Kwik-Way torque wrench

deerepower74 · May 2, 2019

I've had this Kwik-Way torque wrench for a while, everything works but the square drive fits no regular sockets. It looks like a 1/4" drive but I measured it at .285", close to 7mm. Would this have been special for the Army Air Force during WWII for a specific application or just a manufacturing error?

BTW- Kwik-Way is still in business in Cedar Rapids, Ia. They make flywheel surfacing machines and valve grinders still.

John Garner · May 2, 2019

The US government did specify 9/32 inch square drive sockets and drivers during WWII; it's commonly thought that the intent was to counter the migratory tendencies of 1/4 inch drive tools.

Hodge · May 2, 2019

Surely there is an adapter available, or make/ modify one.

deerepower74 · May 2, 2019

John Garner said:
The US government did specify 9/32 inch square drive sockets and drivers during WWII; it's commonly thought that the intent was to counter the migratory tendencies of 1/4 inch drive tools.

Interesting, thanks for the feedback. I never would've thought they would do such a thing. My immediate thought was it was airplane related but this makes sense if they specified 9/32" drive tools.

awander · May 2, 2019

I thought of the 9/32" square drive tools as well, but this is larger at .285"

deerepower74 · May 2, 2019

awander said:
I thought of the 9/32" square drive tools as well, but this is larger at .285"

It was a quick measurement with my dial caliper- I could go back clean the surfaces better and double check it again.

true temper · May 2, 2019

I have in my collection of old tools a set of 9/32” snapon sockets. I was told they were from the military.

gatz · Feb 14, 2020

I recently bought a KwikWay Torque Wrench off eBay, and discovered that the drive was not 1/4" square as advertised, but 0.275 (slightly under 9/32)

(It's since been cleaned up...LOL)

I removed the ratcheting head, and using a small punch, knocked the ratchet wheel / drive out. I then milled the square to 0.250

The material wasn't all that hard and a carbide end-mill worked nicely. I didn't mill the side that had the retention ball.

After doing a little googling, I see that many tools were made with 9/32 drive prior to the end of WWII and John Garner's comment makes sense.

Greenwud · Feb 15, 2020

gatz said:
I recently bought a KwikWay Torque Wrench off eBay, and discovered that the drive was not 1/4" square as advertised, but 0.275 (slightly under 9/32)

View attachment 278765 (It's since been cleaned up...LOL)

I removed the ratcheting head, and using a small punch, knocked the ratchet wheel / drive out. I then milled the square to 0.250
View attachment 278764
The material wasn't all that hard and a carbide end-mill worked nicely. I didn't mill the side that had the retention ball.

After doing a little googling, I see that many tools were made with 9/32 drive prior to the end of WWII and John Garner's comment makes sense.

Warren & Brown in Australia made/make a torque wrench with a "9/32" square hole incorporated into the wrench body, and a short double ended adapter to hold 1/4" drive sockets. Certainly the size was commonplace enough at some point for W&B to incorporate it, and the evidence from the Australian WW2 industries again points to aircraft use.

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