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Need recommendation for a good Torque wrench

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Need recommendation for a good Torque wrench

Old 02-21-05, 10:46 AM
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Need recommendation for a good Torque wrench

Prefer just 1 wrench that will take care of all my cycling needs. And I can't afford to spend a small fortune on it.

I know nothing about torque wrenchs, but assume there are several different types.

So what do I need to take care of my own bike.
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Old 02-21-05, 11:14 AM
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I am no pro, but I was told a basic $30 torque wrench from Sears is sufficient. It has a large gauge on the handle that is easy to read. There is also a $60 version that allows you to "dial in" the torque you want with a click of the handle (no dial reading necessary), if you are up for the extra bucks. Park makes one as well (don't know how much it costs). You can probably find it at their web site. Park has a good reputation for quality tools, so I imaging you can't go wrong there either. I am sure others will weigh in with their experience. Sorry I am still a newbie myself.
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Old 02-21-05, 11:22 AM
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If I'm not mistaken, there are two park wrenches used in most shops. One is a light range inch/pound and one is mid range for crank bolts / pedals etc. You may find it tough to find an inch pound range at your local auto parts or Sears store. You can convert the math but most general mechanics for cars use bigger ranges than on a bicycle. I would ebay the Parks if I planned on doing a lot of bike repair.
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Old 02-21-05, 11:34 AM
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Check out Velonews.com and past issues. They did a study and rated them. Like any tool the more you pay the better they get. But you can find a lot of big buck ones that don't meet your needs also. It was helpful what they had to say.

Cheers,
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Old 02-21-05, 12:31 PM
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I have a couple, because it is really hard to get the full rnage in just one wrench. A torque "screwdriver" I got from Magura for very low inchpounds, a 1/4 drive MAC for inch pounds up to 200, a 3/8 Snapon for foot pounds up to 60, and a big boy 1/2 Craftsman for up to 300 foot pounds.

If you only get one get a foot pound whench that will read from around 5 to 60 foot pounds. You can figure inch pounds (times twelve). If you do brake rotors, you will want an inch pound wrench, and it will come in handy for some of the stems and other items that have tiny hardware.
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Old 02-21-05, 01:49 PM
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The sears store near me had 'click-type' torque wrenches on sale two weeks ago - I don't know if the sale is still going on. They had 1/4" drive calibrated in inch-pounds and 3/8" or 1/2" drive in foot-pounds. I believe they were all going for $67 apiece, down from $77. Torque wrenches can be had for less (i.e. harbor freight), but you get what you pay for.
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Old 02-21-05, 08:38 PM
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I purchased my click type torque wrench last year from sears and it ran about $60 bucks. 3 weeks ago when I was in there it was still the same price. I have used it several times on both bikes and autos. It is in inch pounds.
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Old 02-22-05, 07:01 AM
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The Sears beam-type wrenches are exactly the same as the Park, and you can get 'em for about what dealer cost on the Park is. If you get a beam-type, don't use it like a breaker bar...calibration is your friend.
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Old 02-22-05, 07:50 AM
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thanks for the replys.

I am still pretty new to cycling and even newer to working on my bike myself. So far I have just done minor things like put on bar tape and general maintainence, but I want to learn to do more.
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Old 02-22-05, 08:11 AM
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Be careful with torque specs and wrenches. Most torque wrenches are sold for automotive use and are marked in foot-lbs. Most bicycle torque specs are listed in inch-lbs. To convert from in-lbs to ft-lbs, you divide the published torque spec by 12. Don't make the mistake of torquing a 30 in-lb bolt to 30 ft-lbs. You'll snap it right off.
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Old 02-22-05, 09:19 AM
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While on the subject of torque, does anyone know the appropreate torque setting for the crank bolt on FSA carbon cranks mounted to a Shimano 105 bottom bracket. I have read the tech buletin available at FSA, but it does not list that particular bb. It does list Isis and square however at 434-524 inch-lbs. Is that the setting I want to use?
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