Chose a torque wrench over a digital adapter for a 737 brake job, no regrets

Last month I had to swap brakes on a 737 and my Snap-on was in the shop for calibration. I could either grab a cheap digital adapter from Harbor Freight for 60 bucks or borrow a manual wrench from a buddy at the hangar in Houston. I went with the manual one because I know the click feel better than trusting a screen. It took an extra 15 minutes to set up but I got the job done without any over-torque drama. The digital adapter might be fine for hobbyists, but I'll stick with what I can feel in my hand. Anyone else ever pick old school over new tech and eat the extra time?

2 comments

2 Comments

quinn_king1623d ago

You ever borrow a tool from a buddy and it just feels right? My friend Mike had to torque the lug nuts on his Cessna and he had one of those digital adapters. It kept showing different readings every time he reset it, so he tossed it in the drawer and used his dad's old beam style wrench instead. Took him twice as long because he had to watch the needle, but he trusted it way more. Sometimes the extra time is worth it when you know exactly what the tool is telling you.

thomas.cameron23d ago

Man, nothing says "trust issues" like watching a needle bounce around while your plane's wheel is hanging in the balance. Guess some things are just built different, literally.