[camlex]

Hello,
I am not the best mechanic, but i do little things at home to keep my Tacoma, Sienna, RAV4 and Camry in good condition.
So far I never purchased Torque Wrench. please advise which is best for price and job will be safe. BTW I have 3/8" sockets.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Splicer]

It depends on what you will be using it for. Critical jobs require a better (read: more expensive) torque wrench. Many jobs can be done with something cheaper. I assume you want a click-stop one -- just remember to relax it (relieve the torque setting) before storage. In my opinion, for the money, one from Harbor Freight will get you in the ball park, and they are very affordable. I have used a 1/2" HF torque wrench for many years, but all I use it for is tightening lug nuts.

 

[97tacomaHA]

Hello,
I am not the best mechanic, but i do little things at home to keep my Tacoma, Sienna, RAV4 and Camry in good condition.
So far I never purchased Torque Wrench. please advise which is best for price and job will be safe. BTW I have 3/8" sockets.
Thanks in advance.

you should get the 'most common' 1/2'' metric sockets as well, much better if you need to use breaker or pipe to get better leverage on a tight HD bolt or nut

 

[JohnGD]

I use Harbor Freight's Taiwan-made torque wrenches $9.99 each when on sale. I had a warranty claim (lifetime btw) for a bad ratchet head and had problems with a China-made replacement. Took it back and the next batch were made in Taiwan. Problem solved.

These HFT ones work fine for me. Some complained about the clicks are muted (or become just a light bump) at lower torques. If you can deal with that you shouldn't have problems. Just be careful with values below 20% of the max for any torque wrench. For example, on a 3/8"-drive 80 lb/ft one, be careful with torque settings below 16 lb/ft, even if there are markings down to 5 or 10 lb/ft, depending on the batch of wrenches.

For wheel lugs, you really do need a 1/2"-drive, sockets and extension(s). You'll find them at Harbor Freight. 3/8"-drives will twist and not give you the proper torque, even if the max rating is 80 lb/ft.

For spark plugs, if you torque to 13 lb/ft for example, use a 1/4"-drive INCH-pound one, and torque to 13 * 12 = 156 Inch-pounds, instead of using a 3/8" torque wrench, because of the 20% rule above.

If you want better torque wrenches, some members like Tekton. Do note that some of these only torque in the right-hand direction, whereas the HFT ones these days measure torque in both directions.

On Tekton website and on Amazon:

https://www.tekton.com/wrenches/torque-wrenches

Amazon.com : tekton torque wrench

Tekton offers $5 off on their website until 10/22, and 10% reward for use next purchase.

Discounts and Offers

See current offers and discounts available on Tekton.com. Learn more about our Free Item offers, Build Your Own Set pricing, and Student/Educator discounts.

www.tekton.com

Also check out Lexivon ones on Amazon, 8-10% off coupon right now. I haven't used these, but these carry calibration certs and are made in Taiwan:

LEXIVON Tools

LEXIVON

www.amazon.com

Harbor Freight also has an Icon line of torque wrenches. Look real nice, but IMO they're overpriced.

Also a fave of mine, the extendable ratchet. I didn't like their combo 1/4-3/8 one that you flip over. But Amazon has individual ones of various no-name brands:

1/2 in. Drive Extendable Ratchet

Amazing deals on this 1/2In Dr Extendable Ratchet at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Compare tool brands on Amazon as well.

DURATECH

HOME

www.amazon.com

Neiko Tools

neiko tools

www.amazon.com

 

[camlex]

Thanks everyone. What a great team. Appreciated. Thank you.

 

[camlex]

I think this is good.
1/4, 3/8, 1/2 Inch Drive Torque Wrench Set | TEKTON®
I have 1/4" and 3/8" sockets question for 1/2"? most those for bigger bolt and more torque which size to buy?
Thanks,

 

[JohnGD]

That set looks fine. The 1/2" one goes to 250 lb/ft. They put that longer one instead of the 150 lb/ft one to give you more flexibility in terms what you can torque with, such as some suspension bolts and axle nuts (axle sockets on free loaner at Autozone with refundable deposit), in addition to wheel lugs. The length could also mean some access difficulties.

If you buy the set of 3 directly from Tekton, you'll receive another $14.20 in reward credit (that you can use a couple of business days later on 1/2"-drive sockets). The reward is good for 2 years. https://www.tekton.com/rewards

For example, use the credit on a lug nut socket $7 21mm https://www.tekton.com/1-2-inch-drive-x-21-mm-6-point-socket-shd22121 that's not usually in a socket set like Harbor Freight's $13.99 1/2 in. Drive Metric High Visibility Socket Set, 10 Pc.. Commonly used sizes are 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, and lugs are 21. You might see a 18mm sway bar nut, but that's also covered in the HFT set. What a deal with a set, right?

With the 1/2", you'd likely use the larger ones, less often the smaller ones in the set, like 14 and 12 mm. It's rare to be needing 10 mm in the 1/2"-drive TBH.

Or, instead of standard chrome sockets, you can consider a 1/2" deep impact 12-point socket set from HFT, but the longer length might make it harder for some areas. You get the 21mm in this set, as well as a 30mm 12-point socket if that's what your axle nut is. The set used to go on sale for $19.99, at least that's what I got it for. The regular price went up like $3, talk about inflation. 1/2 in. Drive Metric Impact Deep Socket Set, 13 Pc.

You should get a set of extension bars and u-joints if you don't have one, this set looks good: https://www.amazon.com/DURATECH-Accessory-Extensions-Universal-Organized/dp/B08GC4W4YT

 

[97tacomaHA]

I think this is good.
1/4, 3/8, 1/2 Inch Drive Torque Wrench Set | TEKTON®
I have 1/4" and 3/8" sockets question for 1/2"? most those for bigger bolt and more torque which size to buy?
Thanks,

best guess for 1/2" would definitely be the 19mm or whatever the size is for the nuts and bolts on the front suspension and steering parts