4

[@JayDee-xj9lu]

@@GetPsyched6 I bought a digital one and hated it. It kept switching of between wheels or you had to wait to zero it. Just get a ratchet type so it will also work both ways for left hand threads.

[@GetPsyched6]

Agree, avoiding the digital types is a good idea

[@michaelmartinez9602]

A wise mechanic told me if it’s metal on metal just make sure it’s really tight

[@MarcusMussawar]

those are not junk they are the best option possible they maintain their accuracy beyond anything else and work forever more or less that is not saying they are the most accurate but they are going to last the best

[@Kerleem]

yes dad

[@anonymoususer1824]

I love you Cooley, but this video misses on a few key points. Critical points actually. First, you aren't supposed to torque wheels with the full weight of the vehicle on the ground. That literally makes the process inaccurate. You are supposed to use the jack or lift to have the tire barely touching the ground so that when you are using the torque wrench you do not have the full weight of the vehicle on the wheel because that outer force completely throws off the amount of torque you thunk you are applying. You would have to torque at a much higher setting to overcome this force. This cannot be overlooked as the force of the full weight if the vehicle is immense. Also, you are supposed to re-torque the wheels after 100 miles as the driving forces of the vehicle from starting and stopping (a torque in and if itself) on the wheel can loosen the 1st torque. This combined with the heating and cooling of the wheel (which is likely aluminum and likely the hub too) can also cause the torque to lessen with the first 100 miles. This is critical and I cannot believe was missed. Anyone can look this up and I see mechanics miss this all the time. Oh and unless in an emergency you are not supposed to torque wheels that are hot (like right after driving) as the torque specs given my manufacturers are cold specs and they change a lot under hot conditions. But then again you should re-torque wheels again after 100 miles anyway.. And I didn't see this video address the storage if the wrench. A trmirque wrench should only be stored at the 0 setting as leaving it on any other loaded setting will result in an inaccurate wrench offer time. Also dropping a torque wrench can damage it, also making it inaccurate thus useless. Finally, torque wrenches need to be checked to make sure they are accurate over time. This isn't critic if you dint drop it or use it often such as at home, but just saying.. I'm not surprised this was all missed because I see it all the time, but I have to point it out because frankly I know im right and if you're going to do it at all you should be doing it correctly and have what I consider all if the relevant info.

[@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow]

I feel like Neo, in The Matrix, after a download: "I know kung foo and fastening".

[@Thoughmuchistaken]

I need a torque wrench, I had one, broke it almost immediately.

[@mythreepants]

Thanks Dad

[@Smashachu]

I'll be the guy, it's actually properly known as pound foot, but foot lb is a more familiar concept so i'll let it slide.

[@solomonivere2967]

show the wrench more

[@joseph2367]

I would not use a 3/8 torque wrench on car lugs I would use a 1/2

[@10tenman10]

Just looked it up; you can buy one of these wrenches for under $30

[@hagbard72]

Tork, a guy who was in the Monkees.

[@trailoverland6462]

I'm from FL and have heard of a few people that lost wheels on the highway. This should be a FL law, those maniacs can't be trusted to torque their own wheels.

[@ItsAlive111]

That’s the least of the Florida man issues

[@buddymac3993]

The conundrum since the beginning of man! '. 'Lug' says to Nug what exactly is this long handled thingamajig that goes click and what the hell is a lug nut.!!! Nug says you Lug on Saturday night are a loveable lug nut

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

I wish mechanics would watch this video and they over torque the wheel.

[@pianomancgg]

Pound/Feet! Not foot pounds! Newton/meters never gets confused for meter/newtons. Great clip as always!

[@dvxAznxvb]

You know that imperial always does things backwards so why try to change the whole measurement culture

[@muhammad.mohsen]

the quantities are multiplied, so that's why it can go both ways. But, as dvx said, it's imperial...backwards thinking is what it's all about :D

[@CarlosRodriguez-hb3vq]

Pound force or pound mass? 😂

[@Toolaholic7]

Jerking on a torque wrench results in a false torque reading.

[@BTC909]

Use a Torque Wrench, NOT a Honk Wrench!