torque wrench needed?

[jasonb]

i'm going to put on a set of 4dr springs this weekend.. just wondering if i should get a torque wrench to put everything back on to a specific torque rating or does it really matter as long as its tight? if so, how many ft/lbs is good for this in general? i'm new to the modified automotive world and i want to start right. i do have a compressor so would i be better off getting an air wrench even though i wouldn't use it very often? thanks for any advice.

 

[TarHeel085]

i didnt use a torque wrench on anything. but on the u-bolts i used the breaker bar to tighten them as much as i could. on everything else i just used a wrench and tighten it as tight as i could.

 

[espnfreak]

I'm with tarheel on this one, i dont think u need a torque wrench as long as you get them tight enough. I installed my hitch without a torque wrench. We'll see how it last tho. I think with some tools you can tell how much pressure you're putting on it.

 

[nosaj122081]

I always use a torque wrench, better safe than sorry... I've busted things before using the "tighten it as tight as it goes" method, so I always use a torque wrench and the torque specs in the Haynes manual or the Ford Shop Manuals. Alot of the time, as tight as you can get it with a normal ratchet isn't tight enough, you need the extra leverage a torque wrench gives anyhow. Theres a lots of bolts in the suspension that I wouldn't want to be approximate with, depends on what all you're replacing. Overtightening can ruin bushings and such, and even pull the threads on the bolt and make it a PITA to get off.

 

[jasonb]

well the guy at the junkyard didn't show up to pull my parts on saturday so i didn't get the job done obviously. i was really pissed since it was my only free weekend for like a month. grrrrrr...
i'll go ahead and get a torque wrench. i guess its a good excuse to get another tool thanks for all the advice guys