Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - How much should I crank down on my track nuts?

a lot?

Just enough.

Plenty.

ohhhhh ok.

seriously though, should I just hand tighten them? would it be better to really crank down on them, get good leverage etc? or is this unnecessary?

I ask because I just had to swap out my track nuts because they were worn away and I think it might be because I've been overtightening them

I suggest you


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m209/intern4meez/mz_040903_10003440809-2.gif

ohhhhh ok.

seriously though, should I just hand tighten them? would it be better to really crank down on them, get good leverage etc? or is this unnecessary?

I ask because I just had to swap out my track nuts because they were worn away and I think it might be because I've been overtightening them

Hand tighten them? Are you crazy? Use a wrench for Christ sake!

Ask some one local with experience to show you, it's not that easy to explain on the internet.

seriously though, do not tighten them too much, I have cracked the inner lock nut doing that

Tighten until it strips, then back off a quarter turn.

Trust me. I work in a hardware store.

Overtightening can be as dangerous as undertightening - bolts can shear or break off. Ask a wrench at a LBS to show you.

if you're rounding the nuts, ensure you're using the proper size (15mm is most common) and a six-point wrench or socket. 12-points put more force on the corners and are more likely to round them.

Tighten until it strips, then back off a quarter turn.

Trust me. I work in a hardware store.

this is what I've been doing

also I don't know why I said hand tightening, when I meant hand tightening with a wrench (as opposed to using a power tool or something else)

seriously though, do not tighten them too much, I have cracked the inner lock nut doing that

I have too, but judging by they way they cracked and crumbled, I think they were ceramic or just really weak(?).

Tighten until it strips, then back off a quarter turn.

Trust me. I work in a hardware store.


this is what I've been doing



I hope you're joking as much as crushkilldstroy was.

no I always loosen everything by a full quarter turn. I love it when my rear wheel wobbles around when I'm riding.

I also loosen my headset a full quarter turn after I tighten it, I love when my fork bounces around in the headtube

Tighten them enough to keep the axle from slipping, but not much more. Too much torque can definitely wear the washers out. It can also stress your dropouts and cause them to yawn open like a croc's mouth. If you get a tensioner you can get away with very little torque.

no I always loosen everything by a full quarter turn. I love it when my rear wheel wobbles around when I'm riding.

oh, i see. You got that it was sarcastic, but still missed the joke.

Tighten it, but don't haul on it so much that you can barely turn it anymore.

I used to really crank mine down by hand, until I brought my bike into the lbs, and the owner asked me what the hell I was tightening them so much for. he almost used a breaker bar, and told me to stop before I broke something. I did, and my wheels never fell off or anything.

seriously though, do not tighten them too much, I have cracked the inner lock nut doing that

So that's why I keep breaking my inner lock nuts. Amazing the stuff you learn here.

Tighten until it strips, then back off a quarter turn.

Trust me. I work in a hardware store.

:roflmao: I picture a big fat guy, with a half chewed cigar, wearing a giant ACE hardware bowling shirt and his pants up arond his nipples mumbling in yiddish,..."traaaaaaahcccchhhhssst me, I vork een ccchhhaaaaahhhrrrrd-vare stower" :roflmao:

finger-tight front axle, and don't forget to ride lotsa wheelies.

twice a day.