Old timer told me my torque wrench technique was backwards

I got chewed out by a 30 year veteran last week for how I was using my click type torque wrench. He said I was snapping the bolts down too fast and not letting the mechanism click slowly. Has anyone else had a senior mechanic call them out on a basic habit like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

eva_hayes28d ago

Whoa, wait, he said you were snapping them too fast? I always just cranked my click type until it clicked and thought that was fine! He actually wants you to slow down and let it ratchet gently to feel the click? That is wild, I never would've thought about the speed making a difference in accuracy.

brooke_walker2328d ago

My first torque wrench was a Craftsman 1/2 inch drive and I did the exact same thing for like two years. I thought clicking it fast was the whole point, like it was supposed to be a quick motion. Then I snapped a bolt head off on a control arm and an old timer at the shop told me the same thing. He made me sit there and practice slow steady pulls until I could feel the click without jerking the handle. Now I always go slow, especially on small bolts under 50 foot pounds.