fish scale instead of torque wrench
- Thread starter Ford-A-baquet
- Start date
Jacksonlll
Well-known member
One pound at 20 in, or 2 pounds at 10 in, 5 pounds at 4 in.
ryanheacox
Well-known member
Those numbers would come out to 19.92 in-lb. You're very close.
Patrick L.
Well-known member
That scale looks like mine. Works great, a 3# fish weighs in at 7#.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
Normal torque for a screw driver is about 14 in/lbs to tighten a screw. Many of my torque wrenches won't even go that low. Most start at 30 in/lb and that ain't much. The one I use is a 0 to 600 in/lb dial type but I'm accustomed to how much a pinion shaft rolling torque should be. 20 in/lb would be more of a break away torque to me with a rolling torque around 11 or 12 in/lb. You want them tight enough for long term wear but you don't want them so tight you can't turn them by hand.Used bearings need less rolling torque. New bearings shouldn't go over max. I'd figure around 18 in/lb would be max for me. This is using light oil for lubricant.
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With the coupon you can get a inch pound torque wrench from Harbor freight for 9.99. In fact for the same price you can get one in foot lbs. I have one of them in every vehicle I drive to torque lug nuts if I have to change a tire. Car craft did a test a few years ago and they rated at the top with less than 2% error, that is better than my Snap-on and Craftsman!
But those are the 'click-type'. They are no good for checking pinion bearing preload! When checking preload you must take the reading as the pinion shaft is turning steadily. The reading is highest just before the shaft starts to turn, then drops. What you need is rotating torque, not initial torque. So if you use a click-type wrench and adjust the preload so the wrench clicks just as the bearing starts to move, the rotating torque will actually be too low.
Ford-A-baquet
Junior Member
Of course, I hang my index finger in the fish scale and draw
this in a circular arc in the 90 degree angle in the direction
of rotation. The pinion shaft is turning stadily.
And the task 3 kg -- the same as your 6,6 pounds was checked with
3 pack flour. Attached are two pictures out of the 1976 land rover
service manual for gearbox and pinion flange, note the fish scale.
being cheap is not always the best way ---- I pick up the ball
and play back ---- I live sustainably, Just buy what I
"absolutely" need. Why should buy a china torque wrench for one
job, if I can use my old fish scale which is good enough for the
rover diff. China products are my last choice. Instead of buying new
cheap china products I buy a second hand branded item on ebay and
fix it up. I remember the time when "one" neighbour in the street
had a longlife branded drill. Everyone has borrowed there.
Now everyone in the street has a drill. China drill for 25 USD
which last max. one month with stressful work.
I'm not stingy, I just lack the consumer thinking.
this in a circular arc in the 90 degree angle in the direction
of rotation. The pinion shaft is turning stadily.
And the task 3 kg -- the same as your 6,6 pounds was checked with
3 pack flour. Attached are two pictures out of the 1976 land rover
service manual for gearbox and pinion flange, note the fish scale.
being cheap is not always the best way ---- I pick up the ball
and play back ---- I live sustainably, Just buy what I
"absolutely" need. Why should buy a china torque wrench for one
job, if I can use my old fish scale which is good enough for the
rover diff. China products are my last choice. Instead of buying new
cheap china products I buy a second hand branded item on ebay and
fix it up. I remember the time when "one" neighbour in the street
had a longlife branded drill. Everyone has borrowed there.
Now everyone in the street has a drill. China drill for 25 USD
which last max. one month with stressful work.
I'm not stingy, I just lack the consumer thinking.
Attachments
Bruce of MN
Well-known member
This made me think of a "fisherman's tape measure." 
rotorwrench
Well-known member
I have a force gauge that gives a reading for both push and pull but it gets calibrated every year along with my torque wrenches. Fish scales may not be all that accurate. All I can say is that at 20 in/lbs, it will take a good bit of force to turn the bare shaft with your hand.
Aretino
Senior Member
We calibrated our torque wrenches yearly in the General Aviation industry. They required adjustment to keep them accurate. I was told to always store the click type torque wrenches in the relaxed position ( handle rotated ccw). I have a old Craftsman beam style torque wrench that always passed the calibration check.
About $25 online, or browse pawn shops. Beam type wrenches are very simple and reliable, As long as the pointer sits at zero, a used one should be fine. If the pointer is off center, some Harry Hammerhand may have bent the beam.