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I have a 2020 F350 and am looking at the Carli 3.5 leveling kit. Directions say to torque to 406 ft/lbs. How does one accomplish this? My largest wrench only goes up to 250 ft/lbs.
Buy a torque multiplier. Less than 300 bucks on Amazon. Can usually rent them also. Most are 3/1 meaning your 250 lb/ft wrench can pull 750 lb/ft of torque at the bolt.
The other way is to extend the fulcrum by doing something like put a pipe on a wrench on one end, and on the other end, you attach your torque wrench. You have to do a calculation to determine what length torque extender you need. Here's a YT
Anytime I find myself needing a tool, I usually just buy one because if I need it once, chances are I will need it again. I picked this up some time ago.
You can also rig the one you have but if it’s not a “quality” tool, you might end up breaking it or throwing it way out of calibration. The head on the linked torque wrench is 2-3 times the size of my smaller torque wrenches. Another option is to get it as tight as you can with a small cheater bar and then drive it down to your local 4x4 shop and have them torque it to spec.
You need a torque extension. Easy to do if you have some fab skills and a welder. Piece of 1.5 inch x 1/4 inch flat bar stock, 3/4 inch bolt, and piece of 1/2 or 3/4 square stock (depends on socket drive you are using). Use the formula below to determine the length of the extension. Cut the bolt leaving the hex and enough length to weld it to flat bar. Cut length of square stock and weld it to the flat bar at the determined length....center to center. Use a socket on the torque wrench set at 250 for the hex end, and put whatever socket you need on the square stock. For example, if your wrench is 18 inches, you need a 12 inch extension with the wrench set at 244 lbft to achieve the desired 406 lbft
I'll post a picture of the one I made once I get home.
These are both made by CDI. The one on the left is a 50-250 while the one on the right is a 100-600. If it was simply making the handle longer to increase torque, there would be no need for a manufacturer to increase the size of the tool. Can you fabricate something that might get you by...yes. Is the best/safest option... no. You might want to put on some boxing gloves with a homemade option... If that thing lets go, you are going to pay for it...and not in a good way.
Extensions are used everyday in manufacturing. Some use box or open end wrench heads. Others used custom angled or curved ends for better access pending application. Adding the extension to the front of the wrench does not hurt the wrench at all. Hence the 244 lbft setting in the example I gave. It's all about applied leverage. With a front extension, the leverage is multiplying the torque setting on the wrench. Now if you simply added a cheater bar to the end of the handle, then yes, you are exceeding the capability of the wrench and it will break.
This is what many people do when they are trying to turn their 200 pound wrench into a 400 pound wrench.
That's ignorant. A torque extension gives you a longer lever and the ability to accurately and safely apply force. A pipe on the end of a wrench just gives you a longer lever, and you can do that with a breaker bar. These are not the same thing.
Meh...I just put the longest breaker bar or cheater pipe I can fit under there and crank on it with all I've got (I'm a big guy). It works just fine. Precision torque at those values are just not necessary IME
If that thing lets go, you are going to pay for it...and not in a good way.
