Do Extensions Change Torque? Torque Wrenches and Extension Test! (INTERESTING)

Thanks for watching the video. Really interesting findings with the torque, I always thought they had a bigger effect, but I guess I was wrong. Amazon Affiliate link to the Torque Adapter used in the video: ACDELCO Torque Adapter: amzn.to/3VS6S2f

I was taught many years ago in AF tech school that extensions don't change the torque value, offsets do. As long as you are at a 90 degree angle to the fastener, you aren't changing the requirements. There is a formula for using offsets because they do create a different reading (we had certain situations where there was no choice but to use an offset).

I remember in class I was bored so I got every extension. Connected them together to make 30 foot snake. Told the class they're gonna learn something new. some dollar bets down. And well it torqued to spec properly people were blown away.

Funny little thing, when I was in a high school skills competition our team lost points because I torqued some wheels using an extension.

Very helpful video for those shop arguments. I've realized this issue has come from ugga dugga torque people. Torque wrench is the twisting force in smooth turning, impact guns lose twisting force from the hammering action through the extension.

Pretty interesting results Josh. Amazing test. Good on you putting this video out man. Cheers man👍💪🔧🔧

What is this, project farm? Lol great info, thank you for taking the time to do this.

I suspect people who think an extension would change the torque don't understand the mechanics of a lever. Torque is a function of distance from center of rotation times force. (think foot times pounds--ie. 100 foot pounds is a force of 100 pounds applied at 1 foot from center of rotation, or 50 pounds at 2 feet from center of rotation, etc.) An extension doesn't increase or decrease the distance from center of rotation.

Torque is the product of 3 things, force (the lbs in lbs-ft) times the distance from the axis of rotation (the ft in lbs-ft) times the sine of the angle the force is applied. A wrench keeps all the angles perpendicular so this does not affect a torque wrench reading, but would affect how hard you have to pull on the wrench. Consider if you pulled at a shallow angle to the wrench so your arm was close to parallel with the wrench. The torque reading on the wrench will not change but you will have to pull much harder because at a small angle the sine of the angle is small. Similarly with a flex head ratchet the torque reading will not change but you will have to pull harder because with it bent your hand is closer to the axis of rotation.

This was a neat test/video! I’ve used extensions with torque wrench’s and wondered for years of the accuracy. This proves my years long assumption was correct👍

Great Video. I appreciate your honest testing and results. Thanks

Thanks for the info. I often wondered if they changed torque. Keep up the great videos 👍

Awesome Josh. This blows away some of the myths I have been told/taught over the years. Thanks.

I got into it with the other 2 techs in the shop about this a few months ago…had them seething cause they didn’t wanna admit I was right…did the same thing in the Vice then one of them was like ‘I swear to got ASE says no extensions on torque wrenches!’ He spent like 15 minutes googling and is like ‘read it and weep!’ And I’m like “yeah it says no extensions on torque wrenches…but here it says ‘as long as the centerline of the anvil of the torque wrench lines up with the centerline of the bolt, your torque will be accurate, regardless of the distance between the two, this article refers to extensions such as crows feet’” then he spent 15 more minutes googling before admitting defeat

You may find the Torque Test Channel very interesting as they have done this testing in a fairly scientific manner,lots of impact wrench testing also

This was a great video, we did a test years ago as well but with two dial torque wrenches with about 8 feet of extension’s between them, strapped one to the table and turned the other and both had the same reading

What a fun video to watch. thanks

Josh, this is a great video man! I’ve always been skeptical of the shoptalk about torque wrenches and extensions. I’ve never thought that tool companies would sell us techs astronomically expensive tools. All knowing that they become inaccurate from using their associated extensions. All of my torque wrenches & extensions used for torquing are 3/8” to 3/4” and I’ve always used extensions where needed for access during torque procedures. I use brute strength to turn angles with markers as you do but, where accessible I use impacts to turn the angle if space to swing the angle by hand is no achievable.

I always used impact extensions any critical tork stuff . Cool stuff You proved what I said for 40 years

Torque wrench are calibrated to deliver a set torque based on measured length from the center of the drive square to a point on the handle. Most quality torque wrenches will have some way of marking this point on the handle. The manual that comes with it will also show this. Using an extension does not change that measurement. Now using a torque adapter can change that measurement and will affect that torque delivered. They misconception that extensions will affect torque with a torque wrench come from impact tools. When you are using an impact tool you are essentially using a hammer to turn the fastener. This hammering will cause torsional deflection. This torsional deflection will reduce the amount of torque the impact tool delivers. A torque wrench is not delivering torque. It is measuring the torque being delivered. A couple ideas for a future video with torque wrenchs are how torque adapters affect torque (there are formulas available to calculate this) and what effect jerking, bouncing, or quickly moving a torque wrench has (think a 125 lb tech trying to torque truck lug nuts to 500 lbs) Quick disclaimer here, I am not an engineer or physicist. I am a fellow truck tech (Mack) with a few years of experience under my belt that enjoys his job, most of the time, and enjoys learning. That's why I watch these videos.