How important is torque?

[Hydra]

My lovely bicycle has gotten a bit ill recently, developing a creak on each right-hand crank rotation. I have the day off tomorrow, so I'm going to tend to it and see what could be the cause. My money's on the front mudguard, but there's still the chance that it's the crank(set)/bottom bracket.

If it is, I'm going to have to remove and reinstall the crank/set/bb. I'm aware that there's a specific torque setting that the crankset requires to be tightened to. My question is... is this important? Obviously I don't want to be under-tightening it, but will simply tightening it 'til it feels 'tight' be satisfactory?

 

[totallyfixed]

It's important and if you do your own mechanics worth investing in a set, got mine from Aldi years ago and it's one of my best buys ever. Would advise you check your pedals and cleats first though.

 

[wheres_my_beard]

It's important and if you do your own mechanics worth investing in a set, got mine from Aldi years ago and it's one of my best buys ever. Would advise you check your pedals and cleats first though.

+1 for all that.

Check the simple stuff first. Also check that the crank is on tight enough (this probably isn't the problem tho as you haven't described wobbliness in the right pedal/ crank arm).

 

[Hydra]

Well I've isolated the noise to the pedal/s. Swapped them over for my old toe-clips and the creak has disappeared, so no need to remove the cranks.

However, I think it's probably time to invest in a torque wrench... I think it will be worth it. I've no idea what I'm looking for though.

There's this Park Tool TW2, which seems fairly good. The range of 0-600 seems ideal for an all-rounder (from handlebars and stems to cranks etc).

Any opinions/suggestions?

 

[arallsopp]

How important is torque?

Well, good luck riding without it
(sorry, couldn't resist).

I've had a torque wrench on my 'buy list' for a while now. With the advent of carbon steerers, frames and bars, the routine clamping of things suddenly becomes a little scary without one. Thus far, I've always got away with doing it by feel, but I know I'm on borrowed time. Problem is, if I get one I'd want a decent one (else what's the point?) and if I get a decent one I've got to be prepared to get it calibrated reasonably regularly (this from a guy that did 5k miles before wiping the chain with a rag).

In all honesty, I can't see me buying one. Which is daft, 'cos I clearly need one too

 

[numbnuts]

BT says "it's good to torque"

 

[twozeronine]

I recently got myself a couple of torque wrenches after trying to find out what I need. As was pointed out to me, you mainly pay for the name when buying Park tools. If you want something decent and don't want to pay through the nose for one, have a look here:

http://www.pvrdirect...Torque+Wrenches

I got a 1/2" and a 3/8" wrench. I haven't got a socket set for them yet, so haven't had a chance to use them, but they seem well made. They come with a calibration certificate too.

 

[MacB]

How important is torque?

Well, good luck riding without it
(sorry, couldn't resist).

I've had a torque wrench on my 'buy list' for a while now. With the advent of carbon steerers, frames and bars, the routine clamping of things suddenly becomes a little scary without one. Thus far, I've always got away with doing it by feel, but I know I'm on borrowed time. Problem is, if I get one I'd want a decent one (else what's the point?) and if I get a decent one I've got to be prepared to get it calibrated reasonably regularly (this from a guy that did 5k miles before wiping the chain with a rag).

In all honesty, I can't see me buying one. Which is daft, 'cos I clearly need one too

If you're going carbon then fair enough but I'm still unsure otherwise, like you it's been on my shopping list but no point unless getting something decent and getting regular calibration. I do wonder how many torque wrench buyers then go on to get it calibrated at all, let alone regularly.

Interestingly I was chatting to my 'old school' LBS mechanic the other day and he's just recently started using one. He's found that the big stuff he tended to be right on anyway but the little bits he reckons the torque wrench does them tighter than he ever would. He has to use it now for warranty purposes etc but saw no point in me buying one.

The other danger to watch for is relying on the wrench and ignoring feel.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

He's found that the big stuff he tended to be right on anyway but the little bits he reckons the torque wrench does them tighter than he ever would.

Too True! There's also lots of bits on bikes that need a special tool to fit, and there's no way you can use a torque wrench with these.

Buy one of those 'clicky' allen keys for the stem bolts if you must (and you have carbon bars/steerer tube), but apart from that, learn to work out what the torque really means:

Use some simple arithmetic to convert Newton-Metres into the more easily 'visualised' kilograms per 200mm which is the 'weight' you 'apply' to the end of a typical 200mm long spanner (or use kilograms per 150mm for allen keys). That way you'll know whether to apply the weight of a few sheets of paper, a bag of sugar or a sack of coal on the end of the spanner. It's because few can naturally 'visualise' Newton-Metres that people feel they must have a torque wrench, whereas in the days of foot-pounds, guessing at least got you in the right ball park.

 

[al-fresco]

Am I the only one who read this as "how important is tongue"?

 

[wheres_my_beard]

Tongue is probably at least as important as torque.

Whatever it takes to get your nuts tight.

 

[Smokin Joe]

but the little bits he reckons the torque wrench does them tighter than he ever would. He has to use it now for warranty purposes etc but saw no point in me buying one.

That's exactly what I found. After undoing a seatpost clamp I'd torqued up to 5nm I found I'd never done one that tight with just an Allen key.

 

[Zoiders]

It's a very touchy feely subject.

If you feel it's going to make you able to do jobs you did not feel comfortable before with then buy one. I don't think you need one for every task though and as has been said the values used can be pretty arbitrary between manufacturers and pretty pointless anyway if you don't know if your torque spanner (not the filthy americanism) is correctly preloaded in the first place to give consistant results.

As McB said up thread there is the danger of the torque driver becoming a security blanket for the less mechanicaly able who should perhaps on occasion seek help elsewhere instead.

 

[Hydra]

Thanks for the advice chaps. I'll just go by feel methinks, my other bike hasn't complained yet so I can't be doing much wrong. I guess if I had carbon bits I'd have to be more concerned.

Unfortunately that bloody creak has reappeared, ruling out the pedals, so the cranks may well have to come off. My lovely (now-not-so) new bike needs an operation

 

[Hydra]

Tongue is probably at least as important as torque.

Whatever it takes to get your nuts tight.