Torque wrenches

[BigVeeGrin]

Off to get a torque wrench soon but have a couple of simple questions based on likely torque settings I'm going to come across.

For a novice is it better to have one of these: where you can torque away from 0 - 150 lb-ft ?


or a cheap one of these where you start at 20lb-ft up to 154 ?


cheers guys

[simo]

The wrench you mention as for a novice, are regarded to be alot more accurate than the clicky type.

[CB_Phil]

Best spend a bit of money on one if ye ask me, if they are anyway out you could do a lot of damage. Just make sure its got a calibration cert which ever way you go.

[BigVeeGrin]

cheers Phil - am really on a budget for everything at the moment, so will get the torsion bar type. It's a Draper one so will be properly cert i guess!

[Kev L]

cheers Phil - am really on a budget for everything at the moment, so will get the torsion bar type. It's a Draper one so will be properly cert i guess!

If you are strapped you can borrow my Draper clicky type if you want. Still in the box and un-used (I keep forgetting it!!!). I am in Hertford.

[Stratman]

I've had one of the "manual" wrenches for years, but for some jobs they are just too large so I bought a small one as well for things like cam cover bolts.

[darkember]

Just remember if you go for the clicky type check your owners handbook as to what measurments they use. My old bandit was all in neuton metres but my wrench was in foot pounds & m/kg so I ended having to scribble loads of conversions all over the handbook.

[markycee]

Nice Bike! I thought you'd stolen mine for a minute there!!

[klx678]

FWIW, I had a rider tip me on how to use a beam style (torsion bar) wrench when you can not easily view the scale. He put tape on the back and edge then marked it with a Sharpie marker at the torque value. That way he could use the wrench sideways, upside down and all without having to see the actual scale. Nice trick.

I will say the advantage of the torsion bar wrench is that the characteristics of the steel will not vary and thus the wrench virtually never goes out of spec. They aren't very fragile so they can be put in a tool box without much regard for protection beyond that of a normal ratchet. Plus more robust in case dropped. Sometimes a lot to be said for simplicity.

But if you make a living with tools I'm sure the click or dial type wrenches are the way to go there.

[BigVeeGrin]

thx guys, good advice & for the offer Kev L.

Will head off to get the torsion bar one later