Been torquing lug nuts by feel for 8 years until a wheel came off doing 55 on I-75 last Tuesday - now I'm wondering who else still skips the torque wrench on routine jobs?

My buddy swears click-type torque wrenches are just something to drop and break, but digital ones cost too much for a shade tree guy like me, so where's the line between trusting your arm and being lazy lol?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadea531mo ago

You said "where's the line between trusting your arm and being lazy," but honestly 8 years of going by feel and the wheel coming off kinda proves your arm already crossed that line. A click type torque wrench doesn't have to be expensive or fragile, just get a beam style one for like 30 bucks and it'll be fine as long as you don't use it as a hammer. The real line is whether you're willing to spend a few extra minutes to not lose a wheel on the highway.

jana_henderson521mo ago

Don't beam wrenches lose accuracy over time too?