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2013-04-25 11:21 AM
in reply to: #4714200

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Subject: RE: School me on torque wrenches

cjohns716 - 2013-04-24 9:57 PM I've been having the same question as jmk.  My seatpost is 5nm, the small screws on the stem say 6nm...is there a key type wrench like the Ritchey one previously mentioned that can be adjusted from say 4 to 10 nm? Or is the difference between the correct "tightness" of all these small parts negligible (say within one or two nm)? I've considered buying the Ritchey key at the LBS, because I have a creak coming from my seatpost (I believe), but don't want to spend the money on a 5nm wrench only to have it be useless on all the other parts.  Thanks for any clarification.

I would talk with your LBS mechanic on the 6Nm vs 5Nm thing, they may tell you they just torque everything to 5Nm and have never had a problem.  The key is not to OVER tighten hardware with carbon, you can either crack the carbon, strip or damage the threads, or stress the components too much.  I would say get the ritchey clicker wrench and use it on everything.  The ritchey is probably only accurate +-10% anyway.  

BUT If you want to ensure all the bolts are torqued to spec, you can buy a small 1/4" drive version torque wrench that is adjustable (similar to the craftsman one).  It will certainly be more expensive, but it gives peace of mind.



2013-04-25 12:29 PM
in reply to: #4712694

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Subject: RE: School me on torque wrenches

I love Having The Ritchie Torque key On the bike the 5Nm one , I have used it on the road for pretty much everything from adjusting the seat to changing over a stem. the differance between 5NM and 6Nm is not enough to worry about as mentioned as long as its not over torqued it not a real issue, If I do a stem Change on the road I just make sure to Check it with the Good torque wrench once I get back Home. And While its not too Common for most people I have been Know to switch from MY 70MM to My 120MM stem on more then one occasion due to  very strong winds or Back fatigue to change my ride position on the bike.

 



Edited by RRH_88 2013-04-25 12:36 PM
2013-04-25 2:34 PM
in reply to: #4714132

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Subject: RE: School me on torque wrenches
jmk-brooklyn - 2013-04-24 9:36 PM
menglo - 2013-04-24 1:33 PM

Do yourself a favor and buy yourself one of these:

http://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/ritchey-multi-torqkey-5nm

That will work for set post clamp, stem, handlebars, etc...

I prefer a "clicker style" torque wrench.  I have this one and LOVE it

http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-micro-clicker-torque-wrench-3-8inch-drive/p-00931424000P?prdNo=7

It has a 10 lb-ft to 75 lb-ft rating, perfect for crank bolts (***Note:  I bought this on black friday for about $30).  Don't forget a set of 3/8 drive hex sockets as well:

http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-evolv-7-pc-hex-bit-socket-set/p-00910058000P?prdNo=4&blockNo=4&blockType=G4

If you want one for all the "smaller" hardware on the bike, get a 1/4" drive version of the above with the proper range of torques.  You should be able to find the torque ranges for the components on your bike online somewhere (park tools is also an excellent reference).

You can find less expensive torque wrenches that are not clicker style, but they can be hard to use sometimes.  Also, find someone who knows how to use a torque wrench, one click, no bouncing.  If used improperly you can VERY easily over-torque by 20-25%.

That torqkey is perfect. This is probably a dumb question, but my seat post, stem, etc all say 6Nm does that mean the 5nm key isn't going to be enough to sufficiently tighten them, or is the 1nm difference not going to be significant?

I know nothing about torque wrenches.  But, one of the things that stood out for me in reading the Speed Concept thread on ST was what Carl the SC engineer stated.  The torque values listed on your bike parts are the maximums.  In many cases you do not need to go that tight.

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