Figures I had to pick a fight with someone who designs instruments.

Bold/Red is a a very good point, something too little consideration is given to.

We had people bring micrometers to the lab claiming they were inaccurate and 9 times out of 10 we pulled out the gauge blocks and they were spot on. We would follow the user to the workstation and watch them use it incorrectly.

Everyone wants a torque wrench accurate to 1% but then they use it incorrectly, don't let it temperature stabilize, throw it in a drawer or carry it around in their pocket, etc. Many times the limitation is the user, not the instrument.


-Tim-

was looking at mine the other day. I forget why I bought it many years ago. I don't think I ever used it. looking at it now, how would someone view the scale with the 3/8 socket & gauge facing toward the work? is this an epic design fail with a really cheap tool, or am I missing something?

So regarding clicker torque wrenches, is it necessary to store them at their minimum setting? I didn't do that for years, but now I do wind them down to their minimum setting when putting away, usually either around 5-10 lb-ft or so, for my 3/8" and 1/2" drive wrenches.

Tape a toothpick to the back of the scale at the desired reading for that use and you should be fine.

genius

Storing a torque wrench with the handle twisted to the minimum setting is what I was trained to do. It relieves the tension on the spring. Similarly, micrometers should be closed to zero, scales stored without weights on them, etc. Pretty much common sense.

I also learned not to set a torque wrench down on the side where the socket attaches but to lay it on its back or return it to the protective case.

Storing the device in the environment where it is to be used so that it is temperature stabilized is also best practice. If you work in the hot garage in summer then that is where your instruments should be stored rather than inside where it is air conditioned. Bringing the device from inside 70°f home to a 95°f garage can make very precise gauges do all kinds of crazy things.

This might seem overkill to some but it is very easy to do so why not?

RTFM when in doubt.


-Tim-

Check Craigslist. Someone should have a metal bike for sale.

Or you clean off the layer of crud that was making it read .015 over on everything.

For the average hobbyist, a Northern Tool or Harbor Freight mic will never wear out if used right, and simple cleaning and zeroing will keep even a .005" vernier dead on.

I wouldn't expect a clicker torque wrench to be any different as long as basic care is taken to keep it clean, not bang it around, etc.

My beam type torque wrench has been bent since I used it to tighten the main pulley on the engine in my Datsun when I did my first valve job on it in 1979. I knew it wasn't meant to be accurate all the way to the highest reading, but it did get the bolt snugged down within the range recommended in the shop manual. I don't use it much anymore, and just compensated for the bend afterwards while appreciating the extra character it had while keeping things within the recommended tolerance for torque listed in the manual for whatever I was working on.

I bought a clicker torque wrench for the shop guys to use when I was in the tire business. We used to work on expensive cars and some of the tire changers just couldn't relate to the idea of any other setting than the impact gun so I'd set the wrench and they'd use that to put the wheels on. It was simple enough so they'd know when things were tight enough and repeatable enough to work for our use.

I just wish they'd use a torque stick on the impact gun consistently, and learn to start the nuts by hand far enough to be sure they're not crossthreaded. Had way too many stripped studs from going in for tire changes, and started putting the wheel back on in the parking lot with a 4-way and some anti-seize.

You can turn the intensity down on the impact gun, but it's easier to leave it turned up. So guess what usually happens?

There's always one in every crowd.

Not quite; micrometers should be set to NEARLY zero, but not 'torqued down. Then, if it's a digital mic, the 'hold' knob/lever/collar should be engaged, so that the mic doesn't turn itself on every time the drawer is opened.

Who weighs water? Everybody with a HS diploma should know that 1 liter of water weighs 1kg.......

Strangely enough, I have just spent the past day or two researching torque wrenches for bike work. I eventually decided I needed at least 2, ideally three.

Firstly, a low-range wrench, around 1nm-20nm range:

Apparently this wrench, although a generic design and widely re-branded, is decent: Wiggle | X-Tools Pro Torque Wrench and Bit Set One Size | Workshop Tools

And this one, also generic and re-branded, is not as good (note flat section near the head, and silver head pin): Wiggle | LifeLine Essential Torque Wrench Set | Workshop Tools

Secondly, a larger one, around 10nm - 100nm. Here in the UK, we have Norbar, who make some very nice looking torque wrenches.

Finally, one of the key-type ones (eg, the Park Tools adjustable), for convenience when working on CF frames.

I then found this discussion:

Torque wrenches - why I don't use them for bikes: Triathlon Forum: Slowtwitch Forums

Essentially concluding that, due to the large variation in the condition (clean/dirty/lubed/chewed up) of the bolts being torqued, a certain applied torque results in a huge range of clamping forces (which is what we are really trying to set).

At this point, I gave up, and decided to buy a shiny new allen key set instead.

It always amazes me that two people can read the same thing and each conclude opposite opinions. I thought that the discussion made a pretty good case for using a torque wrench - I must admit that I am a habitual torque wrench user and that I always lube threads and slightly under torque. Never stripped a thread or crushed any carbon. I remember the first time I used a torque wrench on a 5Nm stem bolt and was surprised how much more tension the wrench applied before it clicked than I normally applied by feel with just an Allen wrench.

Everyone knows that 1 liter of water is 1 kilogram but how can you be sure you are measuring 1 liter accurately?

Objective standards is my point.



-Tim-

People who want to check the scale. A line on the side of a container doesn't generally get out of calibration, and a glass beaker, for example, will have obvious signs of damage if its weight has changed more than a miniscule amount. Thus, if you know the starting weight of the beaker, clean it properly and fill it with a known volume of pure water, you have a check weight accurate enough for most people's purposes. Anyone needing more accuracy than that probably already has a set of standards to calibrate their instruments with.

I didn't conclude that a torque wrench is no use, but that it is not as simple as I first thought. It certainly seems to me that the effects of nut/bolt condition (especially at the lower torques, and with used bikes) are as significant as the difference between hand tightening and using a torque wrench.

Same here, very happy with it.

Make that two!!!!

Any thoughts on these?
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/eq...-wrench/117954

I lusted after Stahwille split beam wrenches for over a decade until I caved in and upgraded.

I would have saved money if I did that sooner before my Craftsman didn't click when torquing at an off angle I couldn't feel, broke parts, then went through my closed garage door with my HOA requiring replacement due to the hole.

• Instantly set torque using both thumbs instead of cranking on the end
• Equally accurate counter-clockwise
• Interchangeable heads including 1/4" hex bit ratcheting and fixed to fit into tight spots
• The entire scale is usable with +/- 4% of indicated reading accuracy on the factory calibration good for 5000 uses. Wrenches made after 2007 can be calibrated to +/- 1%.
• No need to zero for storage because there's no load on the internals except when you're torquing a bolt until it clicks.

New prices can be under half what they cost in the US when you order direct from Germany, and you can get some very good used deals off ebay.de if you sign up for a German package forwarding service.

Stahwille is GERMAN quality.

I have a few of their aircooled VW specific tools.

Fake news.