Topic: Purchasing a torque wrench: what range for whole bike?

[dave500]

deflecting beam are the best type,those click spring micrometer types have moving wearing parts and should be stored with the setting backed of to stop the spring from sagging.

[bryanj]

But all torque wrenches are easy to check with a vice and quality spring balance

[PeWe]

Avoid too powerful tools, easy to ruin the threads.
I use these models, 1/4" and 1/2" sockets.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.de%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F323892639480

 10-60Nm of same brand, Hazet.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.fr%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F303147262081

These work fine for all important      assemblies.
I borrowed a bad toque wrench and overtightened the head nuts snapping one new HD stud.  I tightened around 35Nm instead of 28Nm

That costed me a new set of HD cyl studs (all to be replaced to avoid later catastrophe), new head gasket, new valve cover gasket.
This was the job that made me to install Frank's frame kit that I have had great use of many times since then.

Bad (too cheap tools) can be expensive and waste of time.

[JamesReid]

if you got the money get this,or the equivalent in kinchrome brand,i don't like the micrometer types.
https://sydneytools.com.au/product/warren-brown-321500-38-drive-5120nm-deflecting-beam-torque-wrench

what's the advantage of this mate? compare with normal torque wrench

[MauiK3]

Back when I was assembling nuclear things we always used a torque wrench that had sufficient range so as to have the target torque fall in the middle third due to the upper and lower thirds tending to be inaccurate. This having been proven in a lab time and again.
And no, most folks won’t get a torque right by “feel”, also proven in a lab.

[rotortiller]

You can get by with a 1/4" and a 3/8" drive torque wrenches. Pick sizes wisely.

[Bankerdanny]

Adequate torque wrenches aren't expensive, better to get a 1/4 in model for low torque bolts (under 20 lb/ft or so) and a 3/8 or 1/2 for over that.

[PeWe]

Avoid too powerful tools, easy to ruin the threads.
I use these models, 1/4" and 1/2" sockets.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.de%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F323892639480

 10-60Nm of same brand, Hazet.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.fr%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F303147262081

These work fine for all important      assemblies.
I borrowed a bad toque wrench and overtightened the head nuts snapping one new HD stud.  I tightened around 35Nm instead of 28Nm

That costed me a new set of HD cyl studs (all to be replaced to avoid later catastrophe), new head gasket, new valve cover gasket.
This was the job that made me to install Frank's frame kit that I have had great use of many times since then.

Bad (too cheap tools) can be expensive and waste of time.

If your "HD" studs snapped at 35Nm, then they were crap. That's just under 26 Ft Lbs. Grade 8 8mm studs will survive much higher than that. And the delta between 35 and 28 Nm is barely 5#. Your threads would have stripped if the stud was strong enough.

Blame the stud, not the wrench.

Maybe, but the torque must be right. Especially for the weak alu threads that Honda specify too high for most of the M6.

As I have understood the HD studs they are very rigid keeping the torque. Max specified is 22.5 ft lbs. When I continued to tighten them a few monrhs later they moved at 36Nm (26.55 ft lbs).

Most of these high tensile bolts have a narrow span to stay within for the spring force and avoid overtighten when the metal gives up, plasticizing.

Honda stock studs are more forgiving but will not hold up as well, flex more.
I'm happy with mine that did not cost much more than cheap crap at the cheap parts auto store I could have bought here locally.

[dave500]

if you got the money get this,or the equivalent in kinchrome brand,i don't like the micrometer types.
https://sydneytools.com.au/product/warren-brown-321500-38-drive-5120nm-deflecting-beam-torque-wrench

what's the advantage of this mate? compare with normal torque wrench

it is a normal torque wrench

[web]

For most, just good is good enough. There's little advantage to 0.1% accuracy. Bolts themselves aren't manufactured, worn and cleaned by yourself to such tight tolerances anyway. Most of us also won't need a wrench that lasts a million bolts either. So no need to go overboard.

With all respect to people who take pride in having the best tool for every job, cheap HF can also be totally fine. If you calibrate it and it's way off, return it. Even the cheapest of wrenches can be well within 5% or so over a full 1:5 range, so one that isn't, is just broken and should be returned. Better than 5% IMO is unneeded for reasons above.

You can also just use it with your own calibration. Recalibrate every 1000 bolts or 10 years or so, whichever comes first... If you are a shop owner it's different of course, then a tool that lasts forever through abuse without needing this maintenance is worth the price.

It's never rocket science though.

[dave500]

at least any of them will get bolts all the same.

[JamesReid]

if you got the money get this,or the equivalent in kinchrome brand,i don't like the micrometer types.
https://sydneytools.com.au/product/warren-brown-321500-38-drive-5120nm-deflecting-beam-torque-wrench

Thanks for your great advice Dave.

[HondaMan]

The highest torque on these bikes is less than 25 ft-lbs.

[rotortiller]

The highest torque on these bikes is less than 25 ft-lbs.

Swing arm is a bit higher at 40-50 ft/lb. You want that torqued up correctly.

edit:  Considering the rear axle is 60 or 70 ft/lbs a fellow might want something that does car wheels too when sizing up a tool.  Funny how nobody uses a torque wrench on axles LOL. Some values look pretty funky for the shocks.

[tlbranth]

I have a 100 ft-lb old-style Craftsman which just indicates torque on a scale. I trust it. I bought a HF click wrench which was a POS. I wouldn't trust one. It never clicked off. I'da stripped threads if I'd tried it on a motorcycle. Let me just throw out this too: I only use a torque wrench inside an engine. The peripheral stuff is strictly by feel. You'll learn that as you go. Most stuff outside an engine just needs to be 'tight enough'. Axles need to be tight as you can get them.

[HondaMan]

deflecting beam are the best type,those click spring micrometer types have moving wearing parts and should be stored with the setting backed of to stop the spring from sagging.

+1. Twice.

I once built an entire 750 engine using a brand-new Snap-On click wrench (50 ft-lb max) set to 17.5 ft-lbs (Honda spec) and the bike leaked oil at startup. I had twice torqued the head (with the usual overnight wait between), and when I decided to check the outer nuts (by the sparkplugs) using my 40-year-old beam torque Craftsman wrench (25 ft-lbs max) I found them to be less than 115 in-lbs. The Snap-On was set to 18 ft-lbs, but put less than 8 ft-lbs on the nuts. Never used another one like it since that engine: had to pull it out of the frame again, tear it down to the head gasket for a new one, etc...  .

[dave500]

I use the big warren and brown 1/2 drive for car stuff,goes to 200 lbs,the kinchrome 3/8 drive goes to 90 does any bike stuff.

[Tracksnblades1]

The highest torque on these bikes is less than 25 ft-lbs.

Swing arm is a bit higher at 40-50 ft/lb. You want that torqued up correctly.

edit:  Considering the rear axle is 60 or 70 ft/lbs a fellow might want something that does car wheels too when sizing up a tool.  Funny how nobody uses a torque wrench on axles LOL. Some values look pretty funky for the shocks.

Imner clutch and alternator flywheel maybe a little higher also.
🤔Thinking 28-30# for clutch and 68-72# for flywheel, but don't have the manual open...🤔

[seanbarney41]

I use the big warren and brown 1/2 drive for car stuff,goes to 200 lbs,the kinchrome 3/8 drive goes to 90 does any bike stuff.

figures the skip bin driver always has the best stuff

[rotortiller]

Click wrenches work fine but the need checking once it a while.  Clamp the end in a vice and hang a known weight off it at 12 inches. Bar wrenches are great but cumbersome and crude, good for bikes, not so good working in confined and blind areas. I do not like electronic units as have had early failure issues (snap-on crap).

[PeWe]

Important to set the click wrench to 0 direct after use and not have it pretensioned to the used torque during a longer period of time.

[evinrude7]

i have 2 i got from harbor freight.  3/8" 0-200inlbs and a 1/2" 20-150ftlbs.
about $20 ea.  accuracy is +/- 4%

+1

[tlbranth]

Just checked. My Craftsman beam wrench was bought in 1969. Never needed calibrating.