 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > What size torque wrench do people recommend? |
 
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| JOW240725 Member Since: 04 May 2015 Location: Suffolk Posts: 7906   
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If I could add to this... What's a decent make at reasonable price? I bought one rated up to 180-190NM and broke it torquing to 130NM! James
MY2012 110 2.2TDCi XS SW Orkney Grey - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic43410.html MY1990 110 200TDi SW beautifully faded Portofino Red - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post743641.html#743641 MY1984 90 V8 Slate Grey - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post744557.html#744557 Instagram @suffolk_rovers |
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12th May 2020 8:47am |
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| Harry.O Member Since: 25 Jul 2014 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 716 
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I use a combination of a Norbar 3/8" 10-50nm and a Teng 1/2" 40 - 210nm, they have covered everything LR related so far and lasted well over 10 years.
Halfords torque wrenches seem to get very good reviews also  2005 Td5 110 Hardtop
1989 300Tdi 90 Soft top 1992 200Tdi 90 Truck cab with Land Cruiser axles |
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12th May 2020 9:27am |
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| kmac Member Since: 07 Oct 2009 Location: Middlesex Posts: 1309 
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The Halfords wrenches I believe are made by Norbar - I have two and am contemplating another.
Good deal if you can get the trade card discount but not too bad without. I would recommend Halfords - the: 60nm - 300nm - this is fairly long (if you need exact length I can measure it up and post) and 1/2" drive 20nm - 100nm - this is about 13 inches and 1.2" drive. You can use socket adaptors on wither though I actually have the 300nm one and a 12nm-60nm one but believe the 20nm to 100nm would be more useful. |
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12th May 2020 9:30am |
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| discomog Member Since: 09 May 2015 Location: Notts/Lincs Border Posts: 2529 
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I have two Britool torque wrenches, EVT1200 and EVT3000. I have had them over 30 years and have given excellent service. I had them calibrated a couple of years ago and they were still within tolerance. I'd thoroughly recommend them but they are expensive so if replacing now I would probably go for Norbar/Halfords. Defender 90XS SW
Mini Countryman Cooper S Morgan Plus 8 |
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12th May 2020 10:42am |
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| Hufflepuff Member Since: 25 Oct 2014 Location: Hampshire Posts: 727  
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I use a trio of Clarke digital torque wrenches, after watching a review of how much more accurate a digital torque wrench is than a mechanical one.
They are a little bit of a faff to set, but you can save 5 different values so if you only use 5 settings it becomes very easy. They also have a mode where it saves the torque you actually used, ie. beyond what you specified when the beeper went off. Another useful feature is being able to see an instantaneous readout of the current torque, so you know how close you are getting. Downsides are setting the values (although this is not really any harder than with a mechanical version), removing the batteries from it when not in use (as I don't know how long it would be until the next use - could be months), and that the maximum torque setting of the 1/2" drive version is only 200nm - the later type stub axle nut needs to go up to 210nm. 2005 Td5 90 XS 1989 V8 110 CSW |
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12th May 2020 10:58am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20440
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I have a Sealey 1/4” electronic torque screwdriver. Draper 1/4” 3/8” and 1/2” manual torque wrenches. I tend to use the 1/2” the least and the 3/8” most. The torque ranges are an important factor too. I have found these cover the vast majority of torque specs required. And I’m the costs I’ve saved by having then has paid for themselves and some so in effect free tools. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R
🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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12th May 2020 11:07am |
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| boxoftricks Member Since: 06 Feb 2019 Location: Home Counties Posts: 747 
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I can vouch for Teng and Halfords. Really impressed with all of the Halfords professional tools.
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12th May 2020 11:07am |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5850 
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I've ended up with 3. Halfords up to 210nm I think and two smaller ones. One is from Machine Mart and the other not sure.
Halfords one I like 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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12th May 2020 3:08pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17441 
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By preference for me, Britool. I think that I now have about seven, from a 1/4" drive about the size of a chunky pencil up to a 1" drive about five feet long. I do however work on a lot of things that are not Defenders.
My advice is that you figure out what you're going to want to torque down to understand the range you need, then look for a decent wrench that covers your required range in the centre 80% or so of the wrench's range (wrenches don't work so well at their extremities of range). Bear in mind that relatively few things on a Defender actually need to be done up with a torque wrench, a healthy dose of common sense is generally all that is needed. There are exceptions, typically where multiple fasteners need to be torqued down evenly. Things like stretch bolts must be torqued down, and for these you will probably need an angular torque gauge as well as a torque wrench (TD5 flywheel is an example). However, the fact that the manual specifies a torque figure doesn't necessarily means that it matters, and I do suspect that it has more to do with the increasing level of stupidity and decreasing levels of common sense that seems to have come with the change from dealers having "mechanics" to having "technicians". The fancier the name, the less the skill, or so it would appear. |
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12th May 2020 6:04pm |
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| Mossberg Member Since: 29 Feb 2020 Location: Lancs Posts: 553 
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I tend to find if anything I overtighten things. I daresay that as I experience different jobs (with a torque wrench) I will start to understand when to stop swinging!
I have not really done much spanner work. Fabrication has been my way. Time to learn! I hope to get the truck to a decent standard and maintain it. Not worried about looks, but I want it to run well. I have had it about 2 months and not managed to do anything to it. I have had work for the first time in ages, just as the nice weather kicks in - though it did give me the money to buy the truck! I have an old Norbar torque wrench, but it has been sat at half torque for about 20 years! I need to test it to see if is working right. I have seen how to test it on the internet but don't know how to calibrate it. I am trying to get my gear together before I get stuck into the jobs. I don't want to start something and not have the stuff to finish it. |
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12th May 2020 7:24pm |
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