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how crucial is a torque wrench for brake pad change

33K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  noobinacan 
#1 ·
i can't decide on a torque wrench (harbor freight?) and in the mean time I really want to change my front brakes. I was at autozone and another customer and store employee both told me i don't really need a torque wrench for a small job like that?

i'm about to go ahead and trust my muscles on providing ample torque...mistake or i could get by?
 
#4 ·
good to hear. i'm always in need of reassurance...especially if it's brakes

yea i need to get a torque wrench for the wheels because i don't know how but my lock nuts were too tight the key couldn't get it off without shearing the nut and i had to take it into a shop to have it removed.
 
#5 ·
over tightened lugnuts will warp rotors. Under torqued lug nuts may come loose and round out holes in wheels, or worse the wheel will fall off and that's a big ohh shit...

over torquing braking components, there's not really a big issue depending on what it is. The slide pins, you may break them off and that's a pain to fix, the backing plate bolts, I never torque them, they need to be like 60+ ft/lbs anyway depending on application.(tight is how i torque them)
 
#6 ·
Ive never used a torque wrench for anything, so i bought one for my BSD kit, and the fkn thing was defective and snapped the first bolt i tightened (oil pan :S). Did the rest by hand, no problems. Just know your own strength, go until its right, but dont kill anything for wheel lugs, and things like that, I check them once or twice after I've driven to make sure everything is still tight enough (I have had the lugs loosen up two times over like 100 wheel changes, but like i said, thats why I check right away)

-edit-
oh, and what i meant to add is you may break bolts whether u use a torque wrench or not... thats what old cars and corrosion does.
 
#10 ·
torque wrenches are very very helpful and have their place but not every thing needs to be torqued... You probably broke the first bolt you try to tighten with a torque wrench if you don't know how to properly read what torque it's supposed to be at and how to setup your torque wrench. I believe oil pan bolts are measured in Inch/ Lbs not FT/ lbs big big difference. also, adapters over 3" have to be equated in to the overall torque applied.
 
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