View Single Post
Old 03-16-11, 10:11 PM
  #5  
FBinNY 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,792

Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter

Mentioned: 140 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5824 Post(s)
Liked 2,659 Times in 1,477 Posts
My god, how in the world did we ever work on bikes during all those years before Loctite and torque wrenches came into vogue?

It's not rocket science, it's a 5mm screw. I can't describe how tight over the internet, but if you've turned a few screws in your life without breaking them off you should have a sense of how tight is tight. Since you loosened the screws yourself maybe you can remember how tight they felt.

If you're nervous about breaking the screw, use a short wrench, maybe 4-5 inches or so, and tighten gently but firmly. You'll feel the screw bottom out, then can turn it about another 1/4 turn. There's a feeling of the torque ramping up as screws tighten comparable to how a faucet feels as you close it.

If you're not sure, ride the bike, and check it in an hour, then another 2 hours, then another day, then next week, then forget about it.

BTW- if you've installed a water bottle cage, and it hasn't fallen off, you already have a sense of how tight is tight.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site

An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.

Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.

“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN

WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.

Last edited by FBinNY; 03-16-11 at 10:14 PM.
FBinNY is offline