I found this years ago…
8:02 pm cst
What I do is far from perfect, but I always considered “good enough.” I have a decent quality digital fish scale. I check that against other stuff - like fitness weights. I think the most I ever went was an 80lb bag of concrete. I never trust only one thing though (like that the weights I used would really add up to 50lb or that the concrete bag was really 80lb). I just use a handful of things - triangulation, basically. I’ve found the scale to be very accurate (it can even distinguish a 3 from a 4oz fishing sinker).
The wrench is a craftsman 1/2” drive that does 20-150ftlb. The full handle is about 16-18.” I just measure out from the rotational center of the socket 12”, mark the shaft, and then basically tape the hook of the fish scale at 12” out. Then I just put it on something - like a lug nut, go thru various settings, and go low and slow on the fish scale while watching the reading. Once again, a single “trial” is never trusted. There’s always some variations in what the scale reads owing to the fact that I’m not a robot.
Anyway, while that’s imperfect, I always figured it was close enough for what I do. And one always introduces error in using one anyway. Unless it’s a robot I suppose.
Our mechanics set the torque wrenches to the value in the work instruction, then the QA engineer checked the setting against the work instruction before the torque wrench was used. We take the belt and suspenders philosophy seriously.
Haven’t had floor walking QA engineers since before 2000. Don’t you know, everyone is supposed to be responsible for quality now 
So they do away with QA people doing checks and rely on Operations folks to do their jobs. The QA people at work are primarily sitting in their cubes pouring over test results doing SPC work or coordinating compliance audits and so on. I’m still old school and have since given up fighting this, it’s futile…
Lots of talk about torque wrenches and calibration, but for the OP, whatever brand you choose, consider spending a little more for a torque angle wrench. These days cars are full of torque-to-yield fasteners, where you tighten the bolt to a specific value and then turn it another specified number of degrees. It’s not just head gaskets anymore. Simple brake pad and rotor replacement, CV axles, etc. can use TTY fasteners. There are methods to calculate 90* or 60* of turn, but when it’s built into the wrench it’s a whole lot easier.
Throw it in the back of your car, and next time you’re driving around and see a Snap On truck at an auto shop, step in and ask if you can check the calibration of your wrench.
They are elegantly simple but not really practical for use anymore. I mean maybe for a DIY’er, but in a professional setting can you imagine a guy using a beam wrench for lug nuts? How much time would that take?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpLm33L0ghI Calibrating the HF torque wrench: it’s different
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Wyhen I got tires, the invoice said to retorque after 50 miles. So I did last night. I used my HF 1/2 wrench. I didnt bother setting the torque though, just did it by feel. The long bar saved my back a little. It seemed like the shop was prettY close with their impact guns. I’m happy but I recommend everyone do what they are comfortable with.
Hi all, I’ve had good luck with my Tekton torque wrench, similar to what was shared, especially for wheel and brake jobs. I’d recommend the Tekton 24330 3/8-Inch Drive (10-80 ft-lb) for most car work it’s durable and precise. If you want something with long-term reliability, look into CDI Torque Products; they’re pricier but hold calibration well. Do you need a wrench for occasional use or heavy-duty projects?
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I have a LEXIVON 1/2-Inch Drive Click Torque Wrench 25-250 Ft-Lb. It’s been great. I also have a couple of smaller ones from Harbor Freight. They are ok. The key thing to remember with any torque wrench is to recalibrate it once per year or so, especially if you use it often.
Cheers!
And what do you personally pay to have your torque wrenches calibrated once per year?
You can pay $20-$40 to have it done, or you can do it yourself for free using a method like this: https://youtube.com/shorts/R5z1SfjTkKQ?si=qfcU9LkdUEvU-Uib
Thank you for that information
I wanted to know what YOU personally pay to have YOUR torque wrench calibrated and how often you do it
I pay nothing because I do it myself. Once per year.
Okay
I watched that video
Thanks