On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 09:42:51 -0500, Mike Romain >
wrote:

>They work very poorly and are one of the biggest causes of failed brake
>rotors going.

Oops. This isn't good news. I wonder why my local dealership uses
them then. I mean if the mechanics should know better, they
apparently do not ;0

>Some techs are just plain lazy so they use these torque sticks on their
>impact guns instead of finishing putting a wheel on with a proper torque
>wrench like they are supposed to.

3 or 4 % isn't the worst thing you can do to your lug nuts. Do you
think that 99.99% of all vehicle owners have their lugs within 4% of
eachother ? I would be surprised if they were within 10 % of
eachother.

>The torque sticks bend and get springy in the twist when they reach
>their supposed torque level so the impact driver just bounces.

Yes, it has been mentioned to stop application of energy when the nut
stops moving on the lug.

>The problem is even new ones have a 5% or so tolerance and once used,
>that changes for the worst. You can only flex metal so much before it
>gives some. Even 'real' torque wrenches need calibration now and then.

So I've noticed.

>So if they have gone to say 10% tolerance 'for easy numbers' on a wheel
>lug nut that is supposed to be at 100 ft lb, you could have one lug at
>90 and one at 110 and still think it's working ok meanwhile you just
>warped the rotor.

Those must be some crappy rotors if they are going to warp with that
little of a difference between the lug nut torques.

>Even at 5% new specs, that means one can be at 105 ft lb and the rest
>all at 95 ft lbs or any combination which still can/will warp a rotor,
>especially the crappy Chrysler ones....

They must be incredible crap for that small amount of difference to
make that much difference.

>For all intents and purposes, I think they are garbage and I will always
>use a proper torque wrench on tires (and other parts) like they taught
>us back in the 70's when mag wheels came out. Impact wrenches were
>warping them too....

Well let's think about it. I can use a torque stick to take the nuts
up to some lower number, and then finish topping them off with a
calibrated wrench, eliminating 85% of the misery of doing these things
all by hand.

>Mike

Thanks Mike.

Lg