Breakaway Torque on ERA's Powr-Lok

[patrickt]

Just in case anyone was curious as to what the breakaway torque is on a nicely broken in ERA Powr-Lok, I checked mine today on my outboard braked rear. Last year I changed out the fluid (Moroso Climbing Gear Lube) and added one and three quarters bottles of the GM Limited Slip Additive Part #1052358, now #88900330. I added that extra three quarters of a bottle to eliminate a little "ratcheting" that I had been experiencing with the discs sticking around corners and it did the trick nicely. The Powr-Lok specs call for the breakaway torque to be greater than 40 ft/lbs and less than 200 ft/lbs, and it calls for the torque to be what is needed to constantly turn the raised wheel, not to just "break it away." Both of my wheels had the same reading, which was between 60 and 65 ft/lbs. 60 ft/lbs clicked off immediately and did not break the wheel loose, much less turn it, while 65 ft/lbs turned the wheel nicely. Here's a pic, Ellie was helping, but she's off camera.

[xb-60]

Ellie? That would have to be one of her offspring by now, surely, Patrick?

Oh, and good result with the break away torques.

Cheers,
Glen

[tboneheller]

You should be using a beam-style torque wrench to test that if you want accurate numbers.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by tboneheller

You should be using a beam-style torque wrench to test that if you want accurate numbers.

I probably have four or five torque wrenches, but the only beam one I have is a 1/4" drive for very low torque, like inch pounds when working on a carb. Even after doing this stuff for a good 45 years I simply can not torque something down to less than ten ft/lbs and get it anywhere near right. In fact, I'm more likely to crack whatever it is I'm torquing. Any my "clickable" inch/lb torque wrench doesn't click loudly enough for me to feel or hear it, so it's pretty much useless. But, for this particular project, accuracy wasn't all that important. A range of a couple of ft/lbs is good enough.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I probably have four or five torque wrenches, but the only beam one I have is a 1/4" drive for very low torque, like inch pounds when working on a carb. Even after doing this stuff for a good 45 years I simply can not torque something down to less than ten ft/lbs and get it anywhere near right. In fact, I'm more likely to crack whatever it is I'm torquing. Any my "clickable" inch/lb torque wrench doesn't click loudly enough for me to feel or hear it, so it's pretty much useless. But, for this particular project, accuracy wasn't all that important. A range of a couple of ft/lbs is good enough.

I have 5 torque wrenches, including an old beam torque wrench - that sits in the bottom of a drawer in my tool chest and hasn't been used in about 3 decades.

I had to replace my 1/4" torque wrench because it stopped clicking and I ended up torquing a couple of bolts WAY tighter than they should have been. It's not good when it's an aluminum automatic transmission valve body. Thankfully I stopped before I stripped any of the threads. I still have the old one and have seen instructions online about how to fix it, but I'm not sure it's worth the time and energy.