Spec me a torque wrench and Jack for MX5

easyrider

easyrider

easyrider

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Will Be removing my wheels to paint the callipers...Read in the MX5 handbook the wheel nuts need to be 88-118 N.m

Does this mean anything in between is ok ?

Learning as I go

Cheers
 
Can't go wrong with Halfords Professional, lifetime warranty and a decent price (around £80)

Had a couple of their wrenches for years now and no issues.
 
1/2" drive only really useful for your wheel nuts mind you, anything smaller which is most DIY maintenance on a car you'll need 1/4 drive for your sockets. Obviously, wheels not falling off is paramount though!
 
Considering that i calibrate torque wrench’s as part of my job, i have found that best tend to be Snap-on but they are stupidly expensive. You can’t go wrong with a Norbar, they are very repeatable, i have never know one to drift out of calibration and i personal have several. The Halfords ones are also very good and i often comment at work i am surprised how good they are compared to some of the other manufacturers. So i would say go for either a Norbar or Halfords which everyone you can afford.
 
easyrider said:
Will Be removing my wheels to paint the callipers...Read in the MX5 handbook the wheel nuts need to be 88-118 N.m

Does this mean anything in between is ok ?

Learning as I go

Cheers
Click to expand...

The most useful torque wrench for general use will be a 3/8". but you should also have a 1/2" for heavier work like wheel bearings. 1/4" is a bit of a luxury in most tool boxes but would be useful for a beginner who has not yet worked out by feel how tight to do up light screws and fastenings.

Most Torque wrenches will have a dual scale, Nm and FtLb. Make sure that the different scales are clearly legible and identifiable. (They aren't always) you do not want to accidentally mix them up when setting the "Click" point. That would be Bad....:p

As for the question..

Does this mean anything in between is ok ?
Click to expand...

We have the potential to end up in much can-of-worms territory. Torque refers to twisting force. but this can be affected by many different things. In an idealised scenario, it is directly related to the amount of stretch applied to the bolt in elastic deformation which in turn relates directly to the clamping force applied to the component.

In practice, the condition of the screw thread, presence of dirt and corrosion, the accuracy with which the threads have been machined, the condition of the bolt/nut faces/washers and the condition of the faces of the components being bolted will all affect the amount of friction in the system will all affect the amount of twisting force needed to produce the correct amount of stretch.

(And this is before we go into the controversy regarding the use of lubricants)

In an ideal world, all nuts/bolts should be cleaned up with taps/dies degreaser and an airline before use. and all tightening should be carried out using angle torquing (Which defines precisely just how much stretch is applied to the bolts/studs)

A torque wrench is basically a quick and dirty short cut, and because of the issues mentioned, a series of apparently identical bolts might well end up with widely different amounts of stretch despite having identical amounts of torque applied depending on their condition and the presence of lubricants

This being the case, the precision of the calibration is not as relevant as you might think (Within reason) what is rather more important is the consistency. (Does it always "Click" at the same torque time after time)

It is also important to ensure that everything is thoroughly cleaned before reassembly. and, while few people do this in practice, a set of taps/dies to ensure everyting is really clean is recommended in an ideal world.

Most torque settings are for "Dry" fasteners (ie no lubricant) Using lubricant can increase the amount of stretch by 30% or more for the same torque applied. Of course, use of lubricant has no effect on the stretch generated by angle torquing.
 
I have a Norbar and it's excellent. No idea what they cost though because, rather than calibrating them every year, my work replaces them. So the one I have was used in a remote workshop maybe twice before I commandeered it.

I do fancy a 1/4" one though, for the smaller torques that are usually found when working on intricate bits of cars. But they are too expensive for my "basic" toolbox.

As for the torque for wheel bolts
 
Any chance you could spec me a decent jack for the MX5?

Cheers

I've had a look at the stock one and I hate the scissor design . OK for emergencies but not for home use.
 
sovietspybob said:
If you're painting the calipers make sure you get a pair of axle stands as well, never ever get under a car that's just on a jack :)
Click to expand...

Yeah good point.

But I'm struggling to find out how to put a jack (on the jack point) then add a axel stand in the same place.

Ive been reading up on Jacking the MX5 and "Bent Fins" is a common problem.

:o
 
With the MX5 we used to have (MK3) there's a center jacking point under the engine cross member and then you jack it up via the rear diff for the back :) Most vehicles have centre jacking points for this sort of thing, then you put the axle stands either under the jacking points on the sills or just under something sturdy looking like a suspension mounting point.

http://s80.photobucket.com/user/gwa_2006/media/jackingpoints.gif.html

I tend to drive onto some blocks of wood first so i can get my jack underneath, i've got some offcuts of kitchen worktop i cut into about 2 or 3 foot squares which are very handy to drive the whole vehicle up onto to get more access.
 
You will most likely need a low profile trolley jack. The normal ones won't fit under most sports cars :p

I bought a Silverline one for £35 a few years back.
 
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