I'm looking to buy a torque wrench to install the FSTB.
Can someone here who has used the craftsman microtork
and digitork comment on pros and cons? Can someone tell
if it clicks or releases at desired torque?

Also looking for one that will have alot more use, like for
the wheels and stuff. Would I want the 10-75, 20-150 or
25-250ft.lbs unit? Also comment on 3/8 or 1/2 drives preference
if any.

I know I would want the one with the wider range which would be
the 20-250ft.lbs but if I needed to torque something in the
10-20ft.lbs range with that unit I'd be out of luck. I know the
question is a bit weighted, help out if you can with ft.lb
numbers of bolts that you'd have encounter to do various mods.

I think I read the:
wheels 85ft.lbs
FSTB 35ft.lbs

Thanks

 

I have the craftsman wrench. Its pretty nice. It clicks when you hit the torque you dial in. Mine is from 20 - 75 ft-lbs I think....

 

Is it the microtork or digitork? what happens if you don't hear the click and keep turning? (is it goodbye bolt )

 

i don't know the name... if you keep turning after the click, it will be goodbye bolt....

 

Which bar are you going to get? Can the 5th gens use the one on custommaxima.com's? It says up to '99 only...

 

you can if you want to do some custom hack sawing off or take the tip off of one of the brackets that are in the way of the driver side tower. The thing that the air box is attached to ...

As for torque wrenches, ebay has a good selection of Harbor Freight Tools Torque wrenches. That's what I got. If you go past the click, you can damage the torque wrench. Imagine overstretching a spring...

 

Pardon me for this, but is it a faint click, or is it a decent audible level?

 

get the 1/2 inch drive and put a 1/2 to 3/8 socket for your smaller jobs. this makes it much more versitile.

as for the 10-20 ftlb range that is just as tight as your oil plug, a wrench is really not needed.

 

[newbie] Why does world+dog a) suggest buying a 4th get FTSB and hacking a car to fit ? There's like 4 diff bars that have brackets that fit our cars prefectly. Does it look better or something ? b) Buying expensive torque wrenches to install it. I got a Craftsman wrench for under $20 that does it's job well as long as you can read numbers from the scale. [/newbie]

Max

 

u can get a nice t wrench from Home depot, for like 22 bucks.. it works well, for the price i paid for it..

 

is this one of those ghetto looking ones that have some sort of meter on the bttm?

 

Was thinking this

http://www.sears.com/sr/mercado/searchall.jsp

or the top one here note this one releases

http://www.jcwhitney.com/catsubpic.j...D=4135&BQ=jcw2

 

sorry the sears link again
http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summ...id=00944595000

 

I would say the bars are similar and the mounting brackets, plates are different for different cars and generations. The 4th and 5th gens are almost identical in chasis, but the strut tower on the driver side of the 5th gen has that bracket on it I think hence the different mouting plate. Sure you can just get a different plate for it. If you can find one. All the power to you. I got mine that looks like the Courtesy one. ( I bet they both got it from the same source ... Made in China I think... no problems with it. Just put some anti seize on the bots that secures the bar to the plate or if you want to take them off, they snap like mine. Home Depot to the Rescue.

Torque Wrench.. I got mine off Ebay for $14.95 clicks. Not faint clicks, but a loud well, loud enough and you can feel the click, you'll know it clicked. Why a torque wrench? So you don't over tighten and snap the bolts to the struts. For $14.95 plus shipping, I think it's a good investment. I even use it to torque my wheels to 80 lb/sq in.

 

I picked up a Husky torque wrench from Home Depot (0-100 lb-ft). Once you reach th desired torque, it'll click and not torque the bolt any further so it doesn't matter if you hear/feel it click.

I have a 3/8" drive since 95% of my sockets are 3/8". I have several with 1/2" drives so I have a 3/8" -> 1/2" adapter when needed.