Torque wrench recommendations

Hi, I'm a keen cyclist but very much the beginner in terms of maintainence.
However I'm starting to get into bike maintainance and am looking for a
suitable torque wrench. I've been told that cheap torque wrenches got wildly
out of calibration quickly and are unreliable at the ends of their range and
that beam type ones aren't really that good.

I currently have a cheap Draper unit (10-80Nm) that only torques right hand
threads and am unsure how this leaves me doing bottom brackets.

Could anyone recommend a useable wrench. I'm ok doing small fasteners by
hand but want something reliable for crank arms and BBs, cheap if possible
but not too cheap so as to be unreliable.

I've heard ok things about Halfords Pro and Norbar, I don't know where my 30
quid Draper fits in.

Thanks for any thoughts,
Paul - definately and mechanical newbie!

On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 22:10:39 +0000 (UTC), "Paul Davis"
wrote in message
:

Could anyone recommend a useable wrench.

The only torque wrench any cyclist will ever need:
url:http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tork-grip.html

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Paul Davis wrote:
Hi, I'm a keen cyclist but very much the beginner in terms of maintainence.
However I'm starting to get into bike maintainance and am looking for a
suitable torque wrench. I've been told that cheap torque wrenches got wildly
out of calibration quickly and are unreliable at the ends of their range and
that beam type ones aren't really that good.

I currently have a cheap Draper unit (10-80Nm) that only torques right hand
threads and am unsure how this leaves me doing bottom brackets.

Could anyone recommend a useable wrench. I'm ok doing small fasteners by
hand but want something reliable for crank arms and BBs, cheap if possible
but not too cheap so as to be unreliable.

I've heard ok things about Halfords Pro and Norbar, I don't know where my 30
quid Draper fits in.

Thanks for any thoughts,
Paul - definately and mechanical newbie!



It's a 3T problem, there are 3 levels of torque:

T = Tight.
FT = F***ing Tight.
VFT = Very F***ing Tight.

Remember, don't force it use a bigger hammer.

Paul Davis wrote:

Hi, I'm a keen cyclist but very much the beginner in terms of
maintainence. However I'm starting to get into bike maintainance and am
looking for a suitable torque wrench. I've been told that cheap torque
wrenches got wildly out of calibration quickly and are unreliable at the
ends of their range and that beam type ones aren't really that good.

I currently have a cheap Draper unit (10-80Nm) that only torques right
hand threads and am unsure how this leaves me doing bottom brackets.

Could anyone recommend a useable wrench. I'm ok doing small fasteners by
hand but want something reliable for crank arms and BBs, cheap if possible
but not too cheap so as to be unreliable.

I've heard ok things about Halfords Pro and Norbar, I don't know where my
30 quid Draper fits in.

Thanks for any thoughts,
Paul - definately and mechanical newbie!

I don't think you need one for BBs or pedals or other backwards-threads.
Just tighten them till they're moderately tight, and they won't come loose
because the pedalling action works against this. Or such is my experience -
this is why these threads are made backwards.

Unlike the other posters, I wouldn't mind a torque wrench for some jobs like
tightening steerers (get it too tight, and the fork can split; too
loose...) and I've stripped a few 4 mil bolt in the past (and always felt
so stupid after). But all these are RHTs - and I don't think they're
super-precision jobs. How inaccurate do cheap torque-wrenches get?

Paul Davis wrote:
Hi, I'm a keen cyclist ... [edit]
Could anyone recommend a useable wrench. I'm ok doing small fasteners by
hand but want something reliable for crank arms and BBs, cheap if
possible but not too cheap so as to be unreliable.
I've heard ok things about Halfords Pro and Norbar, I don't know where
my 30 quid Draper fits in.
Thanks for any thoughts, Paul - definately and mechanical newbie!


Have a look at this site

http://www.handytools.co.u

You can compare various manufacturer's specs and prices. Personally I'
opt for a Britool - at least you know it's going to last and not g
haywire on you


-

On Tue, 06 Apr 2004 23:24:19 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
)
wrote:

On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 22:10:39 +0000 (UTC), "Paul Davis"
wrote in message
:

Could anyone recommend a useable wrench.

IRTA " re-usable wench".

The only torque wrench any cyclist will ever need:
url:http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tork-grip.html

I've got a set of torque-limiting screwdrivers. Available for 99p for
two dozen at your local car-boot sale.

--
Matt K
Dunedin, NZ

anonymous coward wrote:
I don't think you need one for BBs or pedals or other
backwards-threads. Just tighten them till they're moderately tight,
and they won't come loose because the pedalling action works against
this. Or such is my experience - this is why these threads are made
backwards.

I tend to agree but they can still come loose sometimes.

Cartridge BBs can often bind if done up very tight, so that often limits
you before any worry about thread/frame damage. This is less of an issue
if shell has been faced properly (so faces are parallel).

Unlike the other posters, I wouldn't mind a torque wrench for some
jobs like tightening steerers (get it too tight, and the fork can
split; too loose...

And what? The stem would just twist round rather than come off if the
bolts were a little too loose. Tight enough to stop twisting should be
sufficient - that's moderately tight with an ordinary allen key.

I have stripped these threads myself but that was before I realised the
above. I was using nearly my full hand strength on an allen key. Nothing
like that is necessary.

A torque wrench is good for cranks.

~PB

Paul Davis wrote:

I currently have a cheap Draper unit (10-80Nm) that only torques
right hand threads

Are you sure the bit can't be pushed through to the other side of the
tool?

I can't recommend a particular model but a good supplier of Draper tools
is:

http://www.justoffbase-tools.co.uk/t...sp?parent=1423

~PB

The only torque wrench any cyclist will ever need:
url:http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tork-grip.html

See http://tinyurl.com/yrxba for Sheldon "Torque Wrench? I Don' Need No
Steenkin' Torque Wrench!" Brown's more serious thoughts on TRs, including:

"A torque wrench is an automotive tool, quite un-necessary for bicycle
work. While I'm not much of a car mechanic, my understanding is that the
major application for torque wrenches is to provide even tightening of
cylinder heads and other covers that rely on deformable gaskets for
sealing.
Providing even torque on all of the fasteners helps prevent deforming the
head
and provides even compression of the gasket. There is no similar
application
on a bicycle."

~PB

We had this issue raised in u.r.c fairly recently, if you want to read
the previous thread it can be found he

http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z161246F7

I recommended Norbar wrenches and I'll do so again now. They are
excellent quality tools and good value to boot, about 50 quid will buy
you just what you need, which is probably a Norbar SL1.

I use torque tools constantly at work, and I'd choose Norbar over
Halfords everytime. In fact, I prefer Norbar wrenches to the (much
more expensive) Snap On ones I currently have.


On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 22:10:39 +0000 (UTC), "Paul Davis"
wrote:

Hi, I'm a keen cyclist but very much the beginner in terms of maintainence.
However I'm starting to get into bike maintainance and am looking for a
suitable torque wrench. I've been told that cheap torque wrenches got wildly
out of calibration quickly and are unreliable at the ends of their range and
that beam type ones aren't really that good.

I currently have a cheap Draper unit (10-80Nm) that only torques right hand
threads and am unsure how this leaves me doing bottom brackets.

Could anyone recommend a useable wrench. I'm ok doing small fasteners by
hand but want something reliable for crank arms and BBs, cheap if possible
but not too cheap so as to be unreliable.

I've heard ok things about Halfords Pro and Norbar, I don't know where my 30
quid Draper fits in.

Thanks for any thoughts,
Paul - definately and mechanical newbie!


--

"Bob"

'The people have spoken, the *******s'

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