I'm putting steel rims and winter tires on my car soon, and would like to purchase a torque wrench. I know very little about torque wrenches and was wondering if the following item would be appropriate for the task?
http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B000F...earsBrand=core

The U.S.A. Sears site has two torque wrenches available that are specifically designed for lug nuts, but they will not ship to Canada (which is where I happen to live).

Are there any other brands/models that anyone would recommend?

Thanks.

 

$99 is overkill for tightening your wheel lugs. Do you have HarborFreight tools up there? If not, go to harborfreight.com. Low to medium quality tools at great prices. I wouldn't use their torque wrench on the space shuttle or at the nuclear power plant, but for car wheel lugs, it'll be close enough. A click-style torque wrench (you dial the torque setting you want and when using the wrench, you'll feel a click when you get to that torque) set me back about $15.

Harbor freight is a little slice of heaven! I've added lots of tools that I wouldn't normally be able to afford or justify. Again, some are pretty crappy in quality for "professional" use, but for the shade tree mechanic, it's great stuff.

 

Every time I have used a harbor freight tool it has failed before I finished the first job with it.

something i have learned a long time ago, if a tool is worth owning its worth owning a good one. Nothing gets a job done well like the proper tool. However, if you know your only going to use it one or two times per year then it may hold up well enough for you if your lucky.

some autoparts stores will also lend this tool out.

 

I agree that Harbor Freight tools are nowhere near the quality of a craftsman BUT if they are used within their limits, they are a fine tool. I think the torque wrench has a really long warranty on it too. I have one and it works fine enough for the few times I do use it like on plugs and bolts etc.

 

I have the Sears torque wrench that you displayed below, and it is a good one. What ever torque wrench you end up getting, make sure it is a 1/2" drive.

Also don't drop the wrench, and when you are done with it always store it at its lowest torque setting.

I have some Harbor Freight tools, and some are great (like the aluminum "racing" jack), but others are of mixed quality. About 25% of the stuff I have gotten from them, I have had to take back. I am lucky that there are 2 stores within 30 miles of the house so I can see the stuff before I buy it. I would not buy stuff online from them, the quality is just to erratic.

You also might want to consider Griots Garage for an online purchase. Their stuff is premium priced but has a lifetime warranty.

Surely you should be able to find a tool store in Canada where you can buy a good torque wrench.

With the aluminum wheels on the stock HCHII, it is very important to tighten them with a torque wrench and in an back and forth order to avoid the possibility of stressing the hub and warping the front rotors or damaging the wheel.

 

What should our wheels be torqued to?

 

I have numerous Harbor Freight tools and none have failed. However, when dealing with torque, precision is the key. And I trust Craftsman.

We use various torque wrenches at work, and the Craftsman have always been within the tolerance levels specified in technical manuals.

 

the torque spec is 108 Nm or 79.6 lbf ft

when i am feeling like doing a super good job I torque them in a couple steps, usually finger tight then 20 lbf ft and finally 80 lbf ft. However this is almost certainly overkill.

I obtained this info on page 18-8 of the factory service manual in case you want to look it up for yourself. its in th

 

80 ft lbs. is correct.

 

I bought that Craftsman torque wrench for my oil changes.

Good tools last forever when you take care of them.