How do you use a torque wrench for flash hiders

AR-15 » AR Discussions

AR Sponsor:

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How do you use a torque wrench for flash hiders

Posted: 10/10/2007 8:45:48 PM EDT

Trying to figure out how it works but I just don't get. So someone smarter than me please explain it.

Posted: 10/10/2007 8:53:03 PM EDT

[#1]

Dupe

Posted: 10/10/2007 9:13:28 PM EDT

[#2]

If that was something you wanted to do, you would use a crows foot.

Posted: 10/10/2007 9:14:19 PM EDT

[#3]

Why would you use a torque wrench on a flash hider?

Posted: 10/10/2007 9:25:03 PM EDT

[#4]

The torque wrench is used for the barrel nut. You use crush or peel washers to index the flash hider.

Posted: 10/10/2007 9:27:54 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
The torque wrench is used for the barrel nut. You use crush or peel washers to index the flash hider.

FH’s do have torque values, but it’s not really necessary.

Posted: 10/10/2007 10:14:20 PM EDT

[#6]

Wow, I have never seen that.

Posted: 10/11/2007 1:31:43 AM EDT

[#7]

I do it by feel, but you can definitely use too much force on the FH/Brake. Twisting the barrel is bad juju for accuracy.

Posted: 10/11/2007 4:46:10 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
I do it by feel, but you can definitely use too much force on the FH/Brake. Twisting the barrel is bad juju for accuracy.

That's how I do it. If I'm using a crush washer and I feel like it's going to take too much torque to get the FH properly aligned, I remove it, put it in the vice and "squeeze" it down a little then re-install and try it again. Repeat as necessary

Posted: 10/11/2007 6:34:43 AM EDT

[#9]

Because the specs for my supressor mount say within a certain range and I figure they don't just invent those specs for fun.

Posted: 10/11/2007 6:53:20 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Because the specs for my supressor mount say within a certain range and I figure they don't just invent those specs for fun.

In your case, yes, I’d say torque was mandatory!

ETA: So where are you stumped in regards to torque?

Posted: 10/11/2007 7:19:23 AM EDT

[#11]

Remember the GI torque value include using the USGI Barrel wrench (which also has slots for the flash supressor and the rifle receiver extension).

Posted: 10/11/2007 7:46:23 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Remember the GI torque value include using the USGI Barrel wrench (which also has slots for the flash supressor and the rifle receiver extension).

Yep, that’s outlined above in my excerpt from the -23/P.

Posted: 10/11/2007 9:04:04 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Because the specs for my supressor mount say within a certain range and I figure they don't just invent those specs for fun.

In your case, yes, I’d say torque was mandatory!

ETA: So where are you stumped in regards to torque?

I've got the AR 15 armorer's tool but the slots are just a tad too small to fit on the edges of the supressor mount. I'm stumped at trying to figure out exactly what attaches to the torque wrench to fit on the supressor mount to tighten it down properly.

Posted: 10/11/2007 9:57:49 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Because the specs for my supressor mount say within a certain range and I figure they don't just invent those specs for fun.

In your case, yes, I’d say torque was mandatory!

ETA: So where are you stumped in regards to torque?

I've got the AR 15 armorer's tool but the slots are just a tad too small to fit on the edges of the supressor mount. I'm stumped at trying to figure out exactly what attaches to the torque wrench to fit on the supressor mount to tighten it down properly.

Some armorer’s wrenches can be a tight fit when slipping over the FH. My DPMS wrench is a tight fit due to the paint on the tool. If your armorer’s wrench absolutely won’t fit, then try the appropriate sized crow’s foot adapter as pictured above. SEAR’s should have the individual crow’s feet for sale.

Posted: 10/11/2007 9:59:59 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Because the specs for my supressor mount say within a certain range and I figure they don't just invent those specs for fun.

In your case, yes, I’d say torque was mandatory!

ETA: So where are you stumped in regards to torque?

I've got the AR 15 armorer's tool but the slots are just a tad too small to fit on the edges of the supressor mount. I'm stumped at trying to figure out exactly what attaches to the torque wrench to fit on the supressor mount to tighten it down properly.

Some armorer’s wrenches can be a tight fit when slipping over the FH. My DPMS wrench is a tight fit due to the paint on the tool. If your armorer’s wrench absolutely won’t fit, then try the appropriate sized crow’s foot adapter as pictured above. SEAR’s should have the individual crow’s feet for sale.

Now that makes sense

Thanks

Posted: 10/11/2007 10:20:06 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
..I've got the AR 15 armorer's tool but the slots are just a tad too small to fit on the edges of the supressor mount.

Do you have a civilian one (like the DPMS) or do you have USGI one (as pictured in the -23 except above)?

Posted: 10/11/2007 10:23:41 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The torque wrench is used for the barrel nut. You use crush or peel washers to index the flash hider.

FH’s do have torque values, but it’s not really necessary.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Metroliner/FHTorque.jpg

15-20ft lbs!!! That's not that much.
I wish whoever installed the Flash suppressor on my RRA 20" HBar knew this. The tightened that thing down way to tight in order to crush the washer for a proper index. It ended up distorting the threads enough to make removal very tough. I had to use a wrench the entire time during removal, not to just break free. Once I got it free, the flash suppressor was too hot to handle, due to the friction involved.

This is one reason I don't believe in crush washers. I've never had one soft enough to crush without going over 50ft lbs of torque. That's way too much torque for such fine threads.

When I absolutely had to use a crush washer, I would install it and see how far off the index was and then do the math. Then remove the proper amount of material from the crush washer using a stone and some calipers.

Posted: 10/11/2007 12:05:28 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

Quoted:
..I've got the AR 15 armorer's tool but the slots are just a tad too small to fit on the edges of the supressor mount.

Do you have a civilian one (like the DPMS) or do you have USGI one (as pictured in the -23 except above)?

The civilian one

Posted: 10/11/2007 12:27:22 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Remember the GI torque value include using the USGI Barrel wrench (which also has slots for the flash supressor and the rifle receiver extension).

Yep, that’s outlined above in my excerpt from the -23/P.

Is that manual available here?

Posted: 10/11/2007 12:34:23 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Is that manual available here?

Of course!

www.ar15.com/content/index.html#manuals

Posted: 10/11/2007 12:37:00 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
..I've got the AR 15 armorer's tool but the slots are just a tad too small to fit on the edges of the supressor mount.

Do you have a civilian one (like the DPMS) or do you have USGI one (as pictured in the -23 except above)?

The civilian one

Get the military one - the torque values are for someone using the Military wrench. They are usually less than $20. Fulton Armory carries them.

Posted: 10/11/2007 12:57:40 PM EDT

[#22]

The DPMS and the GI wrenches are designed alike when it comes to torque.

Posted: 10/11/2007 12:59:36 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
The DPMS and the GI wrenches are designed alike when it comes to torque.

Close but not quite.

Posted: 10/11/2007 1:02:37 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The DPMS and the GI wrenches are designed alike when it comes to torque.

Close but not quite.

Please explain why not.

Posted: 10/11/2007 1:29:58 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The DPMS and the GI wrenches are designed alike when it comes to torque.

Close but not quite.

Please explain why not.

The barrel center on the GI is farther out from the torque slot than the DPMS is.

Also, the flash suppressor cutout is a bit farther out as well.

Posted: 10/11/2007 1:33:39 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The DPMS and the GI wrenches are designed alike when it comes to torque.

Close but not quite.

Please explain why not.

The offset of the hole for the drive changes the torque values a bit.

Significanlty? I don't think so - but enough that I'd try to keep the torque in the middle of range rather than near the min/max.

Posted: 10/11/2007 2:03:22 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
The offset of the hole for the drive changes the torque values a bit.

Significanlty? I don't think so - but enough that I'd try to keep the torque in the middle of range rather than near the min/max.

I knew you were headed in that direction. The torque values are minimal, enough that it would really make no difference to me.

The difference in the two wrenches is about 1/2”. Below are the calculators to figure out torque with adapters applied. For my calculations I used a 12” in long torque wrench. I come up with about a 1 ft lb difference in torque applied between the two wrenches. Hardly worth worrying about.

If my calculations are wrong............. I stand corrected.