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If your rear derailleur bolt is not tightened to at least 5 Nm and consequently shakes loose on a ride, that’s inconvenient. Using a torque wrench is all about safety. If you have a cheap bike from a big box store, then no, you don’t.Īny cyclist on a bike costing more than a few hundred dollars must include a torque wrench in their toolkit alongside a set of (at least) 3, 4, 5, and 6mm Allen wrenches, tire levers and the like. DO YOU REALLY NEED A TORQUE WRENCH FOR a BIKE?
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You’ll soon memorize the settings if you are a pro assembling many bikes every month. ( I don’t include here because you really should go buy the latest edition…it belongs on every cyclist - and bike pro’s - bookshelf). He begins the section with a bike diagram indicating the torque settings for every component that is handy to have pasted on the workshop wall. The probability that you won’t be able to remove it in a year or so is also very low (that’s why you must avoid overtightening a bottom bracket).Įach of Leonard Zin’s essential guides to bike maintenance includes a section detailing the recommended torque settings for every component across a wide range of brands. Hence, threaded bottom brackets come with a recommended torque of from 35 Nm to 50 Nm or 35-45 Nm.Īs long as you tighten at the limits, or anywhere inside that range, then the probability the BB will loosen is small. Torque values allow for a similar range of tolerance around a fixed point and the bigger the component, the larger the tolerances. Therefore as long as components are machined within a limited range of measurements, say + / – 0.05mm, components will fit as required. The bike component manufacturing industry machines components to within a few hundredths of a millimeter, since CNC cutters are capable of that level of precision.Īccuracy becomes a matter of degree, though, once you get into the hundredths, let alone a few thousandths of a millimeter (the bike industry is not yet working at the nano or pico level…thankfully). Tolerance is an engineering concept which allows that precise measurement is not always necessary and often impossible. What Has ‘Tolerance’ Got to Do With This? Overtightening bolts is a big no-no in this era of high-end, delicate alloy tubing and components, carbon fiber-wrapped alloy (as with many handlebars), and easily crushed carbon fiber. That claim is unproven unless checked with a torque wrench. Some mechanics with decades of experience claim they can ‘feel’ when a bolt, or threaded bottom bracket, is tight enough. Or it starts to feel ‘spongy’ as the threads begin to strip. That accounts for the natural instinct to crank a bolt to the point where it can’t be tightened any further. Mechanical Torque Wrenches (includes preset models)Įlectronic/Digital Torque Wrenches WHAT IS a TORQUE WRENCH? WHAT DOES IT DO? (Saves Lives…!)Ī torque wrench makes sure that every bolt on a bike is neither too tight nor too loose.Įveryone knows to avoid bolts being too loose the whole point of a bolt is to bring components together-and keep them together until you decide to undo the bolt and take them apart.
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How To Use A Torque Wrench (plus important maintenance advice) Which Companies Actually Make Torque Wrenches? What Is a Torque Wrench? What Does it Do?ĭo You Truly Need a Torque Wrench for Your Bikes? This is your one-stop torque wrench information source whether you’re a cyclist looking to purchase a torque wrench, or a brand looking for a supplier-here’s what you’ll discover: We’ve also added models, tips, and recommendations of our own. To make it easier for you, we’ve put together the complete range of recommended torque wrench tools that you’ll find on the top cycling sites. There’s a dizzying amount of advice on torque wrenches for bikes online.