Bicycle Mechanics - Torque Wrenches

I am slowly amassing a bike mechanics tool set, one or two tools at a time, depending on cost. I am about ready for a large purchase, a torgue wrench.

I am especially taken by the Syntace tool, which can be seen at http://www.trisports.com/syntortool.html

As you can see, at $150, it isn't cheap, but I like it better than the old style, manual varieties, with the scale and the pointer.

Anyone have one of these tools, and if so, what do you think of it?

Thanks.

If you are willing to spend that much for a torque wrench, look at the MAC and SnapOn stuff. I have a couple and the quality is hard to beat.

If you want to spend a little less, I would look at Craftsman, I have one of their 1/2" 250 pounders that has seen use for fifteen years with no worries(Mostly wheel lugs and head bolts so it probably needs to be recalibrated)

If you are willing to spend that much for a torque wrench, look at the MAC and SnapOn stuff. I have a couple and the quality is hard to beat.

If you want to spend a little less, I would look at Craftsman, I have one of their 1/2" 250 pounders that has seen use for fifteen years with no worries(Mostly wheel lugs and head bolts so it probably needs to be recalibrated)

I have looked at Craftsman and they don't have one that is in inch/pounds. They have the big, brutes like you are talking about, but I want one for the little bolts and allen and trox's on my bike.

I will check out the Mac and SnapOn, though. Thanks

Talk to your craftsman salesperson and see if they can get you an inch pound torque wrench. Craftsman does make them. I have one and it only ran about $50. I bought it specifically for the bike repairs, but have used it for other things as well.

Like Rev.Chuck, I've been using my old Craftsmen 1/2" wrench. I don't use it for headbolds any longer. Those do-it-yourself automotive days are over for me. Now, I use it primarily for crank bolts and cartridge b/b cups and that's about it. Everything else on the bike, I tighten by feel.

George

Craftsman, Mac and Snap-on do not offer lifetime warranties on their torque wrenches if that means anything to you. Proto however still offers lifetime warranties on theirs. Mac and Snap-on will cost in the $250 dollar range, not sure what the Proto will cost, and Craftsman is around the $150 range. You could go down to auto parts stores and buy cheap ones for under $100 if your not a professional and will not be using it much.

I think I will visit the LBS and ask them what kind of torque tool they use and what kind they recommend.

Thanks for all the suggestions, especially Proto tools lifetime guarantee.

What do you plan to use it for?

I use torque wrenches for two things: Cranks & bottom brackets and for high end stems. Unfortunately, I don't think that it's advisable to use the same wrench for both.

The torque spec for cranks and bottom brackets is around 30 lb/ft. The torque spec for fancy stems is around 10 in/lbs. That's quite a bit of difference. Torque wrenches work best in the middle of their range. If you get a wrench that's macho enough to handle 30 lb/ft, it's not going to be very accurate for stem bolts and you may still strip one out.

I am slowly amassing a bike mechanics tool set, one or two tools at a time, depending on cost. I am about ready for a large purchase, a torgue wrench.

I am especially taken by the Syntace tool, which can be seen at http://www.trisports.com/syntortool.html

As you can see, at $150, it isn't cheap, but I like it better than the old style, manual varieties, with the scale and the pointer.

Anyone have one of these tools, and if so, what do you think of it?

Thanks.

If you are intent on spending approximately 3x as much as you should, go ahead and buy the Syntace. In my fgarage I have a few torque wrenches. one of them is a Sears Craftsman 3/8 drive with a torque scale up to 240 in/lbs. It is the same exact style as the Syntace. Of course the Crafsman has a lifetime warranty and it costs about $50.

Sears Craftsman has them in in/lbs, nM, and ft/lbs.

Here is the 25 - 250 in/lbs. $59.99. 90day warrenty.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00944593000

Contrary to popular belief, only Craftsman HAND tools, not power or specialty, have a lifetime warrenty. Of course, I have never heard of anyone breaking a torque wrench.

tourdecomp's site looks good, but is in New Zealand. I'll be willing to go there and pick it up for you. :D

Hmm, well, I use the old style with the pendulum pointer what-have-you... and, it works just fine... and, it was only like 15 bucks a year ago at a hardware sotre in greenfield... I'd much prefer spending 15 bucks on a torque wrench and a 150 bucks on parts, errr, like I just did... <shrug>

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I use a warren and brown torque wrench that ranges from 0-20 nm (newton metres) that is perfect for bikes and I use it on my automatic transmission band adjustments and other areas of the auto.


Band adjustments? You must have an older car...do tell us sometime what you have.

Sears Craftsman has them in in/lbs, nM, and ft/lbs.

Here is the 25 - 250 in/lbs. $59.99. 90day warrenty.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00944593000

Contrary to popular belief, only Craftsman HAND tools, not power or specialty, have a lifetime warrenty. Of course, I have never heard of anyone breaking a torque wrench.

tourdecomp's site looks good, but is in New Zealand. I'll be willing to go there and pick it up for you. :D

A few years ago, I left a Craftsman socket on my driveway and a deliver truck lowered its liftgate on it with a new refrigerator, cracking the socket. It was from a set I got on my 16th birthday, so it had a few miles on it.

I wanted one like to replace it, so I went to Sears and showed the salesmen and said I wanted to purchase one like it. He handed me a new one, said "Lifetime guarantee, no charge." I explained how it had gotten cracked, and he said "Lifetime guarantee."

I trust Craftsman hand tools, but, lately, what with the financial problems they have been having, I wonder about them sometime.

I will check out their torque wrenches, however.

froze, I dont have to tell ya anything. But seeing your a senior member your an old hat of a fart that dont know much about cars. You'd better stick to bikes there a lot simpler for your understanding! lol
froze aint got bands maybe solenoids are your hemaroid! LOLOLOLOLOOLOLOLOLO




I thought the only auto trans that had the adjustable bands were the cars of years gone by, remember the old hydrolic 2 and 3 speed autos such as the Ford C series, GM turbo and powerglide series and Chrysler 904 and 727 (just to list the common ones of the old days)? Those you had to take in routinely to have the bands adjusted, todays trans supposely no longer have adjustable bands that can be done at service intervals; while they still have bands these bands are only adjusted during rebuilding process. So I thought you may have a classic car and adjusted your own bands in it, whereas most people would rarely rebuild their own transmission in a newer car and need to adjust the bands in those.

My comment in the original post to you was not intended to be a negative thing but rather a positive remark because I happen to own a 67 Ford Galaxy and dig older cars.

But of course your right I need to stick to bikes I don't know anything about cars.

Tourdecomp, seriously, what do you drive? Is it one of these? Give it to me.

I just got one from my Dad. It's a Condolidated Devices Inc measures in inch pounds. You set the tork on the handle and when you reach the required tourqe the handle "pops'. I am glad to have it to build up my new bike. I was out riding last week when my cranks came loose and I had to limp home. I was affraid to over tighten them. Now I will have the piece of mind. They are expensive little gadgets but maybe you could borrow one?

I wanted one like to replace it, so I went to Sears and showed the salesmen and said I wanted to purchase one like it. He handed me a new one, said "Lifetime guarantee, no charge." I explained how it had gotten cracked, and he said "Lifetime guarantee."


Yes. A socket is a hand tool and had a lifetime warrenty. A torque wrench is a specialty tool and has a 90 day warrenty. My Dad took in a breaker bar that was so old (my grandfathers) that they didn't make that length anymore. They said "you can have the size bigger or smaller, your choice." Great tools. I hope Sears survives just for that.

OK - How come the quote thing dosen't seem to work?

Yo Rev. if you want to play Mad Max, you might as well go all the way.......

snap on here ...the best

Stopped into Sears today after my ride and looked at their torque wrenches. The one that has inch/pounds was on sale for $60, but the thing is a monster. On second thought, I probably don't need one anyway, just thought it would be nice to have.

Come on now. You want one. You need one. What are you, Chicken? Everybody else has one.

Calibrated elbow here.

I have an easy-to-find foot-pound wrench.

Just divide the inch-pounds by 12 to come up w/ foot pounds.

Calibrated elbow here.
sheared another head bolt off here ;)

Sears Craftsman has them in in/lbs, nM, and ft/lbs.

Here is the 25 - 250 in/lbs. $59.99. 90day warrenty.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00944593000

Contrary to popular belief, only Craftsman HAND tools, not power or specialty, have a lifetime warrenty. Of course, I have never heard of anyone breaking a torque wrench.

tourdecomp's site looks good, but is in New Zealand. I'll be willing to go there and pick it up for you. :D

I have a good news for you Avalanche325.
My Sears torque wrench broke(foot/pound version), the collar that locks the handle which sets the amount of torque split open. Guess what, they gave me a new one. I think it's depends on who is working when you step in the store. If one person refuse to replace it, try again different time or different day. You may get a new one.