Why does nobody talk about torque stick calibration drift

I mean, I always figured torque sticks were pretty much set it and forget it, but last month in Phoenix I was chasing a lug nut issue that made zero sense. My impact wrench felt fine, but wheels were coming loose on a fleet truck after 200 miles. Turns out my old torque stick was reading about 15 ft-lbs high after 4 years of daily drops on the shop floor. Checked it against the digital adapter we use for engine work, and sure enough it was way off. I got a new set and now I check them every 6 months, but has anyone else seen this kind of drift with their sticks?

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patricianguyen20d ago

That "set it and forget it" thing is exactly what my buddy Mike thought too. He had a stick for like five years and only found out it was drifting when a customer's trailer tire came off on the interstate. Now he marks the calibration date on every stick with a paint pen and tests them every spring.