Torque Wrench

[raleighnut]

What I am getting at is whether the torque settings, that you believe that you know how to accurately reproduce, are anything like the low torque required for most bicycle components.

No generally the torque figures for critical bolts was far higher but things like rocker boxes and engine casings were fitted using similar sized bolts to bike components and I was taking those off and refitting them on a regular basis. The Garage wouldn't have continued to employ me if I stripped threads or snapped bolts.
As I posted earlier though on a Carbon Fibre component then a torque wrench may be needed but how accurate are these cheap ones, I know for a fact that the professional ones I used were several hundred pounds back in the late 70s.

I would not advise somebody I did not know to not use a torque wrench, they maybe totally ham fisted for all I know. I tested a guy once who said he could torque a wheel nut up without the wrench, miles out, way overtightened on one side of the car and too loose on the other.

A good point, 1 common fault I've come across with Ally wheels on SAAB's is tyre fitters just 'gunning' the wheelnuts up far too tight which leads to the studs snapping. A theory is that the heat from the brake discs causes the Aluminium to expand and that snaps the stud but I've certainly seen cars with one or two wheelnuts and studs missing when down at my mates workshop. Their policy when this occurs is to change the whole set of 5 each side. (Mind you Jason has one of those fancy electric torque guns (Snap On/Bluepoint) for re-fitting wheels)

 

[Drago]

I'm very anal (surely not?!) and insist my wheels are torqued by hand progressively to the correct setting. Tyre fitters hate me.

 

[raleighnut]

I'm very anal (surely not?!) and insist my wheels are torqued by hand progressively to the correct setting. Tyre fitters hate me.

The problem with SAAB's got so bad that Jason purchased a tyre fitting machine and dynamic balancer and carries stock of tyres, only in the sizes that fit them (obviously he can order in other sizes but doesn't keep em in stock) all the regular customers know this and try not to let anyone else take the wheels off their cars.

He's also probably cheaper as tyre fitting isn't his only form of income, the Garage is quite profitable.

 

[Crankarm]

I'm very anal (surely not?!) and insist my wheels are torqued by hand progressively to the correct setting. Tyre fitters hate me.

I should imagine they do if you insist they torque up your nuts ........... by hand.

 

[mjr]

No generally the torque figures for critical bolts was far higher but things like rocker boxes and engine casings were fitted using similar sized bolts to bike components and I was taking those off and refitting them on a regular basis. The Garage wouldn't have continued to employ me if I stripped threads or snapped bolts.
As I posted earlier though on a Carbon Fibre component then a torque wrench may be needed but how accurate are these cheap ones, I know for a fact that the professional ones I used were several hundred pounds back in the late 70s.


A good point, 1 common fault I've come across with Ally wheels on SAAB's is tyre fitters just 'gunning' the wheelnuts up far too tight which leads to the studs snapping. A theory is that the heat from the brake discs causes the Aluminium to expand and that snaps the stud but I've certainly seen cars with one or two wheelnuts and studs missing when down at my mates workshop. Their policy when this occurs is to change the whole set of 5 each side. (Mind you Jason has one of those fancy electric torque guns (Snap On/Bluepoint) for re-fitting wheels)

Well, I would expect a fancy electric torque gun to cost much more than a simple beam wrench, but it doesn't mean the simple one's inaccurate.

 

[Andy_R]

I should imagine they do if you insist they torque up your nuts ........... by hand.

With a wolf skin glove..

 

[PpPete]

[QUOTE 5094557, member: 43827"]I've built and worked on my own bikes for years without using a torque wrench and never had any trouble. But I started servicing a couple of friends' carbon bikes and didn't want to take the chance that I might be more ham-fisted than I realise.
Steel and alloy are more forgiving.[/QUOTE]
I stripped alloy threads before now....

But working on more carbon these days it was past time I got equipped.
Happily Santa was very clever and bought me one of these https://www.decathlon.co.uk/manual-torque-wrench-set-id_8358537.html which was spot-on for the replacement of a carbon fork I undertook today.