How important is it to use a torque wrench when tightening bolts etc on a carbon bike? Thinking specifically about fitting carbon seat post. Had conflicting advice from different bike shops: one says essential; the other (a large usually reputable chain) don't even have a torque wrench in their service area.
Torque wrench anyone?
- Thread starter alp1950
- Start date
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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
If it's just a carbon post in a non carbon frame then fine - just use common sense - i.e. don't over do it !
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
I never bother with one. Provided you are not a ham-fisted gorilla who jumps up and down on the end of an extension bar you won't over tighten anything.
Carbon post in carbon frame.
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
I always use one ........for seat post, stem, bars, pedals, chainring bolts etc etc etrc - basically follow the manufacturers recommendations (and I have been putting bikes together for getting on for 50 years now).
ultraviolet
it can't rain all the time....
- Location
- Hythe, Kent, UK
i think the main problem with using a torque wrench is that most people will read on a stem or seatclamp say "5 n" and set there wrench to click out at 5 newtons, so every one of there bolts is tighten up to the very max, i didn't think this is very good. how meny people set there torque wrench to a lower setting than stated on said part? i doubt very many who are not in the business
e-rider
crappy member
- Location
- South West
To get a decent low range torque wrench you'll be looking at £150+
A cheap one will be worse than not using one at all - just use your head and don't over-tighten bolts!
A cheap one will be worse than not using one at all - just use your head and don't over-tighten bolts!
Fiona N
Veteran
I was quite surprised that the guys at Paul Hewitt's cycles in Leyland used a torque wrench for all the key places - stem, seat post etc. When I thought about it a bit, I was actually less surprised as my experience as a little weak girly (perhaps not 
) is that men do tend to tighten any nut, bolt or screw up to the max. Witness the extreme difficulty I have getting pedals off if they've been put on by a bike shop mechanic - quite unnecessarily tight.
So I'd say a torque wrench is a necessity if you have tendencies in this direction or are male
) is that men do tend to tighten any nut, bolt or screw up to the max. Witness the extreme difficulty I have getting pedals off if they've been put on by a bike shop mechanic - quite unnecessarily tight.So I'd say a torque wrench is a necessity if you have tendencies in this direction or are male
battered
Guru
A TR is a decent idea if you are doing a lot of work and/or are inexperienced or out of practice. Few torques on a bike are critical after all. A few people get very hung up about torque values, in any quoted value there is an acceptable range, say 10-15Nm. Anywhere in this range is OK. In the quoted example of 5Nm and every bolt done up tpo that value, if that's what the manuf says then that's correct and doing so is absolutely correct. 4 would be equally OK, or 6.
Things get more critical around engines but as the engine in our case is fuelled by porridge and sausage sandwiches, it's not likely to overheat and cause a bolt to fail if it expands.
Decent torque wrenches do not have to cost £150. A 5 minute search of the net will bring up Britool ones at £70, these are absolute pro spec items suitable for full time mechanics or assembly lines. Decent ones for home use range around £20-30 and I do not agree with the poster who says a cheap one is worse than useless. They are great tools.
Things get more critical around engines but as the engine in our case is fuelled by porridge and sausage sandwiches, it's not likely to overheat and cause a bolt to fail if it expands.
Decent torque wrenches do not have to cost £150. A 5 minute search of the net will bring up Britool ones at £70, these are absolute pro spec items suitable for full time mechanics or assembly lines. Decent ones for home use range around £20-30 and I do not agree with the poster who says a cheap one is worse than useless. They are great tools.
