I'm Torqued! You Should Be, Too!!!

At least once a year all tractor owners need to check some critical bolts to see how tight they are, even if it is brand new. Today we're putting a torque wrench on the wheel bolts and loader bolts, which, if they work loose, can cause an expensive and possibly dangerous failure.

If you look in your owner's manual, it will tell you to check to make sure the wheel bolts are tight on a regular basis. There are also bolts on many tractors that hold the center section of the wheel to the rim. Those should also be checked. If any of those should come loose you'll take a wild ride and it does happen.

You may have a separate owner's manual for your front end loader and somewhere in there it will tell you to check the loader bolts for proper torque. They're subject to a lot of stress and vibration, and should a couple of them work loose and shear off, you're looking at an expensive repair, in terms of shop hours. I check all of these on an annual basis when I'm getting ready to work the tractor in the spring.

The first thing you'll need is a torque wrench with an extension and some sockets. Here's a link to the one like I used in the video from Amazon that goes up to 250 lbs (check to make sure that will cover all of your bolts): http://amzn.to/2t5rHvD. Here's a link to the 1/2" extensions I used: http://amzn.to/2tu1Wb6. Finally, here are the 1/2" metric deep dish sockets I bought: http://amzn.to/2tqACtt. Full disclaimer...these are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program and I get commission when you purchase these. You pay the same, but a percentage of the sale helps support my channel and is much appreciated.

Almost every time I do this, I find a few bolts that have managed to work loose, because there is a tremendous amount of vibration on a tractor. In addition, you shouldn't trust the folks who prep the tractor at the dealership to go over everything, it could have been the bottom person in the pecking order who went over your tractor in the busy season, so it's critical to check these bolts even on a new tractor. If there's a failure, it may not happen for a few months, and warranty won't cover it because it's the owner's responsibility to keep these bolts torqued.

One thing that really bugs me is how manufacturers hide the torque recommendations in the owner's manual. They'll all tell you that these bolts need proper torque, but sometimes you have to dig to find out what that is. If they feel that important about it, they should make the torque requirements easier to find.

Checking torque recommendations periodically is a great way to avoid warranty issues with your local dealer and should be part of an annual maintenance schedule.

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Видео I'm Torqued! You Should Be, Too!!! канала Tractor Mike