Inch Pound Torque Drivers

[Dave Hoback]

For many years, all the scopes, rings, rails & various other parts needing the fasteners torqued to specific Inch Pound’s, I’ve used my Snap On, 1/4” drive Torque wrench. I’ve never let it get too me but I’ve had my scope, rings & rail on & off more than usual over the last couple years. Many times I’ve though, “I’m getting a driver before I do this again!” LOL! As nice as my 1/4” Snap On is, it’s just overly cumbersome. So I finally broke down and picked up a Torque Screwdriver. I know many have the Wheeler Fat Wrench. I didn’t even go that much! I just got one of the copy cats of the wheeler. But it’s decent. The range is 10-70 inch pounds, compared to my Snap-On wrench at 20-200in.lbs. Also, I’m not worried about ultimate accuracy, as I’ll just test it against the Snap On Torque Wrench before using it. I know the Snap On is perfect, so it’s a good tester.

How bout the rest of you? Torque wrenches for the last 20+ years like me, or were you using a Torque Driver early on? And are you using the Wheeler or something else?

[Wayne Nixon]

The only one I have and use is the Wheeler Fat Wrench. Don’t use it as much as lot of guys do but when I change barrels or scopes I always use it to torque everything as I put it together.


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[Robinhood]

Dave, I use a discontinued Mountz Torqueleader MT-50. Solid tool. I found it for a song at a pawnshop back in the 80's. Not cheap new, and overkill for what I use it for.

[jpx2rk]

Wheeler Fat wrench does what I need done.

[PhilC]

Wheeler Fat wrench does what I need done.

Same here and it stays on my bench whereas my CDI 1/4" digital is in my shop tool box.

[MS50]

I use a Borka Tool Kit. Looks like the kit I have will probably be considered early generation. Upgrades and newer designs are available.

[kohler]

Maybe 6-7 years ago a thread like this started indicating a strong preference for beam style. So I shelled out a for a Seekonk. Arrived with a calibration certificate. Couldn’t afford that brand now. Would be better if I used higher quality driver for it.

[J.Baker]

Wheeler Fat Wrench if/when I use one. Mostly I just go by feel these days, but if they're smaller diameter screws or I'm tightening into an aluminum receiver I'll use the Fat Wrench as an extra precaution not to strip out a hole.

[Flinch]

I bought the Real Avid set, partly because of reviews and partly for the little carry case because I've been feeling the need to be mobile latley.

[Blue Avenger]

wheeler if it is within reach.

[Rocketvapor]

Bending beam for in/lbs calibrated with dead weight. Then compare directly to a Fix-It stick for travel, like at the range to set scope.

Or, a digital scale calibrated for local gravity.
In this picture, center to center length of torque wrench is 10.5 inches,
"Weight" applied to scale is 3 pounds.
My local gravity is 9.79354 meters per second squared.

My torque wrench is not perfect, indicates LOW @ 20 to 30 in/lbs, about right @ 50 in/lbs and a little high @ 70 to 80 in/lbs.
I use it to check little torque screwdrivers.


It's bout $20 at several places. Pointer can be bent/adjusted for ZERO.
Would I trust a $20 torque wrench without testing it? Never.

[LDSILLS]

I am new to this site, and I know this is a late late entry. But I thought I would add to this. I just purchases a Fix it sticks 15-65 inch LBS All-in-One Torque Driver Kit. To give it a try.

The reason I have never had one before I am a fan of blue loctite for secure small fasteners. Why because like "most", if any own torque checker, let alone take the time to send off a torque tool to ensure its calibrated. Thus you either undertorque or you stretched the lands too much. No matter if its inch pounds or foot pounds torquing. Remember torquing is properly applying a mathematically assigned friction coefficient between the lands and grooves. That coefficient prevents movement. But it does slightly deform the meeting surfaces.

Indeed I laugh at tire change places when the tech pulls out a torque wrench he recently threw into his tool box, or dropped on the ground a few times over the years, then he says bring the vehicle back in 100 miles and have it torqued all why he dropped it again in between. Fact is the tech really is not torquing the threads he is actually ensuing a proper frictional coefficient is maintained on the outside of the nut to the rim. That is how tire techs get away with more-than-not severely out of calibrated torque tools. Next time you have your tires change and the tech pulls out a torque tool ask him to use Torque Limiting Tool Bar instead of his torque tool.

However, true torquing like that for very good Scope Rings are expensive and if you change scopes using the same rings even its it the first change and you applied torque you must chase the female threads again and insert a NEW screw. If not there is no way to ensure your scope will indeed remain stable after all the handling the rifle gets. This is as I said you have deformation of mating surfaces and unless you know what that deformation is and apply a new mathematical friction coefficient torque values will be off. The only way to ensure reuse of the already torqued screw and not chase the threads is to Blue Loctite them in.

Thus why not just start with the snug method and start bu using blue loctite and applying no torque.

Indeed its the little things that matter when putting together an accurate and precise shooter.

[KMW1954]

Wheeler used here.

[GaCop]

I use the Wheeler, fast and easy.

[J.Baker]

I use the Wheeler for my gun stuff. At one time I had a small Fix-It Sticks kit that I always carried in my kit on the motorcycle as it was nice and compact and had most of the hex and torx bits I might need to fix minor things on the side of the road. No clue where it disappeared to.