Salvo wrote:
No one nailed it.
You're missing the point. Extensions act as torsion springs! The amount of force the spring gets energized must be subtracted from the force applied to the bolt being torqued. The skinnier or longer the extension, the greater the error.
This error will probably be extremely small, but the OP has a valid point that should be considered in extreme cases.
If you stop and think about it.. you may figure out why that is wrong.
TRUE the extension (epically a long one) is a torsion spring.. BUT so long as it is straight on the amount of torque applied to one end is exactly amount to the amount of torque on the other.. What changes due to the extension is the distance you need to crank the wrench to get to that amount of torque. For example if for a given bolt position moving the handle through an arc of 45 degrees might get you to say 100 foot pounds.. With a long extension you might need to go 46 degrees.. but the displayed torque will be the same (100 foot pounds in this case) and that will be the force on the bolt head.
