Where to get an inexpensive Torque Wrench?



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Me

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I've decided to take the plunge and buy a torque wrench specifically for my bike repairs. Questions:

From Shimano's guides I notice that recommend Torque settings run range from 5nm (44 in/lbs) for a
band on front mech clamp to 50-70nm (435-800 in/lbs) for a Bottom Bracket.

Is it possible to buy one Torque Wrench that is calibrated for such a range? Or do I need
to buy two?

Should I get 3/8" drive or 1/2" or does it matter?

Where in the UK sells an inexpensive but good one?

Wheres a good place to buy the socet adapters that convert from sockets to say an 8mm (or 4,5,6mm)
allen key?

Thanks for the info!

cheers,
 
"Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I've decided to take the plunge and buy a torque wrench specifically for
my
> bike repairs. Questions:
>
> From Shimano's guides I notice that recommend Torque settings run range
from
> 5nm (44 in/lbs) for a band on front mech clamp to 50-70nm (435-800 in/lbs) for a Bottom Bracket.
>
> Is it possible to buy one Torque Wrench that is calibrated for such a
range?
> Or do I need to buy two?
>

One would be sufficient but you might not find one going down as low as 5nm - I have one that goes
from 10-70nm. I wouldn't worry too much about going down to 5.

> Should I get 3/8" drive or 1/2" or does it matter?

Doesn't matter, depends what sockets you've got already perhaps, you can always get adapters to
convert between them.

>
> Where in the UK sells an inexpensive but good one?
>

I got mine from Brick Lane (don't laugh!) It's actually a reasonably good tool!

> Wheres a good place to buy the socet adapters that convert from sockets to say an 8mm (or 4,5,6mm)
> allen key?
>

There's no need of any special adapter, an ordinary socket of the right size will do - 8mm I
think(?) for the standard allen key bits that fit electric screwdrivers.

Rich
 
"Richard Goodman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> > Wheres a good place to buy the socet adapters that convert from sockets
to
> > say an 8mm (or 4,5,6mm) allen key?
> >
>
> There's no need of any special adapter, an ordinary socket of the right
size
> will do - 8mm I think(?) for the standard allen key bits that fit electric screwdrivers.

The standard 1/4" (6 sided) bits work best in a socket with a little springy bit to hold them - if
you use a plain socket they fall out in an annoying fashion.

I found the standard halfords 1/4" socket set very useful for all sorts of small things (ok, mostly
on cars, and I actually mostly use the draper professional one I got, but the wife's halfords one
was pretty much as good and easier to find), and it should have one of these sockets. I then got a
rack of allen key bits from a decent hardware shop (mackays in cambridge) -
1.5 to 6mm. 8mm was harder - I got an individual 1/2" socket for that one. (I've got a 1/2" torque
wrench for car stuff. Much too big for almost anything on the bike).

Doesn't help attach to a torque wrench though! you would need adapters of various sorts.

cheers, clive
 
Richard Goodman <[email protected]> wrote:

: One would be sufficient but you might not find one going down as low as 5nm - I have one that goes
: from 10-70nm. I wouldn't worry too much about going down to 5.

I might. Things like stems are in the 6-10 range. My stem (ITM millenium) says 6-8nm.

If you have a superlight Mag stem + carbon bars then you'll need the lower numbers or you can easily
crush things.

Personally, I just go with "that feels about right" and no carbon bars :)

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester
 
Aldi and/or Lidl had one recently; it's still at home, so I'll check the range this evening ...

Philip Taylor
--------
Me wrote:
>
> I've decided to take the plunge and buy a torque wrench specifically for my bike repairs.
> Questions:
>
> From Shimano's guides I notice that recommend Torque settings run range from 5nm (44 in/lbs) for a
> band on front mech clamp to 50-70nm (435-800 in/lbs) for a Bottom Bracket.
>
> Is it possible to buy one Torque Wrench that is calibrated for such a range? Or do I need to
> buy two?
>
> Should I get 3/8" drive or 1/2" or does it matter?
>
> Where in the UK sells an inexpensive but good one?
>
> Wheres a good place to buy the socet adapters that convert from sockets to say an 8mm (or 4,5,6mm)
> allen key?
>
> Thanks for the info!
>
> cheers,
 
> I might. Things like stems are in the 6-10 range. My stem (ITM millenium) says 6-8nm.
I hate to be pedantic ["no you don't" - Mrs McDonald] but nm is nano-meters (1000 of them in a mm)
Nm is what you want.

Sorry folks!

Robert
 
"Robert McDonald" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > I might. Things like stems are in the 6-10 range. My stem (ITM
millenium)
> > says 6-8nm.
> I hate to be pedantic ["no you don't" - Mrs McDonald] but nm is nano-meters (1000 of them in a mm)
> Nm is what you want.

I hate to be pedantic but there are 1000000 of the little blighters in a mm and 1000 in a
micrometer.

nano = 10^-9
 
Tony W wrote:
> "Robert McDonald" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>>I might. Things like stems are in the 6-10 range. My stem (ITM
>>
> millenium)
>
>>>says 6-8nm.
>>
>>I hate to be pedantic ["no you don't" - Mrs McDonald] but nm is nano-meters (1000 of them in a mm)
>>Nm is what you want.
>
>
>
> I hate to be pedantic but there are 1000000 of the little blighters in a mm and 1000 in a
> micrometer.
>
> nano = 10^-9

I hate to be pedantic, but aren't there some commas missing (or a separator of your choice should
you be of a different nationality) from those large numbers?

--
Jim Price

http://www.jimprice.dsl.pipex.com

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

Aye!.
 
On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 15:56:17 +0100, Jim Price <[email protected]> wrote:

>>>I hate to be pedantic
>> I hate to be pedantic
>I hate to be pedantic,

Could I just go on record at this point as saying that actually I rather enjoy being pedantic...

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com Advance
notice: ADSL service in process of transfer to a new ISP. Obviously there will be a week of downtime
between the engineer removing the BT service and the same engineer connecting the same equipment on
the same line in the same exchange and billing it to the new ISP.
 
There is not really much point going for a cheap torque wrench - unless it is accurately calibrated
(to BS2689/94 - I think +/- 4% of adjusted torque) it will not give you accurately tightened fixings
thus rather defeating the object.

If you find a wrench within your price range check that it meets this standard as well as having a
test certificate.

"Philip TAYLOR [PC87S-O/XP]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Aldi and/or Lidl had one recently; it's still at home, so I'll check the range this evening ...
>
> Philip Taylor
> --------
> Me wrote:
> >
> > I've decided to take the plunge and buy a torque wrench specifically for
my
> > bike repairs. Questions:
> >
> > From Shimano's guides I notice that recommend Torque settings run range
from
> > 5nm (44 in/lbs) for a band on front mech clamp to 50-70nm (435-800
in/lbs)
> > for a Bottom Bracket.
> >
> > Is it possible to buy one Torque Wrench that is calibrated for such a
range?
> > Or do I need to buy two?
> >
> > Should I get 3/8" drive or 1/2" or does it matter?
> >
> > Where in the UK sells an inexpensive but good one?
> >
> > Wheres a good place to buy the socet adapters that convert from sockets
to
> > say an 8mm (or 4,5,6mm) allen key?
> >
> > Thanks for the info!
> >
> > cheers,
 
"Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I've decided to take the plunge and buy a torque wrench specifically for
my
> bike repairs. Questions:
>
> From Shimano's guides I notice that recommend Torque settings run range
from
> 5nm (44 in/lbs) for a band on front mech clamp to 50-70nm (435-800 in/lbs) for a Bottom Bracket.
>
> Is it possible to buy one Torque Wrench that is calibrated for such a
range?
> Or do I need to buy two?
>
I very much doubt if you'd get one wrench to cover both ranges eg Britool do a 5-33Nm and a 12-68Nm
(have a look at radio spares site rswww.com - perhaps not the cheapest to buy). There may be some
merit for doing up bearings to the right torque - though I've always just used feel, but something
like a gear-clamp just wants doing up tight (ish). Not sure if your bottom bracket job is
pre-loading a bearing, or just screwing it together. Come to think of it, for doing up bearings,
mostly you couldn't use a torque wrench anyway as you have to use thin cone spanners or pin
spanners. Unless new bikes are different.

If you still really want one, you could get a decent 3/8" drive Britool on ebay for £30-40 or new
for £70+VAT. The £5 bendy bar type wouldn't be much use for the low torques you are talking about,
if indeed it's of much use at all. 1/2" drive ones are usually higher torque figures.

Usual warning that although I've mended my bike (and car) I'm no expert and don't know if modern
bikes are different.

PS - I have a 3/4 drive high quality ex-MOD wrench which goes up to 600lbf if anyone's interested.
It's a bit big though - I bought it by mistake on ebay.

Hywel
 
"Will Plummer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> There is not really much point going for a cheap torque wrench - unless it is accurately
> calibrated (to BS2689/94 - I think +/- 4% of adjusted
torque)
> it will not give you accurately tightened fixings thus rather defeating
the
> object.

It'll be good enough to get things to far far better than more or less right.

I only bought one for doing a head gaskett, and as long as all the bolts are similarly wrong
you're OK!

Answer to question: First one from "Auchan" (ie french supermarket) [stolen] Second one from
somewhere like Argos.
 
"Arthur Clune" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Richard Goodman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> : One would be sufficient but you might not find one going down as low as 5nm - I have one that
> : goes from 10-70nm. I wouldn't worry too much
about
> : going down to 5.
>
> I might. Things like stems are in the 6-10 range. My stem (ITM millenium) says 6-8nm.
>

I just meant that in the "inexpensive" category you'd be unlikely to find a wrench that covered 5 -
70Nm. If a wrench starts at 10Nm you can get a feel for what 10Nm of tightness feels like, which is
bugger all, and if you need 5Nm just do it up to half of bugger all ;-)

Rich
 
On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 21:37:39 +0000 (UTC), "W K" <[email protected]> wrote:

[torque wrench]

>I only bought one for doing a head gaskett

Same here - also used it on gearboxes and such. I still have it, but never use it on the bikes; I
prefer to use a spanner the right length for the bolt size and feel the threads go up tight.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com Advance
notice: ADSL service in process of transfer to a new ISP. Obviously there will be a week of downtime
between the engineer removing the BT service and the same engineer connecting the same equipment on
the same line in the same exchange and billing it to the new ISP.
 
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 21:37:39 +0000 (UTC), "W K" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> [torque wrench]
>
>
>>I only bought one for doing a head gaskett
>
>
> Same here

Ditto, but I had a TR7 for 18 months, so its a bit worn out now.

--
Jim Price

http://www.jimprice.dsl.pipex.com

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

Aye!.
 
On 19 Jun 2003 09:47:13 GMT, "Arthur Clune" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Personally, I just go with "that feels about right" and no carbon bars :)
>

Do it up till the bolt shears then back it off a quarter turn.

Tim
--
I understand very little of what's being discussed but for some reason it's fascinating.

(Jon Thompson, urs)
 
On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 22:53:08 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know? <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 21:37:39 +0000 (UTC), "W K" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> [torque wrench]
>
>>I only bought one for doing a head gaskett
>
> Same here - also used it on gearboxes and such. I still have it, but never use it on the bikes; I
> prefer to use a spanner the right length for the bolt size and feel the threads go up tight.
>
I use one for doing up the cassette lockring because the serrations make it impossible (for me) to
tell whether it is tight or still needs a bit more.

It's also an easy fastening to do with a torque wrench.

Regards,

Tim.

--
God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = - @B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t," and there was light.

http://tjw.hn.org/ http://www.locofungus.btinternet.co.uk/
 
Tim Woodall <[email protected]> wrote:
:>
: I use one for doing up the cassette lockring because the serrations make it impossible (for me) to
: tell whether it is tight or still needs a bit more.

This is one I find very easy. The correct torque is achieved with a 12" adjustable and a good hard
shove or two :)

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester
 
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