Noob torque wrench advice

[mrmistoffelee...]

So wanting to purchase a torque wrench to begin spannering but have 0% knowledge (have got the haynes for my bike)



do i get 1/2 / 3/8 ?

[M.C]

Never needed to use one. Not required unless you're rebuilding an engine/gearbox IMO.

[Monkeywrenche...]

they'll likely cover a different range of torque settings, 3/8 usually goes 10/20 up to 100/110nm while 1/2 goes 30 to 200 or so, a half inch set at it's lowest can be unwieldy compared to a 3/8 set in it's mid range likewise it's easier to do 100nm witha 1/2 than a shorter 3/8.

Tl;Dr get both
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2001 Aprilia RSV Mille R -dead, 2016 XSR 700-gone, 2018 Dorsoduro 900

[Monkeywrenche...]

[Nexus Icon]

3/8" will do 90% of things on a motorcycle but the larger one will do things the things that positively need doing.

Get both.
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[mrmistoffelee...]

Also, speaking of spanner.. I am one, can this be moved to the workshop pls

[M.C]

[Teflon-Mike]

On a motorcycle, IF you need a torque wrench, it will likely be to avoid stripping threads on very LOW TORQUE screws and such in alloy castigs; not as on cars to wack up cylinder head studs to monster torques to keep them from blowing.

As such, MOST useful torque wrench for M/C mechanics will be a LOW RANGE, 0-25Nm sort of region, ad that will likely be on a smaller 1/4 drive rather than larger 3/8 or 1/4".

For the likely use, a 'cheap' £30ish example from Machine mart aught be more than good enough; provided you take care to look after it; and zero the scale after each use before storage; don't use it as a breaker bar and remember its a final setting tool, not a fancy ratchet; so use only for fnal setting after using an ordinary ratchet for doing stuff up 'fingy' tight, or getting old screws out to start with.

Most often, a Torque Wrench should be used only to avoid over tightening on delicate fasteners, or to ensure 'even' tightening across a flange like a primary drive case or such. It doesn't need to be ultra accurate; merely 'consistent' so on a flange all fasteners are within a couple of Nm of each other. So way you use it; stage setting, dong fasteners up around the clock, in sequence, keeping socket square to head, remembering to zero before store, and not use it as GP doey-upey ratcet, just as final setting tool, you dont have to have an ultra expensive one.

I bought a real cheap and nasty (high-range) one, when I was about 18, as didn't have a borrow in a hurry; Twenty years later, I won a rather fancy Teng one, with cal-cert and everything; Did a setting click-off on the pair to see how far off the old cheapo was, and you know what? it was within a couple of ft-lb throughout the range; more than good-enough; just through discipline of zeriong before store, and not using to (too often) as a fancy ratchet breaker bar, rather than a setting gauge!

But, as said, great for dong car cylinder head bolts, or disc brake mounting's; 25-250Nm torque-wrenches really aren't needed very often on a motorcycle; 1/4" drive 5-25Nm low range wench is far ore useful, far more often; ad that £30 Clarke fro Machne mart s an K example; get a couple of rails of 1/4" scokets to go with it, and keep just for the tQ-Wrench; £50 job-jobbed.

Only place you may want a high-range, usually 1/2" drive tQ-Wrench on a bike s stuff like calper bolts; axle bolts may need to be tight, but aren't usually that crtical; generator rotor-bolts, probably better off with an air impact wrech, or you just end up turning the crank; egine mounts? Like axle nuts; not that crtical; and even inside the engine, if you do a tear down, low-range wrench is far more likely to be far more use, come oil pump studs and the like; and even big end caps and cylinder head studs, are likely not that far out of the low-range, if at all.

BUT, discipline in use; payg attension to unts on the scale, and settg ft-lb not Kg-M!!! Zero-before store; NOT using it as a breaker bar; not sng it as a wratchet, savng it for settigs, and payng attension to tightening orders on a flange, and stage settng, doing ALL on a flange to the same settng on the wrench, before changng the setting; that sort of stuff, will make far ore difference than what you buy, whether cheapy or expensive....

But as said, 1/4" low range is likely most useful; 1/2" high-range, may have odd uses. 3/8".. is a neither or, and you'll probably be lucky to find one.
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[chrisdubya]

[kgm]

I have a couple and I find them useful. I mainly use them to prevent over torquing but if I feel it's getting tight enough before it clicks then I'll stop

[notbike]

I have one with low torque specs for stuff like brake calipers, and one for high torque specs like rear axle bolts. Halfords professional wrenches (cause my mates get me it on trade price which is sweeeeeeeet).

Anything for plastics or anything with an aluminium thread that isn't a major component should be hand tight and especially be careful with aluminium threads & steel bolts. I've stripped aluminium threads on my Ninja 300's yoke before by being a fucking idiot and tightening it down with tard strength. The funny thing is, I wasn't even trying to tighten it down too hard, just stop it from vibrating loose. Ended up having to pinch it down with a longer bolt and a nut on the other side.

Since then, I've learned that blue loctite helps when you need something a bit tighter than hand tight without actually having to tighten it down so hard. You can also use red if its meant to be stuck on there harder, which usually needs bigger tools to take it off again like a breaker bar.

For everything else, just put the numbers in properly as per your bike's owners manual and you'll have no problems, the engineers didn't put those numbers in there to fill up the word count.

Also couple other things, don't confuse Ft/lbs with Nm or you'll fuck something up, don't use the torque wrench as a breaker bar (to undo bolts), and remember to set the torque back to 0 when you're done or over time you can throw the calibration off and it'll be inaccurate and your wheel will come off and you will crash and get pregnant and die.

[Bru]

Hello.

For what it is worth, I recommend a 3/8-drive torque wrench like the one I bought from Halfords: 8 - 60 Nm. About 95% of the jobs I have done, required only that.

Certainly, it is valuable for M6 casing bolts (8 - 10 Nm), which are very easy to strip. The number I have had to helicoil (OK, just three) were all M6 bolts.

Also good for hydraulic 'banjo' bolts, as the sealing depends on the minimum force for consistent tightening (especially as replacement brake-hose kits seem to be stocked with very short bolts, which lose a couple of turns).

As mentioned earlier - the torque values are designed for good reason.

[M.C]

[TheSmiler]

I've been using a torque wrench more and more recently it's handy on the k100 as there is a lot of aluminium on the bike. These threads can easily be stripped I know I've done it and had to helicoil. The 3/8ths came in more use when doing most of the bolts.

If you can afford it get both if not get the 3/8ths then the 1/2 for any larger bolts.
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[1198]

Brake caliper bolts. Axle pinch bolts. Yoke pinch bolts. Banjo nuts. Sump plugs. Axles themselves. Sprocket mounting bolts (Front and rear). Just a few of my more recent uses for torque wrenches. I'd rate them as pretty much as essential as a tyre pressure gauge....

[andym]

[Valerian95]

[sickpup]

[chris-red]

[colink98]

everyone ever with a torque wrench (including me).
Always gives it a little nip after the wrench pops.
which is of course comical.
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Ride it like you stole it.
ride sensible and not like an idiot and you wont get 6 points in one week.

[sickpup]