I use German torque........ "Good n tight"
Due to a lacking service department at my local dealer, I used to do all the service on my BMW motorcycles. It took me longer to do than a real mechanic, but in the end, I knew that everything was perfect, thanks to two DVDโs I bought to explain the processes. One by BMW, another by a retired Air Force instructor, who was a legend for us BMW riders. But, I finally let a local guy (whoโs wife was in the same profession as I used to be) who had twenty years experience at a California BMW shop start doing it.
One time, I was paying him to replace the front a rear tires, that I had been doing up until that point (Getting old is a beotch). I watched him tighten the four bolts that held the calipers to the front forks. I stopped him and asked him why he wasnโt using a torque wrench. He told me he has enough experience to know how tight to tighten the bolts.. SMDH.
Two years later, I was forced to do my own tire changes, while in a rural Tennessee location. When I took out the four bolts holding on the front calipers, I was shocked..
The bolt on the left was the one that the โBMW mechanicโ with 20 years of experience at a prominent California shop, over tightened, putting my life at risk. All four of the caliper bolts were equally stretched. Prior to him, I was the only person to put a wrench to those caliper bolts, and all four of them were properly tightened using a torque wrench (which is still in spec today). The bolt on the right is the brand new bolt (one of four) that I ordered to replace the ruined bolts.
@EOD Guy,.. You have an $80,000 truck. Please donโt cheap out on some basic tools. You will probably need three, to acurately bracket all of the needed torque values.
Your truck deserves better.
Rant off.
Sorry, I get carried away sometimes.. (Just wait until I post about Miss Daisyโs first Toyota service while on vacation last month. I am still fuming about it.)