Torque wrench

[Rocky]

Do you think its necessary to have a torque wrench in the toolbox? The oil drain plug bolt on my bike is supposed to be torqued to 14.5 ft/lbs. How important is this?

Dennis

[Juice]

Get yourself a torque wrench. You aren't necessarily trying to get the bolt to a certain tightness, but rather trying not to over tighten. If you tighten some bolts too much, you'll strip the threads, crack plastics, ETC. Get the kind that clicks, it's a lot easier than the kind with a needle pointing to some hard to read scale.

[iridefar]

Get yourself a torque wrench. You aren't necessarily trying to get the bolt to a certain tightness, but rather trying not to over tighten. If you tighten some bolts too much, you'll strip the threads, crack plastics, ETC. Get the kind that clicks, it's a lot easier than the kind with a needle pointing to some hard to read scale.

Dito

I don't normally use a torque wrench for things like the oil plug, but I have a couple of nice ones for the "more important" stuff. I would never pull the wheels off a bike without one.

On a related note, when I pulled in the driveway at my girlfriend's house Sunday after a week-long bike ride there was oil all over the garage floor. The guys at the quick oil change place had sheered off the oil plug in her BMW 528i. They then threaded the end piece of it back in the hole and never told her anything about it. The bolt in a BMW is hollow so the oil just ran through the bolt and around the broken piece.

A torque wrench would have prevented that bit of stupidity and would have prevented me from having to get off the bike and climb under the car to fix their mess. Head Bang

[Ritten]

I'd say that a proper torque wrench is certainly a necessity for any bike shop. If you're removing your own wheels, or installing brackets, or frame bolts, then the job's not finished unless the proper torque is on all bolts or nuts.

[SVTFreak]

Amen to above. Also, never try to install heads, intake, etc without a good torque wrench. Its not so important on them that they be a certain number, but it is important that they all be the same.

Also, on care, never leave a wrench twisted up to a setting. Always dial it back to zero when storing, never past though.

[minig0d]

A must have... but buy yourself a good one and get it calibrated yearly...

[SVTFreak]

A must have... but buy yourself a good one and get it calibrated yearly...

Who, locally, calibrates them? I have 2 craftsman's that i need to have checked as they about 7 years old and never been recal'd.

[minig0d]

I'm pretty sure the snapon trucks have the calibration tools but besides that I don't know anyone locally... most places you just pay $20 + shipping and they calibrate it and send it back (the $20 includes return postage)... they may give ya a 2 for one deal or something if you check... Mine is just hitting a year old so I haven't had the need to check and I'll probably just get rid of it since it was a cheap one anyway...

[SVTFreak]

Thanks greg. You know of a website of this 20 buck place maybe? I have 2 of them to get done.

[minig0d]

http://www.teamtorque.com/shipform.html <--- tests for $20... labor is a lil more

http://www.microprecision.com/torque_wrench.php <-- not sure their costs...

http://www.schatz-usa.com/services.htm <--- also not sure their costs..

those should get you started... also the manufacturer of your tool usually will do it very cheap...

[SVTFreak]

Thanks man!

[mattc]

Get the cool snap on digital that vibrates and beeps when you reach your desired setting.