1st torque wrench! Deciding on bolt torque?

[Mossy dell]

I have never owned a torque wrench. Can someone recommend one that is no too pricey for use on my B2601? Thanks.

Another option is Harbor Freight's new Icon line of tools, their premium brand. I got the recommendation from a YouTube channel I was surfing for "how to use a torque wrench," and the tool guy said the Icon is rugged and very accurate. I got the 1/2" drive torque wrench for $125.

 

[Fordtech86]

So they are tight but apparently over-tightened. I don't know what, if anything, to do about this.

If concerned you could loosen them up a turn, then torque them to spec.

There is hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks on the road everyday with lug nuts that are repeatedly ran down with an impact at every oil change, and failure isn’t common. Sure an engineer type may chime in, but in the real world it happens everyday Can’t say for sure, but suspect this is the same practice for a good portion of tractor dealers as well.

 

[Tughill Tom]

I guess I'll be that guy...... Torque sticks, I have a set and they work and yes checked with a wrench to the setting for lug bolts and other things, but never on a engine.

 

[Fordtech86]

I guess I'll be that guy...... Torque sticks, I have a set and they work and yes checked with a wrench to the setting for lug bolts and other things, but never on a engine.

Thats what I use for lugnuts at work. Not every tech (especially lube techs) want to spend the money on them though.

 

[lynnmor]

The other thing I found is that all of the rear wheel bolts and most of the front wheel bolts would not budge. So they are tight but apparently over-tightened. I don't know what, if anything, to do about this.

Loosen all the wheel bolts with a breaker bar, then tighten to the correct torque. If they were way too tight, you might want to ask for replacement bolts since they may be stretched.

 

[BCfromVA]

I worked for a major heavy automotive manufacturer in an engineering function for years. During that time I had to deal a lot with torque issues. We ran everything from servo controlled multi-spindles down to hand held click and dial wrenches. No matter how simple or sophisticated any of these are, they are aimed to achieve one thing, a specified clamp load. The key to understanding this is Hooke's law. It basically says that the amount an elastic material bends is directly proportional to the force behind the bending. In other words a bolt is functionally a spring. When you place a bolt though two plates for example, and tighten the bolt enough, the bolt will start to stretch just like a tension spring. When the bolt is loosened, it will return to its original state. That is unless it is stretched too far, in which case it will deform. So the whole goal of torque control is to apply enough tension on the fastener to stretch it, without so much that it is permanently deformed. Torque is a round about way of doing that, but the most convenient. There are other methods as well, such as torque angle, or directly measuring bolt stretch. There a many variables that can affect how much tension is being applied to the bolt even with the same torque. For example, many here have mentioned lubed threads, versus dry. Some other things are the thread pitch, plating on the fasteners, thread quality etc. When using a torque wrench you should make a smooth pull and not jerk it to get it to click. Also it takes more to get a tight fastener moving than to continue once it moves. Also if the fastener is not moving, you are not increasing the clamp load, even as the numbers may be rising on a dial wrench for example. I know all this is a little geeeky sounding but I hope it may be helpful to anyone who wants to understand a little more about the topic.

 

[RichardAaronlx2610]

(Me putting on my nomex suit….)

have an assortment of click type wrenches buried in the toolbox somewhere.

My go to’s

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

3/8" DRIVE FLEX HEAD ELECTRONIC TORQUE WRENCH 10-100 FT. LBS. WITH ANGLE ETWB100FKB | Matco Tools

www.matcotools.com

1/4" DRIVE FLEX HEAD ELECTRONIC TORQUE WRENCH 1-20 FT. LBS. WITH ANGLE ETWA20FKB | Matco Tools

www.matcotools.com

View attachment 69320

5:1 torque multiplier

Got the bota pretty well covered

(still don’t have that electric can opener though )

Love mine. Just have to remember to take the batteries out every time in done with it. Ever have that issue yet?

 

[TheOldHokie]

I know all this is a little geeeky sounding but I hope it may be helpful to anyone who wants to understand a little more about the topic.

Not geeky at all. Understanding what you are doing and the variables involved make it more likely you achieve the desired outcome.

Dan

 

[Fordtech86]

[

View attachment 69507 Love mine. Just have to remember to take the batteries out every time in done with it. Ever have that issue yet?

No I haven’t, I take the batteries out of them every time I put them away. Only issue I had was with the original Snap on one, the battery cap and handle was a crap design and the battery cap would come off under high load. They updated it on the one you have. I did trade out the original one for the newer version.

 

[1badDart]

The other thing I found is that all of the rear wheel bolts and most of the front wheel bolts would not budge. So they are tight but apparently over-tightened. I don't know what, if anything, to do about this.

It's called breakaway torque. Just because a bolt doesn't move when removing it with the wrench set at the manufactures spec doesn't mean it wasn't correctly torqued.

Forum Question: Definition of Breakaway Torque for Threaded Fasteners and Threaded Inserts (efunda.com)

 

[Mossy dell]

I guess my followup question is whether I should ask my dealer to torque all my wheel bolts while he's got if for the loader fix?

On the one hand, I now don't trust anyone after what I've experienced. Now I have a torque wrench and have used it—once! On the other, they are trying to make a bad setup right.

I may be wrong that the wheel bolts are over-torqued and don't want to muddle things up more. But I bet the setup kid, who was fired, just cranked on his drill and they are over tightened.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I guess my followup question is whether I should ask my dealer to torque all my wheel bolts while he's got if for the loader fix?

On the one hand, I now don't trust anyone after what I've experienced. Now I have a torque wrench and have used it—once! On the other, they are trying to make a bad setup right.

I may be wrong that the wheel bolts are over-torqued and don't want to muddle things up more. But I bet the setup kid, who was fired, just cranked on his drill and they are over tightened.

I think there is little to worry about as far as the wheels go. There is a lot of leeway there. If they are tight and stay tight you are basically good to go. I would be cobcerned only if they worked loose.

Dan

 

[fried1765]

View attachment 69507 Love mine. Just have to remember to take the batteries out every time in done with it. Ever have that issue yet?

How often do you have it recalibrated?

 

[RichardAaronlx2610]

This is right off the snap on website, and you can also check it for calibration any time you go into one of the trucks. Where i live i see Multiple trucks a day, so it’s not bad

 

[GeoHorn]

I guess my followup question is whether I should ask my dealer to torque all my wheel bolts while he's got if for the loader fix?

On the one hand, I now don't trust anyone after what I've experienced. Now I have a torque wrench and have used it—once! On the other, they are trying to make a bad setup right.

I may be wrong that the wheel bolts are over-torqued and don't want to muddle things up more. But I bet the setup kid, who was fired, just cranked on his drill and they are over tightened.

Mossy, …a fastener …once properly torqued and allowed to ”sit” for awhile….may require up to 25% more torque to “break free” . Just because your bolts don’t move at the recommended torque does not mean they’ve been installed improperly OR are damaged. If it were mine…and if a properly adjusted torque wrench did not move them further….I’d leave them alone assured that they met minimum recommended torque.

The loader bracket pictured is different than the one illustrated. Either you have a different type loader bracket… or there has been a change/modification to the original design. If that “stud” is installed into a threaded receptacle/hole in the block then it’s likely where it belongs.
However it does raise the question why those further aft are not utilized. I’d want those filled with the proper fastener and leave the one already installed alone. (I’m not a real Kubota-tech, but I stayed in a Holiday Inn 8 years ago.)

 

[Mossy dell]

Thanks, George. I am hearing you and others on letting the wheel bolts alone.

My dealer said the loader owner's manual is accurate and there is:

a.) a missing rearward stud and
b.) the stud that appears to be below the fuel filter is too far forward.

It might be nice if the manual used the fuel filter for reference. But, as I indicated, my photo makes the stud look right below the filter when it is a bit aft. And should be further aft still, per my service manager. There are other extra holes here and there so I trust that that issue doesn't matter. Also, no damage that I can see from this so far.

The setup kid at the main dealer north of me who allegedly did this was (later) fired, my salesman told me. Here is a possible advantage to buying from a smaller outfit. Their new branch in my town uses regular technicians for setup, they told me. The mothership uses/used that kid and probably still uses a minimum wage kid for all I know.

We can't expect a big dealer will use one of their most expensive guys for setup. But my experience with young people is you have to hire especially well. It takes some kids a while to take responsibility. But hiring and managing well can overcome that. I think the mothership failed big time, and I think much less of them. This is a major, established Kubota dealer!

The other setup issues were a loose hydraulic line spewing fluid, discovered a few days after delivery, and two harder to reach zerks on the loader arms not greased.

 

[GeoHorn]

I suspect that if they’re hiring “kids”….the real problem will be insufficient or lack of training. Anyone who comes into an unfamiliar job will not be the appropriate person to assign the most important job in the shop…. initial set-up. If set-up is wrong…. EVERYthing goes badly from there on…. Warranty work takes up valuable shop-time and repeat Sales is hurt and brand-loyalty becomes a “never again” thing. The BEST sales-tool is a customer who gets what he wanted the first time around.

 

[Mossy dell]

Well, post this one under the category of all's well that ends almost well.

My dealer rushed back my tractor today, for which I was and am very grateful. Of course while it was still on their trailer I checked to see if the missing stud was there.

It was.

BUT the nut on it was not even hand tight. It had not been snugged and was barely on the bolt.

They had a senior technician on this!

I guess the good news is I will get more practice with my new torque wrench . . .

 

[GeoHorn]

That’s pitiful.

 

[RCW]

On the one hand, I now don't trust anyone after what I've experienced. Now I have a torque wrench and have used it—once!

Mossy - - You've got a torque wrench now, use it!

Not to get off-topic much, but do you have aluminum wheels on your vehicle(s), and do you rotate tires?

Many shops recommend lugs be re-torqued after 25 miles, and I have to sign off on that each time mine are rotated.

The shop will do that gratis. I don't go back, grab my torque wrench and check them all at home.

Heck, if you wanted for giggles, you could just break them free, one at a time, and re-torque, in proper order/pattern. Just like you did with your loader.

My truck is 140 ft/lbs. Others vary.

I'm always concerned with aluminum oil pans. Doesn't take much to strip out a drain plug.....a torque wrench could be handy for something like that. Much less torque, but a good barometer.

Helps get an idea what X ft/lbs feels like.

Also, keep in mind that wrenches are rated/accurate in certain ranges; so a wrench to torque a lug nut to 140 is probably not the same one to torque a drain plug to 20, as it could be out of it's accurate range.

Good luck, and enjoy your new tool!