A customer's complaint changed how I torque lug nuts for good

Had a guy come back to my shop in Phoenix last month saying his wheel was wobbling after I did a tire rotation. I was sure I torqued everything to spec. Turns out I was using a cheap click-type torque wrench I'd dropped on the concrete a few times. He showed me the studs were slightly stretched. Now I only use a digital torque adapter and I check calibration every 3 months. Has anyone else had a bad tool mess up a simple job?

2 comments

2 Comments

rose_reed5d ago

Read a while back that those click-type wrenches can drift out of spec just from being stored on their side, not just from drops. The digital adapter sounds like a smart move, I've been thinking about switching for peace of mind. Did you notice a difference in how consistent the readings are compared to the old one?

mark_carr75d ago

Yeah, I swapped to a digital one last year and the difference was night and day, way more consistent every time.