Does anyone use torque wrenches?

[CharleyFarley]

I bought a torque wrench for one thing: the bolts on my new Specialized Fatboy disc brake calipers.

A few days after I bought the bike I noticed the caliper bolts looked odd. They were too long so the bike shop packed them with adjusting washers made for rim brakes; 3/4" (2 cm) of them.

I removed the bolts to cut them down, but one of the bolts was very resistant to being unscrewed; it fought me all the way out. I realized the 'bike mechanic' who installed them had cross-threaded it and forced it down all the way. $1700 for the bike and this was one of the two botch jobs they had done on it.

The aluminum casting is part of the frame, so I was leery of tightening it when I reinstalled the bolts (sans washers), so I bought a torque wrench; that's the only thing I've used it for. I've done all kinds of mechanical work over more than fifty years but the only other thing I used a torque wrench for was cylinder head bolts on cars. Like some other guys I go by feel, and I've never sheared a bolt off, stripped it or had one come loose.

I noticed on Park Tools' videos they use torque wrenches, but that's probably because they are a professional business, and would get hammered for not using one. I doubt that bike shops look up torque settings for each bike they service.

 

[Alex321]

Carbon frames and other components tend to be more sensitive to torque requirements than metal ones.

So I bought a torque wrench when I got my carbon framed bike, and I do use it.

 

[Drago]

I do when required. Some items can survived being rammed up feggin tight, others such as stems, carbon components, disc calipers, etc, I use the torque wrench where a figure is available.

 

[slowmotion]

It won't be be long before somebody posts that they have a refined engineer's touch and don't need a torque wrench.

BTW, I own two.

 

[Drago]

Two engineer's touches?

 

[slowmotion]

Two engineer's touches?

Silly boy!

 

[Big John]

We've got one at the bike charity where I work and I've never seen it outside its box. That said we never, ever, have a carbon bike come in for service or repair. Obviously customers aren't daft and would rather take their expensive steeds to their LBS to have things done properly 😉

 

[Venod]

A life long career of mending things for a living, you learn to use a torque wrench where it is required, a lot of the time you go by feel but you have to know when it's critical to use a torque wrench, I tend to use one on carbon components stems etc, but I have also used feel on the same components, what I have determined after a lifetime of tightening things, is my feel of tight is just a bit less than a torque wrench.

 

[Cycleops]

Ashamed to admit I've never used or owned one.

 

[Trull]

I use one when its needed. Its useful, and also there's something very Pro about the way it clicks.

 

[presta]

I have a torque wrench that I bought for the car which I use for the bigger stuff, but for the small stuff I just make do with a spring balance on the allen key.

 

[Joffey]

I have two. One for the bolts on my carbon road bike and another for my car wheels.

 

[T4tomo]

Ashamed to admit I've never used or owned one.

Nor a carbon framed bike either though...

 

[Specialeyes]

I use one regularly but never slacken off the tension when not in use. Apparently that's a bad thing?

 

[Andy in Germany]

Elder Son the bike mechanic uses one all the time and swears by them.