Torque Wrench for WD Hitch nylock nuts

[dolfinwriter]

Is this the right thread for this, first of all?

I'm trying to install a weight distribution hitch to haul my trailer of stuff from east county San Diego California to Kansas. It's a 7' x 14' cargo trailer and about 6500 lbs GTW, and I didn't need much convincing of the need for a WD and sway reduction/prevention hitch.

Here's my problem: I need a torque wrench capable of 380 ft-lbs to torque two nylock nuts. NO ONE has a torque wrench that will go above 250 ft-lbs. I've tried Autozone, Pep Boys, O'reilly, Trailer supply stores, RV dealers, tire shops, Harbor Freight, pawn shops, Lowe's, Home Depot...

How does ANYONE do this? Or is everyone who uses a hitch like this blowing off the torque spec? The BALL is supposed to be torqued to 360 ft-lbs., and LOTS of places sell hitches and balls, but NO ONE has a torque wrench capable of properly torquing it, neither to rent nor to buy or loan.

How does ANYONE do this properly if you can't get this one tool needed to do it right?

What am I missing?

I would greatly appreciate any help in this area.

[JRscooby]

If I was going to be torqueing the bolts, I would put a jack under to support. Will that change the final reading/actual torque on the bolt? No. But I'm lazy, don't like to do extra work. Likely the person turning the wrench will not see it, but as he bears down on the wrench the vehicle goes down. Then when release pressure to get another flat, vehicle comes back up.(More likely to see that.) Every stroke, as the bolt gets tighter, more of the force is used to compress springs before the nut starts to turn. That is wasted work.
Something else to think about; I don't know how many times I have had a helper, (confess, once I was the helper) when I have pulled a bolt to get it torqued, then hear "Need to back it off, wrench is locked" Yes, arm wrestling when the other guys wrench is 4 times as long as yours it is easy to wedge your wrench against something solid. By yourself even easier. Hold a bar or board between wrench and solid so you can have leverage to pull it out, get play, and your wrench back.
BTW, most of my life I would of turned things so I was lifting instead pushing down. I could lift more than I weighed, let alone what weight I could get on the wrench. But I have gained over 100 lbs, and lost muscle

[Grit_dog]

Sorry, that makes sense pulling that trailer with a small truck.
Good on you.
Dang , those conduits are usually welded on.
Could you zip some welds off and slip the bracket behind the conduit?

[dolfinwriter]

Grit dog wrote:
what makes you need all this hardware for a little cargo trailer? Plan on pulling it with a Hyundai or something? Any newer midsize pickemup or full size SUV, or larger should have no issue with a trailer that size unless it's loaded all wrong.

Better to err on the side of caution, IF in fact I am erring at all...

2011 Tacoma Pre-Runner V-6. It's not a "little" cargo trailer, but I'm sure relative to a 33' camper trailer it might look that way. My Tacoma is rated for 6500 max towing, and I'm using every bit of it. Let's just say it's really heavy stuff that U-Haul won't allow in any of their vehicles or storage.

Maybe some people would think it's overkill. I prefer to play it safe, especially when the lives of other people on the highways are at risk as well.

If I was just tooling around town with it, it would certainly be ok. But I'm going to be crossing six states with it, with some mean crosswinds in some places. The reviews by people who've switched to this hitch from another are enough convincing for me.

Now I've been delayed so much that snow has arrived in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

You really ought to be condemning anyone NOT using one of these than condemning me for being safe.

Oh but wait, there's more--I nearly finished setup last night and ran into a frame interference problem with the frame brackets. My trailer has a steel electrical conduit tube running along the trailer frame on both sides of the trailer on the inner side of the frame rails. This prevents the frame brackets from installing correctly. It looks like I have to modify my trailer to make this work. The only way I can see to do this is cut a section of the tubing out where the brackets need to be, and reroute the wiring--possibly snake them through the frame rail.

Husky towing products tech support is absolutely no help. They say they've never seen this before!

The trailer mfr tech support is absolutely no help. THEY say they've never seen this before! Maybe I would rethink buying this trailer if I had known this two months ago.

What a PITA this whole thing has turned out to be.

I'm also really curious how the wiring is routed on other trailers from the body of the trailer to the coupler and umbilical connector.

[Grit_dog]

dolfinwriter wrote:
After lining up all the bolts and checking them against the manual and kind of mock-up test fitting, they left off a 1-1/16" socket for the nylock nut on the 3/4" bolt and a 5/8" open end wrench for the square head frame bracket bolts. I could use a Crescent hammer for those, but adjustable wrench isn't listed either.

So thank you to BenK for mentioning the bolt hex head size vs. bolt diameter, because that prompted me to verify everything I need.

The 3/4" bolt hex head is 1-1/8", but the nylock nuts on those bolts are 1-1/16". Those 1-1/16" nylock nuts are the ones that need to be torqued to 380 ft-lbs.

The install instructions leave a bit to be desired. Maybe they're written "correctly" for the way engineers think and talk, but most people putting this together won't be engineers. And if you assume that a 3/4" bolt means both hex head and nylock nuts are 1-1/8", then you'd be wrong.

What amazes me is the most common response I have gotten is to take it to a semi or big rig maintenance facility and bother them to borrow a proper torque wrench for this. Is that really what most people who are doctors, lawyers, cybersecurity professionals, carpenters, electricians, teachers, bankers, police officers... do? I doubt most people even know where to find one.

Probably the second most common is some version of a "calibrated elbow" approach. I don't torque spec every single thing I work on that lists a torque spec, but torque specs exist to ensure that things are properly tightened, but at the same time not OVER-tightened. This seems like something where it is really important to get it right. One of the reviews of this was a user who winged it, and down the road it came loose. He was smart enough to be checking it at intervals, so he caught it and had tools to tighten it. But would it have come loose at all if he'd gotten the torque to spec to begin with?

So I bought a 3/4" breaker bar, a 3.4" torque adapter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009GLITFW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and a 3/4" 6-pt impact rated socket set w/ratchet and extensions. It's costing me about as much as the proper rated torque wrench by itself, but I'll do this right and I'll have some versatile tools for future use.

The one's who don't own tools, know people with tools or know what to do take their stuff to a shop.
The real question is what makes you need all this hardware for a little cargo trailer? Plan on pulling it with a Hyundai or something? Any newer midsize pickemup or full size SUV, or larger should have no issue with a trailer that size unless it's loaded all wrong.

[Grit_dog]

carringb wrote:
You guys are over thinking this.

Just buy the appropriate length breaker bar so your body weight will generate the torque needed.

If you weigh 180 pounds. A 2 foot breaker bar will apply 360 foot pounds.

^ This.

[Mike134]

Durb wrote:

Mike134 wrote:
I have no idea why the springs compressing would concern you.

To compress the springs that force must flow though the wrench, then the bolt after it stops turning at 380ft/lbs then the chassis. End result bolt is tightened to 380.

Doesn't work that way. If you extend that thinking just put the shank on the ground. When the fastener quits turning and the shank flops around you must be at 380 ft-lbs - wrong.

Simple test for doubters: Tighten the fastener without supporting the hitch. Then tighten again with the hitch supported to the same spec - the nut will move. How much will be determined by the stiffness of the truck's springs.

One of the first rules of proper torque wrench technique is to secure your work.

I'm thinking either we are speaking of different things or you are wrong. Used a 4' piece of Unistrut extending from the hitch so I'd have lots of leverage to get some compression of the trucks springs. I torqued the bolt at the very end of that strut without and with the bottle jack in place. No change/movement of the fastener as the torque setting was reached even though the truck's springs and Unistrut flexed as the torque setting was reached without the bottle jack in place. .

[ACZL]

time2roll wrote:
Amazon has 3/4" 600# wrench for about $200.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08543L2DY/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08543L2DY&pd_rd_w=sume4&pf_...

Really not a bad price overall for this tool. If it can be used as a breaker bar as well, then it's 2 tools in one. Highest Ft Lb of TQ I need currently is 165, so I have a Kolbalt TQ wrench which is under seat of truck. 1/2' Battery impact to remove lug nuts from Harbor Freight not too far from TQ wrench.

[time2roll]

Amazon has 3/4" 600# wrench for about $200.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08543L2DY/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B08543L2DY&pd_rd_w=sume4&pf_...

[Durb]

Mike134 wrote:
I have no idea why the springs compressing would concern you.

To compress the springs that force must flow though the wrench, then the bolt after it stops turning at 380ft/lbs then the chassis. End result bolt is tightened to 380.

Doesn't work that way. If you extend that thinking just put the shank on the ground. When the fastener quits turning and the shank flops around you must be at 380 ft-lbs - wrong.

Simple test for doubters: Tighten the fastener without supporting the hitch. Then tighten again with the hitch supported to the same spec - the nut will move. How much will be determined by the stiffness of the truck's springs.

One of the first rules of proper torque wrench technique is to secure your work.

[Mike134]

I have no idea why the springs compressing would concern you.

To compress the springs that force must flow though the wrench, then the bolt after it stops turning at 380ft/lbs then the chassis. End result bolt is tightened to 380.

[dolfinwriter]

Durb wrote:
Good decision. I hadn't realized digital in-line torque readers had become so inexpensive. They used to be a lot more expensive than a 3/4" torque wrench. Still make sure you support your work to the ground with a floor jack. Your torque reader will read 380 ft-lbs but the energy used to compress the truck's springs will not make it to tighten the fastener and you will be under torqued.

I stumbled on that torque reader purely by accident. I think it's God's way of throwing me a lifeline on this 🙂

Good point re: torque compressing truck springs. However, I think that would be countered or at least minimized by holding the bolt with the 1-1/8" box wrench. I will still support the hitch assembly with a floor jack just to be sure and make it more solid.

I always check and re-check torque when there are more than one fastener. If any gives more movement than re-check all again.

[BenK]

I also justify tool purchases because needed and then have them for future projects

FYI...when there are more than one fastener for a part, it is important to have them torqued evenly. Can't do that without a torque wrench or gauge (nifty torque gauge you found and now on my list)

Else, the lowest torqued will vibrate lose

It is not just clamping forces needed, but the expected vibration...frequence(s) and amplitude(s) are factored to the fastener's elasticity vs plastic point

Pretty sure these designers didn't go there and most likely looked at shear and clamping forces desired...plus some margin

Note that tge torque on the nut also has the same torque on the bolt. There are factors, one being the same K factor...aka friction on the respective mating surfaces

[Durb]

dolfinwriter wrote:
After lining up all the bolts and checking them against the manual and kind of mock-up test fitting, they left off a 1-1/16" socket for the nylock nut on the 3/4" bolt and a 5/8" open end wrench for the square head frame bracket bolts. I could use a Crescent hammer for those, but adjustable wrench isn't listed either.

So thank you to BenK for mentioning the bolt hex head size vs. bolt diameter, because that prompted me to verify everything I need.

The 3/4" bolt hex head is 1-1/8", but the nylock nuts on those bolts are 1-1/16". Those 1-1/16" nylock nuts are the ones that need to be torqued to 380 ft-lbs.

The install instructions leave a bit to be desired. Maybe they're written "correctly" for the way engineers think and talk, but most people putting this together won't be engineers. And if you assume that a 3/4" bolt means both hex head and nylock nuts are 1-1/8", then you'd be wrong.

What amazes me is the most common response I have gotten is to take it to a semi or big rig maintenance facility and bother them to borrow a proper torque wrench for this. Is that really what most people who are doctors, lawyers, cybersecurity professionals, carpenters, electricians, teachers, bankers, police officers... do? I doubt most people even know where to find one.

Probably the second most common is some version of a "calibrated elbow" approach. I don't torque spec every single thing I work on that lists a torque spec, but torque specs exist to ensure that things are properly tightened, but at the same time not OVER-tightened. This seems like something where it is really important to get it right. One of the reviews of this was a user who winged it, and down the road it came loose. He was smart enough to be checking it at intervals, so he caught it and had tools to tighten it. But would it have come loose at all if he'd gotten the torque to spec to begin with?

So I bought a 3/4" breaker bar, a 3.4" torque adapter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009GLITFW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and a 3/4" 6-pt impact rated socket set w/ratchet and extensions. It's costing me about as much as the proper rated torque wrench by itself, but I'll do this right and I'll have some versatile tools for future use.

Good decision. I hadn't realized digital in-line torque readers had become so inexpensive. They used to be a lot more expensive than a 3/4" torque wrench. Still make sure you support your work to the ground with a floor jack. Your torque reader will read 380 ft-lbs but the energy used to compress the truck's springs will not make it to tighten the fastener and you will be under torqued.

[CA_Traveler]

It's always been my approach to buy the tools as needed and if I break something then it won't happen twice.

[dolfinwriter]

After lining up all the bolts and checking them against the manual and kind of mock-up test fitting, they left off a 1-1/16" socket for the nylock nut on the 3/4" bolt and a 5/8" open end wrench for the square head frame bracket bolts. I could use a Crescent hammer for those, but adjustable wrench isn't listed either.

So thank you to BenK for mentioning the bolt hex head size vs. bolt diameter, because that prompted me to verify everything I need.

The 3/4" bolt hex head is 1-1/8", but the nylock nuts on those bolts are 1-1/16". Those 1-1/16" nylock nuts are the ones that need to be torqued to 380 ft-lbs.

The install instructions leave a bit to be desired. Maybe they're written "correctly" for the way engineers think and talk, but most people putting this together won't be engineers. And if you assume that a 3/4" bolt means both hex head and nylock nuts are 1-1/8", then you'd be wrong.

What amazes me is the most common response I have gotten is to take it to a semi or big rig maintenance facility and bother them to borrow a proper torque wrench for this. Is that really what most people who are doctors, lawyers, cybersecurity professionals, carpenters, electricians, teachers, bankers, police officers... do? I doubt most people even know where to find one.

Probably the second most common is some version of a "calibrated elbow" approach. I don't torque spec every single thing I work on that lists a torque spec, but torque specs exist to ensure that things are properly tightened, but at the same time not OVER-tightened. This seems like something where it is really important to get it right. One of the reviews of this was a user who winged it, and down the road it came loose. He was smart enough to be checking it at intervals, so he caught it and had tools to tighten it. But would it have come loose at all if he'd gotten the torque to spec to begin with?

So I bought a 3/4" breaker bar, a 3.4" torque adapter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009GLITFW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1), and a 3/4" 6-pt impact rated socket set w/ratchet and extensions. It's costing me about as much as the proper rated torque wrench by itself, but I'll do this right and I'll have some versatile tools for future use.