Re: Torque Wrench adapters

[DeWitt Harrison <de@aztek.com>]

>                              Now could 
>we """PLEASE""" end this thread.
Weeeeeell ....
It's hard to let a thread on a straightforward topic like this
end in such a sorry state and with the most misleading
stuff coming from those brandishing big credentials and
technical references.

Please consider the following experiment and then come to
your own conclusions.  Connect a torque wrench adapter
to a torque wrench keeping everything in a nice straight line.
Now apply, for example, an effort of 100 lbs-force at a
distance of 3 feet from the bolt.  I haven't told you any-
thing about wrench or adapter lengths or what the torque
wrench reads.  Questions:
   a. How many foot-lb of torque moment does the bolt
      experience?
   b. Does the bolt care what the torque wrench reads?

Now start changing the lengths of the wrench and adapter
(using your infinite tool box) but don't change the effort
(100 lb-force) or its point of application relative to the bolt
(3 feet). In other words, move the location of the
wrench-adapter connection around between the bolt and
the effort point but change nothing else.
   c. Does the bolt notice that you have an infinite number
      of torque wrenches?
   d.  Do the wrench scale readings differ?
       (Try wrench = 3 ft, adapter = 0. Then try wrench
        = 1 mm, adapter = 3 ft less 1 mm.)
   e. Can bolts read torque wrench scales?
   f. Can the wrench tell whether it's got hold of a bolt or
       an adapter? If so, can it tell how long the adapter is?

I think you may agree that for a given adapter P/N, Mr. Audi
would have to specify the torque wrench, either by length or
by P/N (which implies a particular length) in order to flatly
state the correct wrench readout for a desired bolt torque.
Otherwise Mr. Audi would be talking in his sleep or about
something else. (All of which happens.)

DeWitt Harrison   de@aztek.com
Boulder, CO
88 5kcstq

-------------------------------------------------------------
Answers.
a. 300 ft-lb moment.    Duh.
b. In my experience, bolts care about very little.
c. "    "       "          ,    "   know    "     "      "  .
d. Yes.  From 300 ft-lb down to nearly nothing.
    (Provide exact answer for extra credit.)
e. (Left as an exercise.)
f. A wrench may be smarter than a bolt but not by much.