Because the van has been serviced last Thursday, and yes, the guy demonstrated on one wheel nut how to use a torque wrench, we have decided to go ahead and buy one. Possibly the silverline one? Given its good reviews. Mixed opinions on here obviously but prevention better than cure! I'd hate to think how much damage & cost a stray wheel would incur if it DID happen against the relatively minor cost of a wrench.
Thank you everyone very much for your posts.
Oh..looking at those milenco indicators too :-)
i think anyone that has to ask the question "do i need a torque wrench" does need one.. how else will they know what the "correct" tightness" for any nut or bolt is.. :)
i dont need one all i need is the same tool i use to put my motor mover on and off.. it does the wheel nut job quite nicely with very little effort and it collapses up nice and small for storage..
but checking wheel nuts to make sure they havnt come loose dosnt need a "torque wrench".. a torque wrench is just a special tool that can be pre-set to apply any given or known torque when tightening any nut or bolt..
the longer the spanner the less effort required to apply any given torque.. the snag is when the spanner is too long its all to easy for the unskilled person to break something.. if a wheel nut is over tightened the wheel is more likely to come off than if its under tightened.. the studs can snap or the threads strip..
I bought one in Lidl ten years ago and never had any problems using it, It cost £9.99 and at the time a Identical wrench in Halfords cost just short of £40 and came in a plastic wallet instead of a ABS case.
Incidentally my caravan hand book states to check your wheel nuts after 50kms if you have had your wheel/s off for any reason and then every 5000kms. I saw torque wrench's for sale again in lidl back end of April £14.99 or £16.99 ???? did not pay a great deal of attention. OH wanted one of the planters they had on sale had to try two stores before we managed to get her the last one.
The trouble with cheap torque wrenches they are probably inaccurate, it's like anything you get what you pay for. So if your using an inaccurate wrench who knows what torque you are applying.
Cost is not the indicator of accuracy, look for a calibration certificate. Then always set the wrench back to 0 after use to take tension off the spring.
Quote: Originally posted by rushallmanor on 18/5/2015
Cost is not the indicator of accuracy, look for a calibration certificate. Then always set the wrench back to 0 after use to take tension off the spring.
Yeah I'd like to see a calibration cert in a Lidl wrench!
Quote: Originally posted by misterg on 17/5/2015Bailey did have a problem with wheels coming off and had a recall. They then said check every time you set off even with the new nuts fitted and using revised torque wrench settings.If other makes use the same chassis it would affect them also I presume.
Bailey also had nose weight issues so a noseweight guage is needed
Alutec vans are leeking so you need a damp meter.
They promised one day all vans will be like this.
It is called progress.I towed for 40 years and did not know all this stuff until recently.
Post last edited on 17/05/2015 11:40:53
Bailey use the same chassis/axle/hub/bolt combination as most other caravan makers, is it a possibility that other manufacturers may have the same issues but because of the higher numbers of caravans made by Bailey, more will show up.
I do not have a noseweight issue with my Bailey orion
You can prod the walls with a damp meter all day, you will never get a reading. The walls of an alutec van are GRP not plywood
Wheels should always be balanced, imbalance will cause shaking which will damage the wheel bearings, it could even cause damage to the caravan body and internal fittings
"it could even cause damage to the caravan body and internal fittings"
its likely to do that first long before it damages anything else.. they do fall apart pretty easily.. :)
but coming from the days of long ago when car wheel balancing was an optional thing not a done automatically thing.. at speeds of 60 mph or less (caravan speeds) a tyre would have to be a mile out of balance to cause problems..
which is the simple reason caravans wheels dont get balanced by the makers.. at lower speeds a good tyre does not need to be balanced its never that far out as it comes from the factory..
i am not saying dont have them done if new tyres are fitted.. i would.. but more is made of this issue than needs to be..
Regarding the subject of torque wrenches, every nut and bolt manufactured has an outside diameter and a core diameter which if you subtract the difference between the two, the remaining measurements gives you the total depth of thread. However, the larger the nut or bolt the greater the torque application will be which is why the one shot nut on the caravan brake drums will require a professional torque wrench with a higher setting not found on a standard torque Wrench. This is because the principal of a torque wrench is to apply the maximum pressure without stretching or distorting the thread which is the reason why nyloc nuts should always be replaced with a new one every time.
The reason why I explain this is because some people think that a torque wrench is a wasted expense and don't actually know the reasons why you need one. Without the use of a torque wrench you can ensure that the nut or bolt is tight but what you don't know if you have over tightened it and distorted the thread during the process.
"Bailey use the same chassis/axle/hub/bolt combination as most other caravan makers, is it a possibility that other manufacturers may have the same issues but because of the higher numbers of caravans made by Bailey, more will show up.
I do not have a noseweight issue with my Bailey orion
You can prod the walls with a damp meter all day, you will never get a reading. The walls of an alutec van are GRP not plywood
Wheels should always be balanced, imbalance will cause shaking which will damage the wheel bearings, it could even cause damage to the caravan body and internal fittings"
Bailey do not produce as many caravans as the swift group, but changed their bolts after a problem with wheels coming off. It hasn't happened to other manufacturers - at least in the same numbers.
Your statement about wheel balancing on caravans is I presume your opinion or have you done extensive testing? Swift have done extensive testing and found no ill effects.
I agree with brianconwy re wheels coming off but to their credit Bailey did a recall and at the time I had the same thoughts about other makes on the same chassis.
The noseweight problem was in the Valencia for sure but may also have been elsewhere.
Yes a damp meter is no good on walls of Alu tec.The problem is in the floor.I am told that it is well known and a lot have been sorted by the dealer. I think the problem starts near a side locker .
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Topic: torque wrench essential?
