wheel torquing, air guns, and litigation (rated:pg13)

[Lisa Schiefer <seast@home.com>]

When I had new tires (Dunlop D60 A2's- I'm up to 10 or 12 of these now) put
on my girlfriend's 240 Volvo, I noticed the mechanic attaching the wheels with
an air gun, so I politely asked him to hand torque them instead. He showed me
some attachments that looked like nothing more than various lengths and
diameters of iron, that supposedly limit the torque the air gun can deliver. I
convinced myself that I understood while thinking " how the heck does that
work?". He never did re- torque by hand, incidentally. Was I bamboozled? It
seems plausible a torque limiting device could be attached to an air gun, but
I would expect it to be more clutch or gear like in its design.
	BTW, I photographed (what I do) a lawyer who successfully sued a wheel
manufacturer that didn't have torque specs on the wheel. His client's wife was
killed when an over- torqued wheel cracked, flew off a nearby car, and flew
through their window. Their argument was if tire manufactures print inflation
specs on the side walls, wheels should have torque specs. 
	food for thought, eh?
	Shane East