cheap torque

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 7 Dec 2004 farna@xxxxxxx wrote:

>  For now get 
> the hub nuts loosened then torqued down to 250-300 ft/lbs. Take the car to a big 
> diesel rig mechanic for torquing -- spend the $100 or so, it will save you more 
> than that if you spin a hub! Auto mechanics rarely have equipment to torque that 
> much, big rig shops do. 



A cheaper method is:

3/4"-drive "breaker bar", 12" extention, 1-5/16" socket, plus
one jackstand, and a bathroom scale.

Parking brake on, hubcap off (sic), in gear, tire on the ground.

Wrench assembled, put on axle with 'bar horizontal, to the left.

Support 12" extention with a jackstand.

Take out cotter pin.

Stand on breaker bar to loosen the nut.

Flip wrench over, so it's horizontal, to the right.

Stand on bathroom scale. Let's say you weigh 200 lbs.

Measure breaker bar length; let's say it's 18", or 1.5 feet.

250 ft/lbs= 1.25 feet times 200 lbs. (Calc distance: 250 /
your-weight = distance needed, in feet.) Put a mark on the
breaker bar at 1.25 feet; 15".

Stand on the mark.

There you go.

Turn it to the next castellation to stick in the cotter pin.