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

[Timothy Penasack <TPenasack@worldnet.att.net>]

> 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?".

TORQUE stick - they are "cut" on a lathe(?) to only torque to a certain 
amount then they will not
tighten anymore(supposedly)
Sorry - don't really know the physics about it.

> He never did re- torque by hand, incidentally. Was I bamboozled?

Not really  - they usually do work depending upon how old and worn they 
are.  A good
friend uses them on Honda's - he is a mechanic - the dealership 
requires/provides them
BUT they require the Audi mechanics to tighten with a torque wrench!!! 
Makes you think.

> 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

Not as serious but: I have Sears BFGoodrich tires on my SUV (lifetime 
balance/rotate). Wife and I were going away for a long canoeing trip in 
Northern Maine so I stopped in for Sears for a balance/rotate.  Put my copy 
of the service order in the glove box and bolted for the north woods.  21/2 
weeks later driving back noticed the "Front-end shimmy-dance" when braking. 
I knew exactly what the problem was and thought I might have cracked a 
rotor on the Logging roads (second thought probably not since those puppies 
weigh about 30 pounds each) BUT I did look at my Sears check/service list 
and they tire buster torqued the lugnuts to 175 ft/lbs. when they should 
have been 47 ft/lbs.  Needless to say the Sears service manager was not 
happy to pay for 4 new rotors at  $175 each but he did!!!  (Sears provides 
torque sticks plus a BIG color coded chart to reference but  I guess the 
tire buster didn't want to check)

Lessons learned:
	1. I still go to Sears (for the SUV) but I double check work (they only do 
tires)
             2. Just because its big doesn't mean it can't warp

My .02 worth
Tim

1994 100SW  - wife's loves it and it ain't got a thing (just a pup wit 93k 
on the odo)
1992 Rodeo  - hauls the dogs/canoes/kayaks - (138k still running - thank 
god)
1986 4kq  - needs new suspension, exhaust, engine, a rollcage....(rally car 
May99 (I hope))