Any advice as to where I can buy a new torque wrench at a reasonable price and suitable just for caravan wheel checks?
Mine has just jammed in the locked position.
There is not much point in using a torque wrench unless you are sure it is accurate. I ensure mine does not suffer fatigue over time - each time I use it I always return the load to zero.
It is recommended that torque wrenches should periodically be recalibrated, but this can cost as much as, or more than, buying a new one.
If you have an oldish torque wrench, or have bought a pre-used one, if you have access to a new one you can check the accuracy of yours by tightening a bolt up to a set torque, then using the new one to check if they both 'crack' at about the same load.
Bertie.
Torque wrenches have a + and - percentage of accuracy the cheaper they are the bigger the tolerance, which can make them pretty much useless. My advice is invest in a quality one or don't bother
------------- its our imperfections that makes us perfect
We don't use a torque wrench but watch the service centre torque the wheels and then put Milenco wheel stud indicators on. We work on the theory that a service centre will have a far more accurate torque wrench than we would buy.
------------- Jean
Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
What if you have to change a wheel (car or caravan) whilst on holiday? Without a torque wrench you would not be able to ensure that the wheels had been tightened correctly. Guesswork is not an ideal choice - an overstressed bolt can be just as much of a hazard as one that is not tightened enough. Reasonably reliable torque wrenches can be bought for a non-eyewatering price. The most accurate setting of a torque wrench is the middle of its range, so that is a guide for what to buy.
My torque wrench is a Norbar - similar to the ones used at tyre fitting centres.
I always carry mine in the car, along with a 24" breaker bar which allows me to loosen any wheel stud without problems.
Bertie.
Quote: Originally posted by The 2 Tops on 10/8/2018
What if you have to change a wheel (car or caravan) whilst on holiday? Without a torque wrench you would not be able to ensure that the wheels had been tightened correctly. Guesswork is not an ideal choice - an overstressed bolt can be just as much of a hazard as one that is not tightened enough. Reasonably reliable torque wrenches can be bought for a non-eyewatering price. The most accurate setting of a torque wrench is the middle of its range, so that is a guide for what to buy.
My torque wrench is a Norbar - similar to the ones used at tyre fitting centres.
I always carry mine in the car, along with a 24" breaker bar which allows me to loosen any wheel stud without problems.
Bertie.
We use a breakdown company called Mayday and they should have all the correct equipment including a torque wrench. We have never bothered with carrying one as see no necessity for it however it is up to each individual to decide whether they need on or not.
We are also members of Mayday. I would wait for Mayday if on an unsafe road (much better with a large wagon with flashing lights parked up behind you), but there have been times when I have changed a wheel myself, in a safe situation, to keep time delay to a minimum.
Also, as recommended by many posters and club technical departments, caravan wheel bolts should be checked before setting out for any journey.
Where the wheels have been disturbed (e.g., servicing) it is recommended that the bolts should ideally be rechecked after a few miles of towing.
At this year's service, with new tyres being due, I elected to get them changed by removing the wheels myself. A good job I did, too.
The bolt threads had been greased. They should be dry, as confirmed by both Swift and CMC technical dept. It took me quite some time, using a proprietary degreasing agent and cotton buds, to clean out the threaded holes in the brake drums. Degreasing the bolts themselves was simple.
The trouble with leaving everything to someone else denies you the opportunity to ensure that everything is as it should be.
Bertie.
If the bolts had been greased that is a serious matter and needs to be taken up with whoever had done them as other people could be affected with disastrous consequences for them.
Quote: Originally posted by iank01 on 11/8/2018
If the bolts had been greased that is a serious matter and needs to be taken up with whoever had done them as other people could be affected with disastrous consequences for them.
I used a different service centre this year for the first time, so cannot be sure if the greasing was done by them, or the previous place I used to take it. This latest service centre is very convenient, and is swift approved, so I will probably keep using them in the future.
They do seem to be very thorough, but I shall be raising the issue with them. If it was them who did the greasing, I will emphatically forbid them to grease the wheel bolts, and point out that Swift expressly said that the bolt threads were to remain dry.
Bertie.
Torque wrench £25 from Screwfix, how good can you think that could possibly be it doesn't even state what its capable of, there is one on there for £60 made by Teng upto 200 nm which is probably fairly accurate but none would compare to Norbar
------------- its our imperfections that makes us perfect
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Topic: Torque Wrench
