Torque wrench calibration drifted after a year in the drawer

I pulled out my beam-style torque wrench to check a crank bolt last week and noticed the needle zeroed about 4 ft-lbs off, which surprised me since it's been sitting untouched in my toolbox for over a year. I looked into it and found that even storage, not just use, can let springs relax or shift over time, and some shops recommend re-calibrating every 6 to 12 months regardless. Has anyone else had a torque wrench drift like that, and do you rely on a click-style or digital one that's more dependable over the long run?

1 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

1 Comment

king.val1mo ago

Needle zeroed about 4 ft-lbs off" sounds like my bathroom scale after Thanksgiving, honestly. Yeah, springs don't care if you ignore them, they just do their own thing sitting in the dark. I've got an old click-style that's been in my dad's drawer for like a decade, and I'd trust it about as far as I can throw my car. Every time I use it now I just add a mental "eh, close enough" factor and hope the bolts don't sue me. Guess we're all just out here guessing with extra steps.

6