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Torque Wrench???

I've had great luck with almost all of my thousand or so craftsman tools. I think that for the most part that they're very high quality for the money. In fact, I'd put most of my tools up against any other brand and I think that they won't fail any sooner than anything else on average. I've seen poor quality tools of EVERY brand, so you don't always get what you've paid for. Also, I know that sears is going to be there when I need to exchange something, on the other hand, our Snap-On guy only shows about once every three months (I know thats not normal for most places, but I've never heard of them showing up every day, yet Sears is there every day).
 
Well, I'm 25 and have been using craftsman tools of my own for almost 10 years. Before that, i used my father's craftsman tools. I have never had a problem with them. You can't beat the warranty either! I have never broke a craftsman when using it properly. I have broke them when using them improperly, such as prybars, chisles, etc... If you do break one, it is easy. Just go to sears and exchange it. If they don't have it in stock, they will order it, and it comes directly to your home. I also have other brand tools. I have a snapon flex head 3/8 drive ratchet that was broke. I had to chase the local snap on man down once a week for over 4 months, to try to get my ratchet fixed. The internal parts kit was put on back order, and he would tell me to check back next week. I burned up alot of gas and time trying to track his MOBILE unit down (sears stores aren't very mobile!LOL). He finaly jerry rigged my ratchet with the wrong kit and a little grinding and it still slips when a resonable amount of pressure is applied. I tried to get him to give me a new ratchet, but he wouldn't, so it just sits in the tool box because it is use less. As far as being made in america, hardly anything is "MADE in America". I recently purchase a Matco air ratchet for a good price. When i got home and was installing the air fitting into the bottom, I noticed in big letters "MADE IN JAPAN". I was really P.O.'d! I will pay more attention to the tools that i buy from now on, regardless of the brand name. It was very dissapointing that such a "quality" brand tool had been made in japan. I should of just went to wal-mart and bought a Made in Japan air ratchet there. Just my 2 cents worth!

baldbandit

"Have you driven over a F@RD lately!!
 
What do you need a torque wrench for unless you're building an engine? I've never used it for anything else.

Tim
'84 Chevy K10, lifted, loud, fast, and 3/4 ton axles
 
Torque wrench is key for a lot of things. Like torquing down body bolts to spec (don't want to over tighten poly urethane. and also, leaf spring bolts, shackle bolts, hmm, what else, oh, rear axle spacer lugnuts, lugnuts in general, etc, etc. It can be used for a lot of things.
Also, don't forget that you definately need it for when you repack your bearings, or change your rotors, etc. You'll have to torque that spindle nut at different lbs, and don't want to over do it or under do it.

But anyhow, I doubt that Craftsman hand tools are made in China or anywhere else. B/c it says on there, "Made in U.S.A" Isn't there a law against that if you say that and it aint.....
anyhow, As far as Snap-On goes, unless you're a shop and the guys comes every week (doubt he comes everyday), then why bother with their overpriced stuff. Sears is about 5 minutes from me and no more than 1/2 hours for most peoples, so, I stick with Craftsman and their quality. I have no problems with their tools and you probably aint using em right if you break their stuff all the time. My .02s
Boss

89' 1 TON of FUN K5
 
Craftsman wrenches are made by Western Forge in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
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<font color=black>HarryH3 - '75 K5</font color=black>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.angelfire.com/super/ThunderTruck>http://www.angelfire.com/super/ThunderTruck</A>
It's a great day to be alive...
 
mikes good, started on my retaining wall today, its a field stone instead, free yet, cant beat that, did you check out ebay? you'll have to stop by this week for your loot. i'm meeting w/ snappy joe on friday so if you want, drop that socket off tomorrow. tell mike he will get his screwdriver mon or tues. talk to you soon, 400k10
 
as far as finding the snap on guy, all i do is call him, he comes within a day or two. i am not a shop either, i work on my personal vehicles in my garage. i spend around 150.00 a month with him and have no problems at all. as far as using tools the right way..... i belive tools should stand up to whatever you give them. sure i use screwdrivers as prybars, so does everyone else. crapsman tips break right off, snap on or s-k dont even bend, it is in the steel. ratchets are also used as hammers. its a pretty heavy tool. it should be able to take a beating. i use ext and sockets as a seating tool for bearings. why not, its there. regular sockets on an impact gun w/ 600 ft lbs of tourque? you bet!!!!! you get by with what you got the closest. if you used the right tool for the job everytime, it would take forever. you would have to run to the store every week, being careful is the key, safety goggles and gloves. buy what you like and can afford, just dont say i never told you so. p.s. old craftsman is a big difference from the new junk. 2 different kinds of metal.
 
Have you ever built an axel. It is as important as a dial indicator. If you just use it on your engine how do you check u-bolts,ball joints,axel yokes,and lug nuts????????? Sound like you might need to put some thought into that!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Nope, never built an axle. I would use one there!

I am sorry, I guess I'm not the best worker, but I really don't see the need to torque U-bolts, spring bolts, or any of that. I think those things can't get tightened ENOUGH!

And since I only weigh 125 lbs. and the spec for my wheels is 118, I figure I can never get those tight enough either.

I definitely used one when I built my engine though!

Tim
'84 Chevy K10, lifted, loud, fast, and 3/4 ton axles
 
You'd be suprised what the wrong torque can do! Quite a few people have died over things as seemingly trivial as torque specs.
 
You spend 150 a month but can't buy a pry bar or a hammer?
If I do a job and need a specific tool I will buy it, or rent it. Using the wrong tool for a job can get you hurt or someone else.
 
I've got an entire set of prybars and still use a screwdriver - it's whatever's at hand. If I'm doing something where I know I'll need a prybar, I use one, but if it's a spur of the moment thing like a sticky valve cover and I already have a screwdriver with me, it gets called on for the job. I use just about every brand of tool personally - depending on the application. Most of my sockets are Craftsman or SK - Wrenches are Craftsman, Screwdrivers are Snap-On and Mac, electrical stuff is Klein, and so on. Everyone makes something a little better than everyone else.

If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all
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<A target="_blank" HREF=http://pugsley.alloffroad.com>http://pugsley.alloffroad.com</A>
 
"...I really don't see the need to torque U-bolts, spring bolts, or any of that. I think those things can't get tightened ENOUGH!"

No offense, but that mentality can and WILL kill people. In aviation, the torque wrench is one of the most frequently-used tools in the toolbox. Why? <font color=red>Because improperly torqued fasteners can and will break at the worst possible time!<font color=black> The most common cause of fastener failure is OVERTIGHTENING.
Let's think about this... U-bolts and spring bolts. They keep your axles located under the truck, they support the weight of the truck, they transmit all the forces from the axles to the rest of the vehicle. You decide that you'll throw the 3ft. cheater bar on the ratchet when you tighten your spring bolts. You've torqued that bolt way past it's design specification, putting stress on it that it was not designed to take (not to mention the stiff ride and lack of flex of that spring bushing). You hit a pothole at highway speed, creating a huge amount of force that bolt has to endure. It's already under more stress than it's designed to take from being overtightened, so it fails catastrophically (breaks). Now you've got an axle/spring assy. only being held in place by 3 bolts, rather than 4. Now the axle has much more freedom to move around on its own, possibly causing you to lose control and wreck, possibly injuring or killing yourself and anyone else unlucky enough to be nearby.
Stuff like this DOES happen. In Marine Corps aviation a few years back, there was an F-18 that had a serious flight control system failure in flight. The pilot managed to get the aircraft back on the ground in one piece, and the engineering investigation that followed revealed that a bolt holding one of the flight control actuators (basically a big hydraulic ram) sheared. The cause of the sheared bolt? <font color=red>IMPROPER TORQUE.<font color=black> A brand-new mech had been told by an older mech that he didn't need to use a torque wrench, "just use the big breaker bar and stand on it".

Almost ANY torque wrench is better than guessing. I'm using a $25 one I got from Pep Boys. I certainly wouldn't build an engine/tranny/axle with it, but it's fine for lugnuts, brake bolts, etc.

As far as Snap-On goes, we only had calibration problems with ours if they had been dropped or abused. I once caught a new kid using a Snap-On 3/4" drive ratcheting-head TQ wrench (about $800) as an improvised slide hammer. When it wouldn't calibrate within specifications anymore, it became an $800 3/4" ratchet...

If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style...
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Semper Maintenance!
 
You mean to tell me that I'm the only person who's never used a torque wrench under their truck?

Shackles break anyway, my friends have had it happen before, so if the fastener broke it'd be the same situation. I can't imagine breaking a U-bolt. Those are hard enough to cut with a grinder, much less just shear off.

I don't even own a reliable torque wrench.

And from the looks of it, it takes only a marine to pay that close attention to detail!

Tim
'84 Chevy K10, lifted, loud, fast, and 3/4 ton axles
 
Nah, there's loads of people who don't use torque wrenches, including some who really should know better (like the tire guy who uses an impact gun to put lugnuts on...).

My point is that it's in YOUR best interests to use a torque wrench. You'll break fewer parts and your vehicle will be safer.

And as far as attention-to-detail goes, try it sometime. You'll be amazed at how many f***ed-up things you see. You may even save your own life...

If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style...
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Semper Maintenance!
 
i use snap on every day at work, they are great. but i use craftsman at home. no problems with ethier one. snap on cost more but is all metal, craftsman can breat real easy. i had to take the first craftsman one i bought back, i opened it and the hendle had fallen off. the new one is great though.

1974 Chevy Blazer Cheyanne. lots of plans for it....
but it is on 33's now, with saggy old springs. i am in so cali if ya got any parts for me.
 
I have to agree with you and the others. I use a torque wrench (Matco) on everything possible. Even on stuff like the water pump, and I know alot of people who dont. IIn my opinion there are torque specs for a reason, if there wasnt a reason, then they wouldnt have them. That is why even aftermarket parts even say it in the instructions, torque to specs, or will give you the measuremnt to toque it to. Its there for a reason. Buy a torque wrench and you know it will be done RIGHT.
 
400K,

Alright, dude, I see your point. BUT, I didn't mean to say that I don't use my tools correctly. There is a tool for every job, keep that in mind, and since you spend $150 on tools a month, you shouldn't have a problem getting the "tool for every job."
But anyhow, call up Snap on and it takes them 2 days... Go to sears, it takes you anytime you feel like it.
Besides, I also the screw driver to pry stuff etc, nothing broke so far. I'm not knocking Snap on, just saying that I don't like their prices, and also, why bother hunting one down, or waitng 2 days for him to come replace your broken tool that you need now!!
Also, I have a 600lb torque Impact and I often find myself using the regular sockets to remove some bolts. Nothing has broken. Anyhow, do as you wish, it's your money
smile.gif
. Just trying to let everyone else know that Craftman aint made in China like you said, and they're not garbage. They're not even cheap in $$$ as far as I'm concerned.

And for 84 Chev, not knocking you either, But, have you ever repacked your bearings?? You'll definately want a torque wrench for that job. Don't want to over torqueor under torque those Lock nuts.
Boss

89' 1 TON of FUN K5
 
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