[T3] rear axle nut

[John Jaranson]

>> 
>> 
> Torque can be increased by extending the lever so if you double the length of
> your torque wrench, now all values are doubled.  Do as the Bentley says, and 
> bet the nut will wind up in the right place.  By over torquing you are just 
> over stretching the metal and causing damage.  Double your wrench, set it to
> 109 foot pounds, and torque until you can get the pin through the slot.  


Sort of, but not really.  The torque wrench indicator, whether it is a click-type, pointer or digital doesn't really know or care how long the handle is.  It is measuring the torque on the bolt/nut not the amount of force necessary to get there.  Doubling the length of the handle with reduce the amount of effort you have to apply to the handle to get to that torque, but do nothing to the torque at the nut.

For the axle nut, if you have a 1 foot length wrench it would require 217 lbs to get it to the right torque.  If you double the length of the handle it would only take 108.5 lbs to get the same 217 ft-lbs of torque.  

The torquemeister/ gear deals work a little differently since they multiply the torque between the wrench and the nut, so using one of those would let you use a small torque setting on the wrench to get a large torque at the nut.

Clear as mud?

Later,
John Jaranson
www.carartbyjohn.com


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