geagle.2001

Plan on picking up a new torque wrench for autocross/track days. Any recommendations for brands?
Thanks

skxf430

A SnapOn split beam torque wrench is very nice.

bags142

harbor freight 1/2 and 3/4 will do what you want. I have had them for 4 years.

Don't build an engine with them, but can do lug nuts and suspension all day. And can get them for $14 each.

At that price buy 2 of each. That way if you need a hammer you have one!

miracle_whip4130

I picked up the HF 1/2" drive for $10 on sale for suspension, brakes, lug nuts, etc. and I bring that to all trackdays. I also have this beaut for engine work:

ErnieN85

Nowanker

"The pain of poor quality lingers long after the joy of low price fades..."
My vote is also for the split-beam style. They don't need to be wound back to zero when not in use, making them ideal for checking lug nuts between sessions. Still don't build an engine with it! Snap-On sells a pretty nice one ($$!), but the actual manufacturer is Precision. They sell essentially the same one for a lot less. Tire Rack used to carry them but I'm not sure if they still do.

brkntrxn

Lowe's Kobalt brand. Around $75, lifetime warranty, and 1700 locations across the US to swap it out with zero hassle. Mine usually lasts 3-4 full racing seasons before needing a warranty swap.

skxf430

If you don't want to pay for a Snap On, then this works well too.

http://www.tooltopia.com/precision-i...-c3fr250f.aspx

mnmthoele

I agree with the Harbor Freight torque wrench for track use. I have a good wrench at home, and take the $10 one to the track. If it gets "lost" throughout the day, it is no big loss. I have no problem loaning it to someone that didn't bring one with them. At this price, I pick up a new one at least every year.

mdaniel

GearWrench 85071 1/2-Inch Drive Electronic Torque Wrench 25 - 250 ft lb


Some of the talk here about having a nice torque wrench for the garage and a much less expensive one (Harbor Freight) for the track is puzzling to me given if there is one place I want my lugs to be perfect it's when I'm at the track doing 150 MPH.

Poor-sha

I bought one of these just for doing wheels and leave it in the trailer. Preset to 100 lb/ft so in theory it should stay that way.

ErnieN85

ok here is your explanation. lugs do not need any specific value
some where between a low of 80 and a high of 110 in our size.
the requirement is that they be evenly torqued.
so almost any thing will work just fine
now when you are doing engine work that is not the case, so you need it just right
quite a few wrenches disappear when taken out of the garage.
I lost a real nice one it bounced off my trailer somewhere around Indianapolis

harrydirty

Also have been using Harbor Freight half inch torque wrenches for years; pick them up when they go on sale for $10.........AND they come with a lifetime guarantee. I carried one in my trailer toolbox and all that bouncing rendered it no-op after a few years. Took it to the local HF and they allowed me to pick up a new one from the shelf............

flink

Buy lots of cheap torque wrenches and one torque measurement adapter (eg ).

My dirt-cheap 7-year-old craftsman clicker which I use for absolutely everything (including engine builds!) is within 1%.

bags142

Really? You needed to dig up a QA quote for this? Lmao

Grassroots and several other mags have tested HF tq wrenches, they test out pretty good. But, maybe I should have linked those articles so my recommendation was better received.

z06801

I've had good luck with the Brownline. We even tested it against a snap on and it seemed accurate. They're customer service has been great too, I had a friend borrow it and use it as a breaker bar, sent it back and fixed it, recalibrate it and sent it back no charge.

rws.1

Harbor Freight... you can pay more but why?

Supercharged111

My friend bought a couple Harbor Freight torque wrenches and then took them to work to calibrate them. No need, they were just as tight as the Snap On for +/-.

froggy47

It's because the % error (when measured by independent lab) is very much the same whether it's a $10 HF or $300 whatever.

froggy47

Sweet.