LCGB Forums

Laser torque wrenches- do they work on left handed threads? Bit nervous about wanging up the flywheel nut on my newly purchased Vape flywheel.

My torque wrenches are bi-directional. Don't know specifically on Laser, but I'd be surprised if not.

Give them a call!

Ok, what have you got? Bit of research via Google seems to indicate that only the push through socket types work on both Right hand and Left handed threads.

Some push the "square bar" through, some have a switch like a normal ratchet. I have both and one that is right-hand only. You can check by fixing the square bar section in a vice and trying in both directions.

But be sure before you try for real please!

The vast majority of ratchet torque wrenches don't work on L/H threads, like Dickie I use a Britool knock through one.

I have three torque wrenches. The 3/8” square drive Norbar is the most commonly used & being ‘push through’ can be a bit of a faff as following use the drive bit often stays within the socket rather than the tool….

The Britool 1/2” square drive is bi-directional though I’m unsure of the Aldi 1/2” square drive set that stays with the car (always re-torque your car wheel fixings after tyre changes/MOT’s & if they are massively over tightened replace bolts at the cost of the culprits. Not an easy battle but more of us should complain to the right people…..)

It’s difficult to imagine how a torque wrench can be manufactured that is not bi-directional as they mostly comprise a spring within the handle that is pre-loaded in adjustment……

Most won’t work on lht unless push through, you don’t need to check wheel nuts after an MOT as there not touched, it’s only an inspection

Ok thanks everyone. I’ve found a NOS Norbar SL2 push through wrench in eBay. It’s bi-directional so I’m sorted now.

I've got a couple of Halfords ones - both of which are bi-directional. I read somewhere that they are made by Nobar.

You should be able to pick one up for a reasonable price on ebay or marketplace

Yep, several on there from £20 odd quid upwards but they look very secondhand. The NOS one hog was £54 inc postage. Happy with that. Yes, Halfords own brand are made by Norbar. Actually, Halfords stuff is very good- their lifetime guarantee socket sets are great quality for the money. Tested the lifetime guarantee bit after I overdid a bolt and broke the small socket wrench and they replaced it free of charge with no quibble without me even needing to produce the receipt.

Trouble with buying second hand is are they calibrated, I’m retired now but in the main dealership I worked in our torque wrenches/tyre gauges etc had to be calibrated every 12 months, you’d be surprised out far out the cheapest ones would be

Yep, I’m having mine recalibrated as soon as I receive it.

L111amo wrote:Most won’t work on lht unless push through, you don’t need to check wheel nuts after an MOT as there not touched, it’s only an inspection

I’m happy to be corrected - & put the record straight on this - as I presumed that wheels may be removed if the tester thought it necessary to investigate something that would require access. The MOT station I have used for many years always require the locking wheel nut removal socket to be available & that is why my assumption was made.

LH thread fasteners aren’t so uncommon as some may think & IMO manufacturers of critical component tools such as torque wrenches should make it clear if their tools are not bi-directional. My understanding is that there are many Japanese utility vehicles that have LH threaded wheel lug fasteners on one side.

Having myself adopted 3/8” square drive sockets as the logical ‘best size’ for the majority of work on a Lambretta, I’m guessing that many other ‘hands on’ fellow members have come to the same conclusion & the Norbar type push through bi-directional torque wrenches will cover the majority of the range we require. However, the rear hub nut torque requirement will likely necessitate a 1/2” square drive wrench which is about the only time my old Britool gets used & is mostly left in the garage with the correct setting. Just as a ‘heads up’ though, the deals that come up from time to time via Aldi or Lidl of a three year guaranteed 1/2 “ square drive torque wrench - usually including three common wheel lug socket sizes - are excellent value & TUV approved. Surely with safety critical items such as rear hub nuts & car wheel lug fasteners such a purchase makes far more sense than a 1/2” square drive breaker bar as a suggested buy in a certain magazine’s latest issue….

My torque wrenches have never been calibrated.

Ive got an inhereted Norbar and bought a smaller Britool one.

They are for scooter work and nothing else so use is minimal

Where would you get them calibrated?

gaz_powell wrote:My torque wrenches have never been calibrated.

Ive got an inhereted Norbar and bought a smaller Britool one.

They are for scooter work and nothing else so use is minimal

Where would you get them calibrated?

Gaz, I have 3 and all are reasonable quality, norbar and roebuck. I've never had them calibrated but have checked them myself by clamping in a vice and loading them up until they click. I've owned 2 of them since the mid 90s and they are still OK. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe they are good enough that they don't need it, but maybe there's some bs from calibration houses so that we keep giving them cash?

I used to calibrate digital multimeters as part of my job and very rarely found them to be out. Only once in fact. And it was something like 50% out so sort of obvious without calibration.

I'm a cynical sort of chap anyway, and more electrical than mechanical, buy my experience tells me that they don't move out of calibration enough for us to care. +/-10% is irrelevant when you don't ensure thread condition.

IMHO of course.

i have some torque wrenches that get sent away to be calibrated through work each year.
i leant a nearly new one to someone who left the setting quite high (after use you are supposed to reduce the setting to zero). After the first year calibration it was out of calibration (over 4% out)

After each use the spring type should be put back to zero setting

Correct, should always be wound back to zero

I was quite smug when I read this thread a couple of weeks back. My 20 year old, at least, Taiwanese torque wrench that went from zero to 150 lbs per square inch had been as good as gold. Not now. I can’t get any sense out of it.

I’ve gone for a Norbar made Halfords one, which only goes up to 75 lbs per square “ as its partial replacement.

Storkfoot wrote:I was quite smug when I read this thread a couple of weeks back. My 20 year old, at least, Taiwanese torque wrench that went from zero to 150 lbs per square inch had been as good as gold. Not now. I can’t get any sense out of it.

I’ve gone for a Norbar made Halfords one, which only goes up to 75 lbs per square “ as its partial replacement.

Halfords are ok for what we need

Got any mates who work in a main dealership, they will get theirs calibrated for nowt each year, can drop they can say it’s theirs & bobs your uncle