# Most common Torque Value - To buy an adjustable torque wrench or individual tool???



## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

So been thinking about this for a while and debating on just getting a full blown adjustable torque wrench (at about $45+) or not. I see there are lot of different brands that offer the small handheld single torque wrenches for about $15-$20 and wondering if I would be better off with that...

So
This.. at $20ish
vs.
Something like this.. at $45ish


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

For 10 foot pounds and under I haven't busted out a torque wrench in over 25 years. Snug is snug. My money would be on the adjustable torque wrench as it's more versatile and it's harder to gauge higher torque values by "feel".


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## frdfandc (Sep 5, 2007)

Look into the Ritchey Logic Torque Keys. Preset at 4 and 5 nm.

If you are doing crank installations, then look into an adjustable torque wrench.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

if you have suspension pivots those can go up to 20 or so nm

but in general [24nm / 17 foot lbs] is gonna do all your bike parts.

most parts are 5-15nm except old school 4 taper crank arms (25-27 foot lbs) and the lockring on a cassette which is just 'gutentite'


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## SqueakyWheel73 (Sep 21, 2018)

gregnash said:


> So been thinking about this for a while and debating on just getting a full blown adjustable torque wrench (at about $45+) or not. I see there are lot of different brands that offer the small handheld single torque wrenches for about $15-$20 and wondering if I would be better off with that...
> 
> So
> This.. at $20ish
> ...


Unless you are buying a set of the fixed torque wrenches, or have a very specific purpose in mind, the first one you listed probably doesn't get you very far. I'd go with the adjustable one personally. I own an older Craftsman torque wrench with a range similar to the Venzo you shared and I like it a lot. I would really like to supplement it with one f these for lower torque fastners:

https://www.amazon.com/Products-Tor...id=1553877386&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-8-catcorr


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

Are you a torque everything kind of person? 

I'm definitely not. I would get a 5nm torqkey for carbon bars and posts, and thats it. 

Honestly, I trust my hand to get it right more than I trust a low end torque wrench at the bottom of its range. Way too many threads over the years where people destroy their really nice bar/stem/seat from a out of spec torque wrench. A tiny little 2 inch long bit driver gives you an enormous amount of tactile feedback when tightening tiny fasteners. A 12 inch long torque wrench, you cant feel the difference between 2nm and 15. By then its too late.


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## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

So to answer a few questions....
1. yes this will be for all aspects of installation (I do most of my own mechanic work) and this will be for a full squish bike
2. Since this is for a full squish and I intend on doing everything from bearing replacements to crank installation (dub crankset) torque values will vary
3. I had a super cheap (harborfraud) adjustable but just dont trust it
4. This really is one of those last "specialized" tools that I need (this, chain checker, derailleur alignment tool) to really round out my full mechanics bin.

So it sounds like going with the fully adjustable is what I need. I have my big click style torque wrench for work on my Land Cruiser, this would just compliment for those smaller jobs on things that go below its 15ft/lbs minimum measurement.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

frdfandc said:


> Look into the Ritchey Logic Torque Keys. Preset at 4 and 5 nm.
> 
> If you are doing crank installations, then look into an adjustable torque wrench.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


This is my setup. 5Nm torque key for cockpit bits (also don't want to over-tighten seatpost clamps on droppers). And a larger one (I have a beam style) for crank bolts and whatnot.



127.0.0.1 said:


> if you have suspension pivots those can go up to 20 or so nm
> 
> but in general [24nm / 17 foot lbs] is gonna do all your bike parts.
> 
> most parts are 5-15nm except old school 4 taper crank arms (25-27 foot lbs) and the lockring on a cassette which is just 'gutentite'


Not just old school square taper cranks. Race Face cranks require 50Nm. Others are less. But still. Cranks and pivot bearings are mostly all of what I torque for the tightness values. I torque stem bolts (especially face plates) more to ensure consistency in tightness than the absolute torque values. And seat clamp bolts on droppers (or carbon, but I don't have any carbon seatposts).



gregnash said:


> So to answer a few questions....
> 1. yes this will be for all aspects of installation (I do most of my own mechanic work) and this will be for a full squish bike
> 2. Since this is for a full squish and I intend on doing everything from bearing replacements to crank installation (dub crankset) torque values will vary
> 3. I had a super cheap (harborfraud) adjustable but just dont trust it
> ...


The vast majority of torque specs for bike stuff is listed in Nm (some also provide a in-lbs or ft-lbs torque value). My automotive torque wrench doesn't illustrate that scale, so to avoid doing conversions all the time, I just got a torque wrench specifically for bike stuff.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

One Pivot said:


> Honestly, I trust my hand to get it right more than I trust a low end torque wrench at the bottom of its range. Way too many threads over the years where people destroy their really nice bar/stem/seat from a out of spec torque wrench. A tiny little 2 inch long bit driver gives you an enormous amount of tactile feedback when tightening tiny fasteners. A 12 inch long torque wrench, you cant feel the difference between 2nm and 15. By then its too late.


Ditto that x100.
Or the guy that rides around with a loose main pivot bolt.

Me-"Dude your pivot is loose and chewing up the carbon"

buddy-"I know. It keeps coming loose even though I torqued it like 100 times."

me- scratches head and grimaces

For low torque values developing a feel should be right up there with understanding your torque wrench and what exactly it's fastening.


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## Cleaner (Mar 23, 2004)

For lower torques this is quite useful. I use this on the bikes more than any other torque tool. I have 1/4" and 3/8" drive clicker type CDI wrenches for higher torques. Note that Amazon is not the lowest cost place to get this.

http://https://www.amazon.com/Products-TorqControl-TLA28NM-Screwdriver-Magnetic/dp/B01DIRD5CG


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## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

Cleaner said:


> For lower torques this is quite useful. I use this on the bikes more than any other torque tool. I have 1/4" and 3/8" drive clicker type CDI wrenches for higher torques. Note that Amazon is not the lowest cost place to get this.
> 
> http://https://www.amazon.com/Products-TorqControl-TLA28NM-Screwdriver-Magnetic/dp/B01DIRD5CG


yeah I had seen that one before and that was part of the reason why I was wondering if there was a more common value. ParkTool has one of these as well and I think i remember seeing Pro Bike does as well.

Most "practical" purchase would be to just get the full blown torque wrench and call it good.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

I have had some experience with catastrophic aerospace failures. For B-nuts and other components with specific torque values that are determined to be the effective the cause of failure, the mechanic’s answer always is: “I have been doing this all my life. I don’t need a torque wrench to tell me what I already know.” An incorrect torque value has almost invariably been found to have been the ultimate cause of failure. 

I use a decent torque wrench for everything on my bike. It takes an extra 10 seconds. Why not? 

The fixed torque tools are nice and what I would own if it was my livelihood. It’s not so what I own are 2 adjustable ones. One is more portable than the other.


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

Aerospace torque tools are crazy tightly controlled. You don't have those guys trying to torque m5 bolts with a $30 5-100nm wrench either.

I'm just saying I've seen way way too many people break their bike trying to do the right thing with a wrong tool. 

I wouldn't be looking at anything without a calibration report and a reputation for maintaining its calibration. Or buy a torqkey.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

mtnbkrmike said:


> I have had some experience with catastrophic aerospace failures. ...


Me too. I was sitting in a Cessna 206 at ~6000' AGL when about 1' of one the prop blades broke off causing a ton of vibration. A lot of smoke too due to the turbo charger breaking off off the manifolds and spewing oil. I abandoned ship.

Another time I was flying over the Rockies in a C185 at about 14,000' when I heard a huge bang and nearly crapped my pants. It turned out to be a bag of potato chips exploding.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

Lone Rager said:


> Me too. I was sitting in a Cessna 206 at ~6000' AGL when about 1' of one the prop blades broke off causing a ton of vibration. A lot of smoke too due to the turbo charger breaking off off the manifolds and spewing oil. I abandoned ship.
> 
> Another time I was flying over the Rockies in a C185 at about 14,000' when I heard a huge bang and nearly crapped my pants. It turned out to be a bag of potato chips exploding.


The folks at the packaging plant didn't properly torque the seal on the bag of chips for the altitude, obviously.


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## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

So I ended up getting the Venzo one that I listed above. Nice little tool, feels good quality and used it the last couple days while going over my new bike during assembly. Set came with a variety of bits along with a LONG 5mm and a few torx bits. Adjusts from 2nm up to 45nm which is nice. So far it has been worth it.


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## motard5 (Apr 9, 2007)

My LBS suggested the Park Tool TW-5.2 ratcheting type, as it covers 2-14Nm...meaning all the cockpit and lower ~5Nm bits, as well as the Shimano crank bolts @ 14Nm. The mechanic seemed to fully trust it at the lower end specs, but it seems most here don't? Park Tool & CDI make the T-Handle torque drivers for the lower specs, but then you couldn't cover anything more than 5 or 8Nm. Anyone use the TW-5.2 for their small carbon bits?


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

Clicker torque wrenches (like that) arent accurate in the lower 20% of the range. Thats a well accepted fact of torque wrenches across all industries. The LBS is always full of fun info 

with the 20% rule, its still safe to use at 4-5nm, so you're good anyway.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

It's pretty easy to check them with a fishing scale or similar. Fasten a socket or extension vertically in a vise. Put the torque wrench on that. Pull on the torque wrench handle perpendicular to its length with a piece of string and the scale. Length from the socket/extension to the the point on the handle pulled by the string X the force on the scale is the torque. Gotta use the right units of course; the length in meters and N = 9.8 x kg. etc...


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## GuzziBen (May 18, 2015)

For suspension pivots and such, blue loctite is a really good idea. 
Or you can carry spare suspension hardware. 

People look askance at beam-type torque wrenches, but they are inherently accurate- if they were once, they will be forever. Unless you push them beyond the scale or something silly like that.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

In my opinion, the best thing about torque wrenches is that they teach you about what the given torque feels like. Most of the bits on a bike are not super critical, in the ball park is going to be ok, but small fasteners in alloy can easily do damage if you gorilla tham so a torque wrench will let you see just how little force these little guys often need. 

Once you get a good working 'feel' for things the torque wrench only needs to come out of the drawer for scary parts like anything made out of carbon. 

Worth noting that not all torque wrenches are equal. A cheap or bad one is worse than nothing.


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## Zomby Woof (MCM700) (May 23, 2004)

I use this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M12284X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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