Thread: Torqueing screws for cheapskates

It’s about consistency that’s all , done some reading over the years on the subject , most will say you need a drop of oil on a thread to torque it / tighten it , you are trying to put tension on the thread without the thread actually binding together .

I don’t get why many shooters seek out and invest in gear machined to really fine tolerances and then ignore manufactures torque recommendations.
Decided to up my game when I bought a couple really nice rifles and scopes, but I do come from an industry though where mechanically, she’ll be right doesn’t cut it.
I guess it depends on individual investment and their expectations as much as anything.
At the range I’ve witnessed satisfaction at some astonishingly poor shooting, so understand the concept of correctly torquing fasteners is completely lost on more than a few.

Given I'll be torquing steel screws (I think) into aluminium rings I agree entirely.

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Originally Posted by Moutere

I don’t get why many shooters seek out and invest in gear machined to really fine tolerances and then ignore manufactures torque recommendations.
Decided to up my game when I bought a couple really nice rifles and scopes, but I do come from an industry though where mechanically, she’ll be right doesn’t cut it.
I guess it depends on individual investment and their expectations as much as anything.
At the range I’ve witnessed satisfaction at some astonishingly poor shooting, so understand the concept of correctly torquing fasteners is completely lost on more than a few.

do you torque the wheelnuts on the family car???? but they do on heavy trucks.....
why the difference??? because on one it is important,on the other,the strain isnt going to be huge and tight enough is good enough...bit like scope rings really.....
now action screws on a long range precision rifle,in a ridgid chassis, I can understand....the bedding contact may be effected differently ,but not on std stock.

Yes I torque wheel nuts.
Ever since snapping a couple of studs on a work vehicle where someone had over cooked things using their calibrated elbow.
Was a cheap lesson on consequences really.

on your car???? if so you would be only person Ive ever heard of doing it....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

on your car???? if so you would be only person Ive ever heard of doing it....

Kats tires at kiapoi definitely torque wheel nuts on cars to spec, they did with mine
To be honest I've seen more issues with over torquing on both cars and rifles, so using a torque driver/wrench isn't as silly as you think.

Torque, torque, torque. Why doesn't somebody just do something!

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

on your car???? if so you would be only person Ive ever heard of doing it....

Yes.
Although I’d admit if I didn’t have access to a 1/2” drive torque wrench at work I doubt I’d buy one special.
I was happy to invest in a 1/4 drive one for my firearms though.

Originally Posted by Eat Meater

Given I'll be torquing steel screws (I think) into aluminium rings I agree entirely.

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what rings did you get?

Originally Posted by longshot

what rings did you get?

Talley low ring mounts.

https://www.scopeuout.co.nz/collecti...ow-medium-high

Always identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss and I will be missed

Originally Posted by gundoc

Complete waste of time! Just nip them up firmly with a drop of LocTite on the threads (bases only). After fitting literally thousands of scopes over the past 60 years I believe torquing scope screws has about as much validity as getting 72 virgins after blowing yourself up!

Having said that, I would respectfully suggest that your particular hand is a lot more highly experienced at hitting the 'correct' torque than someone who's come off a lifetime of pedalling an office desk! My viewpoint on it is that the actual torque value is less important that how you bring an assembly up to torque and how repeatable you can hit the same torque and that also applies to how you use a torque wrench. I've seen some people side load a click-type torque wrench to the point that the internals are bound up (this is the cheaper type obviously) and at a check of their work the fasteners were all over the place with some finger tight and some white-knuckled gorilla fashion.

The thing about torque wrenches is that they are just a tool and an idiot can still stuff the job up even with the best tool whereas a good tradesman can do excellent work with a table knife and a meat sabre...

As far as the cars I do torque them, purely for the risk of doing them so tight my beloved can't get the freaking things back off if she has too. She's perfectly capable of swapping a tyre over but what stops her is dickheads at tyre shops not understanding the difference between the torque limiting adapters on their rattle guns and torquing everything up to 6,000,000Nm. I was standing there at one shop when the guy on the next car over grabbed the chattering nut fu*ker and started in on a Honda Jazz. I had the "you're about to fu*k this up buddy" look on my face as the boss walked around the corner (he was doing my job fixing a puncture) and kicked the young fella in the arse. Oi, use the little gun and the manual torque wrench - or you break the studs it comes out of your lunch hour replacing them! Fair call I thought.

I've actually given her a small torque-limited torque multiplyer tool which means getting stupid-tight wheel nuts off is still a one-finger operation, and going back the other way it's internally set to something like 80ftlbs. Woman-friendly tyre tools... Although with the new Outlander she has Mitsi roadside assist - thank you Mitsubishi!

The other issue with overtorquing wheel nuts is steel rims on steel taper nuts both the nut taper and wheel recess will flog and flatten requiring a new wheel and set of nuts. Most commonly seen on Trojan wheels and hubs (the old 5-stud Ford pattern) and I've got about three sets of rooted nuts sitting in the shed from replacing damaged ones!

Spend a few $$ and get one of these...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001...d=9VmDNXcXYjlC

Geezus, that's long (she said!). Yeah, anyway...follow the link to a Shahe digital screwdriver.
Not too dear, and works fine.
I bought one to torque scope rings, mounts, and Oryx alloy 'chassis' bolts.
Seen too many ham fisted sods strip a thread on scope mounts, or overtighten so much that they pinch the scope tube.
Also, don't believe all the 'testimonials' online about the Wheeler (USA, and high priced) gear.
It's been tested and checked...and found to be less than stellar for accuracy.
Plus, don't torque something up to (say) 15"lb and then give an extra tweak 'just in case'. That's a good way to munt threads.

The thing about torqueing wheel nuts on cars, reminds me of when I was a young fella having borrowed the old man's car. I said swiped a fence by getting in the long grass while cornering on a narrow Taranaki back road. That dented the wheel rim so me and my mates changed the tire out but little did I know about tapers on wheel nuts so I ripped two wheels that night!

For those who want a laugh at my expense, the experiment worked perfectly. The theory was sound...apart from the Allen key pinging out of the screws at about 1.6 Newtons no matter what support I gave the axis. Twas too loose a fit to take the full 5kg. I torqued 2 screws this way then used hand tightening for the other 6 based on what felt like 5kg of force on the 41mm mark (assisted by the kitchen scales to get the approximate force). If anything, they're probably underdone.

Like I always tell my kids, there's nothing like the right tool for the job. So regardless of my results I'm still right.



Always identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss and I will be missed