I don't have a torque wrench that will measure inch pounds, and haven't yet found a rental. Final torque spec for my 1997 SCAB spindle nut is 17 inch pounds. Would appreciate any guidance about how to tighten this nut without a torque wrench. Hate to spend $ on a tool I'll use once, but....
Thanks
Bill

 

There are 12 inch pounds per 1 foot pound. So a tad less than 1 1/2 foot pounds will be your spec. But if it were me I'd just snug it since its torque spec is so low

 

Mark wrench handle at 6"....apply 2.8 lbs force .

Or...mark a wrench at 8.5", apply 2 lbs force

Or use a breaker bar, drape a 1lb bag of rice over it centered on 17" mark

Or guess

If got a scale...and a ruler....and an empty water bottle with wire to hang it.....you can do it very precisely if care to

Or, guess.

 

I'm curious about which spindle nut is tightened to finger tight (the one for 17 inch lbs).
Just making sure the diagram is being read properly.
I don't know what that system is like but a 'spindle nut' seems like it would need to be tighter unless this is for bearing preload. I am assuming that model year doesn't have caged bearings and races though?

 

There is a sequence... torque to 17 to 24 inch pounds while spinning the rotor. Back the nut off 1/2 turn, no more, no less. Then tighten to 17 inch pounds spinning.

 

For stuff like this, my best friend is one of these....

 

my uncle use to have one of those. handy tool indeed but we didn't use it as much as the other torque wrench without the chart

 

Most "click" style torque wrenches don't even register low enough for things like this, spark plugs, etc. I also have a decent click style too for head bolts, lug nuts, etc.

 

My 2001 Workshop manual says 30 FOOT-lbs, loosen 2 turns, tighten to 17-24 FOOT-lbs while turning, then loosen 175 degrees. This is for the front wheel bearing spindle nut. Can't imagine any suspensions components that use inch-lbs. The big numbers in the beginning are to push the grease out so that they don't end up too loose. The 175 degress is to allow for expansion so they end up "perfect". Edit - I missed a part. The final step is the inch-lbs, added it in my post below. But the first steps are foot-lbs.

Besides that, I'm pretty sure I've seen some descriptions of just tightening it down until it's hard to turn then backing off 1/2 turn. I thought that there was a discussion about it not so long ago. The mechanics that do a bunch have found that something like that give about the same result. And, finally, for the tapered bearings, it's better to be on the tight side than the loose side. Not a bunch, but tight is better than loose.

Similar vein - does anyone retorque their wheel bearing nuts after so many miles? You know that they must get loose as they wear..

 

Agreed. A beam for inch pounds...not a clicker. Simple , inexpensive.