Frank A.

Hi all. I am planning on removing my wheels from my 997.1 Targa for a thorough cleaning. Based on the recommendation I read here, I purchased a floor jack from Costco. Can anyone suggest a decent torque wrench and lug socket (19mm from what I have read here)? Also, do I need to use the anti-seize compound on the bolts each time I remove and re-install the wheel? Any suggestions for a good anti-seize compound? Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Frank A.

p-cardriver

My torque wrench came from Amazon. It is Mountain 16250 1/2 inch drive torque wrench 25-250 ft-lbs and cost $60.91 delivred in Feb. Depends on the type you want, of course (bar, click, digital), but do get a wide enough range (25-250 ft-lbs) to easily accommodate the uses you intend.

I have the Craftsman 6-point 19 MM 1/2 drive socket and also a 6" extension so that the wrenches don't hit the paint. Some prefer Griot's and they sell one that is not supposed to damage paint - but I wrap mine in painter's tape and that works just fine. Consider a black impact socket if you plan to use a gun to remove, just to be safe.

Be sure to use a breaker bar to loosen/remove the lug bolts and not the torque wrench unless you enjoy buying them often (or have a recalibration source). And unload the torque wrench when finished (don't leave it set).

I would not use anti-seize on lug bolts. Just clean up the threads with a wire brush as needed and reinstall.

mdrums

Are you near a Sears or Home Depot or Lowes....I went to Sears and got a Torque Wrench and you'll need a 19mm socket.
Use a long socket wrench to remove the bolts....not the torque wrench.
No anti-seeze needed. Retourque lug bolts to 96ftlbs.

okbarnett

agree,
any brand 1/2 " drive torque wrench 95 to 100lbs ( you need a 1/2" long extension on the torque wrench so it gives room to clear the body when you use it)

1/2" drive, 6" long extension bar, and 1/2" breaker bar to remove lugs and use the extension alone to run the bolts on and off the wheels

And 1/2" drive socket, the best sockets I have found are the mag wheel anti scratch sockets, with a teflon collar over the ends , but you have to buy the whole set, which are about 6, and I got mine on ebay for about $50

IslandS52

Craftsman torque wrenches kind of suck imo, and only have a 90 day warranty. If you want an affordable one, at least get something with a lifetime warranty, which I think Husky and Kobalt do (verify though). Personally I use a Stahlwille (German brand). Also you can get a thin wall 19mm with a plastic sleeve so you don't scratch your alloys.

smokestack20

Frank A and all, Groits has recently offered a smaller Protective Socket Set 3pc. that included the 19mm we need for $25, as opposed to the larger set for $75. Their claim: Protective plastic protects Lug & Wheel, and they insist you bring them to your Tire Store to use when its time for new tires.

Sorry, no experience with them, but for $25 I'll order and give them a try.
Groits Garage Item #10269, and I believe free shipping!

Ken 997 C2S Cab

George from MD

I use a Husky torque wrench and the the griot's sockets- now come in set of three as noted. If you don't have the sockets just wrap tape around a regular one. Do NOT use the torque wrench to break the lug nuts- you'll ruin it (I see this at the track more often than I care to admit). Get a breaker bar.

utkinpol

i never use torque wrench for lugs - when you tighten up you lugs if car is on horizontal surface and not on parking brake - when your car starts to roll as you apply force to a lug it is quite about right.
plus most 25-250 lbs wrenches are very inaccurate, I do have different ones but most useful one is 5-80lbs wrench.

Marine Blue

Thanks for the heads up Ken.

ricster

If you want a goos torque wrench, you want to use a SNAP ON brand torque wrench, husky, crapsman, etc are pretty much inferior in comparisson

Former Porsche ASE tech

kosmo

the debate on Torque wrenches can almost be like oil and wax threads. The simple truth is that there are "run of the mill brands" and "Premium brands."
It all depends on your application and frequency of use. Snap On, CDI (owned by Snap On) MAC, etc are very good. As Utkinpol mentioned above, a 25-250 wrench is not accurate at all. Get one w/ a smaller range. FUrthermore dont use the wrench to loosen lugs. FInally RECALIBRATE.


Lastly, i wrap my socket w/ tape to prevent scratching.

daddyscar

I got this same one based on positive 4.5 star amazon reviews. This was my first torque wrench and this is all good advice. I had to go back to get a longer lug nut. Taping the handle would have a good idea. It's very easy to scratch your car while cranking on this big bar.

Harvey in FL

My 2 cents...

I understand that Snap-On 1/2" split beam torque wrenches are made my Precision Instruments. With that I found this...

http://www.tooltopia.com/precision-i...-c3fr250f.aspx.

At one time I used a Snap-On split beam which I believe was 40-100 lbs. After torquing my wheel lugs @ 96lbs for a few years, the wrench snapped in half. Snap-On said I should have not used any wrench near its upper limities. They were very nice and replaced it for free.

Fin Fever

how about this gizmo
I was shopping for a new and better torque wrench, and was considering going with an electronic unit. this little unit seemed to get some very good reviews. It is based no a strain gauge, so it should stay within calibration fairly well. I like that I can use it with a T-handle. What do you guys think?

Minok

Any decent quality torque wrench will do. We are not building rocket ships, just tightening lug bolts. As others have said, when you are done with it, release the tension setting. Get one with a wide range so you can torque wheel bolts and the oil filter cap and drain plug. Don't use the wrench to loosen the lug bolts... use a breaker bar.

Any good 6pt socket will work to remove.. and use an extension bar so your breaker bar and torque wrench don't ding the rear fender particularly.

For the anti-seize... its a very specific type of anti-seize. If you don't scrub the stuff of the bolts, you can just put them back in as is... no need to clean them.. nothing should have worked its way into the threads to start with. If you clean them off, it is worth putting the right kind of anti-seize back on.. just get it from the dealer as other sources seem to require a larger quantity purchase than you'll ever need.