Phokaioglaukos

My lugbolts should be tightened to 96 ft. lbs. Currently I put them in finger tight and then use a torque wrench to tighten. It might be a bit easier to start the bolts by hand, use this torque stick http://www.torquestick.com/cart/cust...4&cat=1&page=1 to tighten with my cordless impact wrench and then use the torque wrench to check and do the final tightening. Or maybe not.

The torque stick says +/- 4% (3.6 ft. lbs. so from 86.4 to 93.6 ft. lbs.?), so I should always have to tighten a bit more with the torque wrench.

Advice?

Jim Michaels

For me, using a torque stick would just add a useless step in the process. I use a spinner and tighten as much as I can with the tire raised, then tighten to spec with a torque wrench when the tire's back on the floor.

Circuit Motorsports

I have heard many mixed reviews about the sticks and I personally wouldn't trust them

When I had more than 1 bolt per wheel I would run the nuts in snug with a cordless drill and then tighten/torque with a wrench.

LVDell

Same here. Cordless drill at a torgue setting in the 50 ft-lb range and then hand torque with my torque wrench to the target number. This I have found to be the easiest, fastest, and most reliable way......short of having a true impact gun that I could set to 96 ft-lb.

Bryan Watts

I just run them on with the Snap-On battery impact...a few impacts and they are tightened down into the lower 80's or so. After that, just a quick click with the torque wrench to 86 ft-lbs to snug them up. No need for the extra step of a torque stick. A battery impact isn't so powerful that you're going to significantly over tighten the lug nuts like you would with an air powered impact.

kurt M

What extra step? A torque stick removes a step not adds one. You run the nuts or bolts in with the torque stick and you are done. No need to set the gun down and pick the torque wrench up. a torque stick is a spring, a simple torsion bar and twist a bit when you load them. This give keeps the impact hammer hits from transferring energy into the nut or bolt after a certain point. Rather than turning the nut tighter it just bends some with each impact hit and dissipates the guns energy. This point is determined by the spring value of the stick and to a smaller extent the hit "size" of the impact gun.

I have seen them work well and I have seen them be 15% off. Most times it off to the tight side. How much the final torque is for a given stick can be influenced by the gun. Guns with less BPM but a harder hit and rotation per beat tend to make higher final torque values. Use them right and they work well inside of 10% Use a click head wrench wrong and you can be well outside of 10%

That said I use a torque wrench. My cordless impact gun is rated to 350 ft/lb which is a bit over the manu specs for the lug nuts.

jester911

Do you use a Torque Stick?

Yes. Chicks dig it.

Bryan Watts

The OP is still planning to use a torque wrench, as he should. There's no reason not to torque your wheels to precise values if you're making tire changes in the paddock. Pit stops are a different story.

Further, the OP is talking of using a cordless impact...the actual torque values are heavily dependent on battery life, making the precision of a torque stick even more of an issue.

In conclusion: There's no need for a torque stick...it's just an extra, unneeded, piece of the puzzle. Just use the cordless impact to spin the nuts on until the wrench just starts to hammer and then finish them off with a torque wrench before hitting the track. Even with a high powered air impact you can spin the nuts on to about 80 very reliably with a little practice and then use the torque wrench for the final tightening.

Gary R.

I do exactly the same thing with a Milwaukee 14V electric impact.

jaydubya

Since I use an impact wrench with compressed air to re-install lug nuts, I use a torque stick to avoid overtightening. I then torque them to spec with a torque wrench.

Bryan Watts

I guess I just don't understand the need for a torque stick in this situation...you could just run the nuts on until the wrench starts to hammer and then let go of the trigger. Or, with a little bit of practice to get to know your wrench, you should be able to spin them on to within a few ft-lbs of where you want to ultimately be anyway. IMO, torque sticks are useful to keep teenage kids that work at the local tire shop from make a big mistake and that's about it. Anyone who pays attention shouldn't have any trouble with running their lug nuts on too tight.

jaydubya

That's what I used to do, but sometimes I found that the nut or wheel were not properly seated when I went to torque things with a torque wrench. You're right though, generally you can get the nuts on without a torque stick if you have a good touch with the impact wrench. I don't look at the torque stick as a substitute for a proper torque wrench, but if I ever forget to torque a lug nut it's nice to know that it is still "close". I think mine is 90 ft-lbs.

Cheers,

Jeff

edit - i guess I should add that my impact wrench is rated at 450 ft-lbs.

kurt M

did not see that part. they work fine for most cars and uses. A brake rotor that is pinched to the hub by a wheel calls for a measured torque IMO. That said in a race you slam them on and go having other more important things to worry about.

Use a gun that is VSR. On/off guns are not as good. With VSR you can ease the nut on and stop before you mess up the threads if you crossed one up.

gbaker

OT - Just as an FYI, the real fastener addicts will use torque plus angle, i.e. torque to X, then add Y degrees. The full-blown crack head will measure bolt stretch, but that's tough to do on a wheel, especially in the field.

Phokaioglaukos

Thanks for all the thoughts.

There is a member in our club who works for a company that has a mobile bolt stretch measuring device for use in the field. I got a long description during a track walk, but all I really recall is that it is expensive.

Where do I get the torque plus angle specs for my Porsche?

(I'm skipping the torque stick for now.)