As I was working today in the shop I thought I would tell you all about my torque wrenches. I have two different styles. I have a beam style which has a gauge on the handle and a pointer on the side. This is old school and definitely the best for crucial applications. I use these for engine work and assembly. I like the smooth simplicity of them. You have to move slowly and steadily while watching the pointer. It truly makes me feel like a craftsman.

My other wrench is a click style. Set the dial, tighten the lock and pull until it clicks. Easier to use but does lack the connection with the user. Also you don’t really know what the exact torque is. It will be accurate when new. There are places to send them for checking and recalibration. In my experience if they don’t get dropped or left tight they stay in parameters. I keep them all clean and in a drawer. I also loosen the lock and return the dial to zero.

I like the click style for less crucial applications. Lug nuts, my hubs which needed to be torqued while turning the hub side to side. I will be telling you about that in a later post. New cars are boring. Fix something old.