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Old 05-19-2026, 12:15 AM
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Sirrotica Sirrotica is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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A torque limiting impact is hardly accurate, no more accurate than a torque stick on a lug nut. It may be within a 15/20 lb window, but it is in the ballpark, but not accurate as a torque wrench used properly.

I.E. Discount Tire uses a torque limiting device (torque stick) initially on lug nuts, and then finishes the install with a conventional torque wrench finally torquing the nuts to spec. A limiting device isn't the same as using a torque wrench.

Video here shows how a torque limiting device is not a replacement for a properly torqued fastener. It also shows how inaccurate a torque limiting device can be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVY0e5sdWx4

Torque limiting impacts are used on non critical bolts in manufacturing, but they're not using them on rod bolts in an engine. It's not what I consider torqued to a spec. Some people have different definitions of what torquing a bolt are............

Tightening with a ratchet and socket would likely yield the same result, close enough, but not within 5 lbs. of a spec.

Hopefully this information shows the differentiation between a torque limiting device and a properly torquer fastener to spec with a torque wrench. If you don't know, ya don't know.

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