Originally Posted by
WalksOn2Wheels
The main point where a torque wrench is needed is when you are clamping on carbon. In that case, the spec is very important because over tightening can crush the carbon and cause a failure.
...
I've never seen a handlebar or seatpost with a stamp indicating maximum clamping force.
5-6nm MAX is commonly printed on stems... but what does a stem know about the clamping force needs of a handlebar? Traditionally, torque specs are for
MIN torque, as in, "part must be tightened
over this torque to be safe/effective". Any time you are clamping something that specifies a
MAX torque, you should tighten until snug, then slowly increment the torque until the part holds under load and no more. You are looking for the minimum amount of torque that will do the job. You are not trying to reach a preset number. There is no need for a torque wrench in this process, much less one that is preset to the maximum torque specified.
__________________
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --
the tiniest sprinter