Retorquing the Lugnuts

Just kidding... I still had my torque adapter set on newton meters, while thinking in foot pounds, so the wrench wasn't that far off. Alrighty, fine with me then, since I can't say the lugs were overtorqued either.

 

Here's the setup, and actually when I switched the reading to foot pounds I had to dial it in at 550 to get around 475, so this was good to check at full range. I had considered a preset wrench too, but then if it's off I guess you can't adjust it.

 

Yeah, nobody should read this and comment, if they could be driving...
Whatever works for you, I have other uses for a vise, so it was worth setting up a versatile one. Not sure if having the wrench rattle around in the truck affects calibration (like what happened to air gauges before I started filling mine with silicone fluid), but I'd prefer to be able to check wrench accuracy quickly, and keep it with me (until I can't adjust it to the acceptable range). Could have more easily checked it on a wheel, but I'm trying to keep the digital torque adapter away from the elements for something that works year round. Also ended up ordering this from a trucking parts supplier (and they told me that anything I could find online, they'd be happy to special order), so they could probably send it out for recalibration too.

Latest thing I ordered was the GP Socket 3079AB Extra-Long Adapter.

Goes from 3/4 drive to 1" at the end, and is about 7" long (hefty at 3 lbs, twice that of a standard extension the same length). Good for both the extended socket (which the only one I could find was 1-inch drive), and for front wheels with a standard or deep socket (got a 1" one with the multiplier). It will keep me from having to screw with a separate extension and adapter combo, which pull apart when I'm trying to switch things around. Didn't go with locking pins, because I don't keep parts assembled in the case.

 

Same here, I've got a French dictionary and keep meaning to memorize it (strangely at times I speak this fluently in my sleep, maybe I'll put it under the pillow). Looked up dynamométrique by the way...