Probably a dumb question

[Will Bark]

My torque wrench is in foot pouds and my manual calls for 168 inch pounds; is this the same as 14 foot pounds? 168/12= 14. Don't want to mess things up.

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Probably a dumb question

WB - That appears correct. You can also Google it just to verify. (convert inch-pounds to foot-pounds) And as a double check, I pulled out a [micro] torque wrench I have and compared an inch-pound setting to an equivelent newton-meters setting on the same wrench. I then converted the newton-meters setting to foot-pounds and got 1/12 of the equivelant inch-pounds settting. I guess it couldn't get any simpler - or more complicated - than that.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Probably a dumb question

Will has it right. 168 inch/lb can be viewed as 168 pounds at the end of a one-inch long wrench. If one used a one-foot long wrench and one added 168 pounds to the end of it you would have 168 ft/lbs. So divide by 12 and one gets 14 ft/lbs.

 

[mr 88]

Re: Probably a dumb question

To convert In Lb to Ft lbs multiply by .0833
FT lbs to In Lbs x 12

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Probably a dumb question

I have two torque wrenches- one that is calibrated in foot pounds, for which I use for heavier wrenching, and another one that is in inch pounds- even though my "big" torque wrench can be set to 15 foot pounds, that is at the lower end of it's capacity, and I trust the inch pounds wrench more.
I feel most comfortable when the wrench is in the mid section of it's high and low range. I've got a couple bolts on my motorcycle where it'd be very easy to rip out the threads with a heavy hand.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Probably a dumb question

You need to use an inch pounds wrench for accuracy...That's the reason the manufacturer specified it in inch pounds....IE An inch pounds wrench is twelve times more accurate.

 

[F_R]

Re: Probably a dumb question

The theory is correct, X12 or /12. However the reason behind it is not so apparent. When specified in inch pounds it is for accuracy. Using the 168 inch pounds as an example, if you use a foot pound wrench and miss it by one graduation either way, the result is 156-180 inch pounds. If you miss it by two graduations, the result is 144-192 inch pounds. You might as well guess at it. However if you use a inch-pound wrench and miss it by one graduation either way, the result is 167-169, or two graduations each way the result is 166-170. As you can see, way more accurate.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Probably a dumb question

So: Upshot--- Buy an inch pound wrench. The cost will not be exorbitant and you will not strip the bolts out as you might if you slipped with a foot pound wrench.