Hello from sunny Anaheim! (Out here on business)

I'm curious to hear your experiences with torque multipliers. Knowing the Budd nuts are supposed to be cranked to 500 pounds, I don't see changing a tire on the road without one of these. I found a 58:1 ratio multiplier on sale on Amazon for under $40.

My questions primarily:

1) How do you know when the socket is tightened to spec? Can't they be overtightened just as much as undertightened?

2) Is there a trick to make sure the first lug "bolt" doesn't turn with the outside "nut?" I saw some kind of funky bone-looking thing once. I have no clue if that's what's needed or for that matter how it works.

3) Can the wheels or Budd "bolts" or "nuts" get worn down at all?

Thanks in advance.

 

I used them a lot at the Caterpillar dealership I worked at. That one would be overkill for what you want to do. A 4 to 1 is all you would really need.


They are a pain to use some times. They have a leg that you can usually put an extension bar on. It has to be braced against something to hold it from turning as you torque the nut or bolt.


The input is usually a square drive you put your torque wrench on. The output is usually a larger square drive like 3/4" or 1" that you put your socket on.


So if you had a 4:1 and you set your torque wrench to 100 lb/ft you would get 400 lb/ft torque on the bolt or nut you were tightening. There is a tolerance so not super accurate.


Our fleet maintenance guys just used 3/4" or 1" drive impacts on our service trucks.


I would just use a long cheater bar and a 3/4" socket on the road if it were me. If you just have to know the torque, a long 3/4" drive torque wrench would work. Way easier than using a multiplier. Expensive though.


We HAD to use multipliers on super big hardware and often had to chain the multipliers in position and had two or three guys trying to hold thing in place. Once hydraulic wrenches came out we didn't use the old school multipliers much.


I don't know the answers to your other questions.

 

If you had a 58:1 torque multiplier you would set your torque wrench to 8.6 lbs. ft. to get 500 lbs. ft. Personally, I don't think that multiplier is designed for lug nuts. You need something like a X-4, or this one.
Ame International Lugnut Buster, Model# 67300 | Lug Wrenches| Northern Tool + Equipment

 

Gosh. I'd swear they were identical units, just rebranded: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

 

Many of them look the same on the outside. They have stacks of planetary gears inside so you need to know the ratio.

 

Both are 58:1 according to the specs. I just need to determine whether the Amazon unit has a 3/4" driver on the lug side to accept my 1.5" sockets. I sent the seller a question.

 

Both the Amazon and Northern Tool units are not intended to be used with a torque wrench as they have a male input shaft. These are meant to be used to remove lug nuts only. Note the hand crank. They both appear to be 3/4" male drives on each end.

 

Exactly. Which will most certainly help me to remove the lugs. I just realized I can simply use an adapter to bring it from 1" down to 3/4" if I had to. So the size doesn't really matter. Gonna get it and give it a go. It's not a big risk for the price. I'll return it if it doesn't work.


Still have to figure out the torque for INSTALLING the wheels though.

 

The sockets with that set 30mm and 32mm will do nothing for you.

There is another 'cheap' set also on Amazon that does have the right sockets.

 

Yeah I saw that too. I already have a nice set of sockets. I just need the multiplier.

 

Anyone know the answers to the other questions?


2) Is there a trick to make sure the first lug "bolt" doesn't turn with the outside "nut?" I saw some kind of funky bone-looking thing once. I have no clue if that's what's needed or for that matter how it works.

3) Can the wheels or Budd "bolts" or "nuts" get worn down at all?


The tool I was referring to is nicknamed a "porkchop." I found it on Amazon but can't identify how it's used.


http://smile.amazon.com/Ken-Tool-306...60_SR160%2C160_

 

I have one of those, only needed to use it once when I bought a set of wheels and one of them had the thimble/nut stuck on one. That goes over the nut and the leg goes either in the hub hole or another lug hole. Then you use the square socket to turn the thimble.

 

That holds the outer nut (keeps it from tightening) while you re-tighten the inner nut. Then you can remove the outer nut.