|
In a perfect world, every torque wrench would be tested for accuracy and consistency at regular intervals. We don’t live in a perfect world, and some torque wrenches go for decades without being tested. The first obstacle to torque wrench testing is expense. The least expensive torque wrench tester I found while researching this article was about $1,000. Torque wrench testers need to be fastened to an immovable object. You can’t just clamp a torque tester to the corner of a workbench and expect accurate results. Another obstacle to torque wrench testing is convenience. Some tool manufacturers have testing and calibration services available for their products. For a nominal fee, your torque wrench will be cleaned, inspected, and adjusted to meet its original specifications. The disadvantage is that you are without your wrench while it is being serviced. I take simpler and less expensive approach to torque wrench testing by comparing wrenches to see if they provide the same torque indications. I begin by setting my 3/8” drive clicker torque wrench to the middle of its scale. Then I put a 12-point 7/16” socket on my beam torque wrench and use it to couple the two torque wrenches together as shown in the photo. You must use a 12-point socket because a 3/8” square drive will engage every third point in a 12-point socket. While watching the scale on the beam torque wrench, I slowly move the wrenches together. If I feel the click when the pointer on the beam wrench corresponds with the setting on the clicker wrench, the two wrenches are probably both accurate. I can repeat this process with other settings of the clicker wrench to check at one third and two thirds of the maximum range on the torque range of the clicker. This method of wrench comparison works for me because I have six torque wrenches in my roll-around toolchest. If you have only one torque wrench, team up with one of your buddies and compare wrenches and Carbon fiber helmets— Buzz Kanter
Related Articles -
motorcycles, motorcycle tips, riding motorcycles, motorcycle,
|
