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[murphy]

I need to buy a torque wrench for my bike, but not exatly sure which one to get.

Can anyone offer any suggestions on what settings (ft lbs) will cover most of the torque values I may need down the road?

[MUFFMAN]

I have to sets of torque wrenches , 3/8"  & 1/2". I use the 3/8 for the lighter jobs & the 1/2" for less miniscule work. Spend the extra dough & get the micrometer click style. They are much more accurate. THE MUFFMAN

[sadunbar]

I need to buy a torque wrench for my bike, but not exatly sure which one to get.

Can anyone offer any suggestions on what settings (ft lbs) will cover most of the torque values I may need down the road?

Look thru your service manual.  You will find many torque requirments in "inch-pounds" and torque readings in "foot-pounds".  Then there are choices of 1/4" drive, 3/8",drive and 1/2" drive heads.  If you are a tool junkie, you will have a drawer full of torque wrenches with an assortment of these combinations.  If your budget only allows one or two torque wrenches, go back to your service manual and decide what you most intend to most use the torque wrench for and chose the appropriate sizes.  Most important, though, is don't go cheap.  Buy a quality torque wrench, cause most of the cheap ones are real junk.  I would recommend Snap On. 

happy shopping....

[TORKER07]

Look thru your service manual.  You will find many torque requirments in "inch-pounds" and torque readings in "foot-pounds".  Then there are choices of 1/4" drive, 3/8",drive and 1/2" drive heads.  If you are a tool junkie, you will have a drawer full of torque wrenches with an assortment of these combinations.  If your budget only allows one or two torque wrenches, go back to your service manual and decide what you most intend to most use the torque wrench for and chose the appropriate sizes.  Most important, though, is don't go cheap.  Buy a quality torque wrench, cause most of the cheap ones are real junk.  I would recommend Snap On. 

happy shopping....

I couldn't agree more with the choice of Snap On, I seem to remember something about converting to inch pounds using a foot pound wrench. There must be a mathematical formula for this if it is possible, anyone with info?

[Sean M Cary]

I couldn't agree more with the choice of Snap On, I seem to remember something about converting to inch pounds using a foot pound wrench. There must be a mathematical formula for this if it is possible, anyone with info?

12 inches in a foot...

I seem to be using my NM marks more then anything lately, no conversion.

I have a craftsman click type 3/8 that is my "go to" wrench and regular bar type 3/8 and 1/2 for when i don't care about or don't need to be dead on but close enough.  I also have a micrometer 3/8" - so quite a few varieties that I have collected over the years.

Sean

[sadunbar]

I couldn't agree more with the choice of Snap On, I seem to remember something about converting to inch pounds using a foot pound wrench. There must be a mathematical formula for this if it is possible, anyone with info?

1 foot pound equals 12 inch pounds...  12 inch pounds equals 1 foot pound...  

An inch pound torque wrench is far more accurate then a foot pound torque wrench at the lower torque settings, and you can damage an inch pound torque wrench if continually using it at the highest settings.  One of each is a good bet - just choose the most versatile drive head sizes...

[grc]

I couldn't agree more with the choice of Snap On, I seem to remember something about converting to inch pounds using a foot pound wrench. There must be a mathematical formula for this if it is possible, anyone with info?

FT-LB  X  12  =  IN-LB

IN-LB  /  12  =  FT-LB

Unfortunately, you can't just convert the in-lb specs to ft-lb and use the big wrench.  For instance, 120 in-lb equals 10 ft-lb.  If you are using a 150 ft-lb wrench, the scale most likely won't go below 20-30 ft-lb, and it won't be very accurate even if the scale does go low enough.

As a minimum, you really need a 3/8" drive in-lb wrench and a 1/2" drive ft-lb wrench.  And if you plan on doing stuff with torque and angle, such as compensator nuts and head bolts, there is a neat tool from KD that I recently came across that makes that a simple process.  Roughly $20 through Sears catalog, KDS3336, picture attached.

Jerry

[VANAMAL]

HERES MINE!-Im a tool nut too.
1/2" drive 200 ft lbs
3/8" drive 100 ft lbs
3/8" drive 200 inch lbs
all were bought on ebay-

[sadunbar]

FT-LB  X  12  =  IN-LB

IN-LB  /  12  =  FT-LB

Unfortunately, you can't just convert the in-lb specs to ft-lb and use the big wrench.  For instance, 120 in-lb equals 10 ft-lb.  If you are using a 150 ft-lb wrench, the scale most likely won't go below 20-30 ft-lb, and it won't be very accurate even if the scale does go low enough.

As a minimum, you really need a 3/8" drive in-lb wrench and a 1/2" drive ft-lb wrench.  And if you plan on doing stuff with torque and angle, such as compensator nuts and head bolts, there is a neat tool from KD that I recently came across that makes that a simple process.  Roughly $20 through Sears catalog, KDS3336, picture attached.

Jerry

My toolbox includes a 1/4 drive in/lb, a 3/8 drive in/lb, a 3/8 drive ft/lb, a 1/2 drive ft/lb and a 3/4 drive ft/lb - accumulated over the years.  It is important to have torque wrenches calibrated on a regular basis...

[hd-dude]

If you don't mind spending $400 on a wrench here is what I use daily at the shop. It has a range of 5-100 ft/lbs and 60-1200 in/lbs. It also will do the torque twist method for head bolts. Along with this wrench I have a 1/2" drive Craftsman that goes to 250 ft/lbs for the very large bolts.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?search=true&item_ID=76642&PartNo=atech2fr100&group_id=19918&supersede=&store=snapon-store&tool=all

[BIGDOG]

Are you going to use the torque wrench on just your bike or do you work on cars also. I have a tool store and have offered to sell to CVO site members at 10% over cost plus freight. I carry an industrial quality line called Wright Tool as well as lesser quality import line. I well be back in the office on Tuesday and could get you pricing then. I would suggest an In lb wrench and a ft lb wrench. Please PM me with a number to contact you on Tuesday. The only Issue is shipping into Canada but we can get it done.

[Twolanerider]

If this was mentioned above please forgive (I didn't read it all).  If you're getting a wrench for bike use your choices will be significantly narrowed actually.  At least if you want to use it all over the bike's potential places of need.

There aren't that many wrenches that actually calibrate for both left and right hand tightening.  Clutch basket and sprocket both have left hand threads.  Very likely if you find a wrench that measures and reports both ways it's a decent wrench.

Just a couple of months ago a good torque wrench I'd had for years and years died on me.  The only thing I could find in town that measured by clockwise and counterclockwise was a new fancy-schmancy digital torque wrench at Sears:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00945286000P?vName=Tools&cName=Mechanics+Tools&sName=Torque+Wrenches

I honestly didn't care about the digital bells and whistles.  But it was the only option without waiting.  Having used it a few times now it's actually been a good wrench.  And it's very accurate.  Have no idea how the electronics will hold up over the long haul.  But so far so good.

One side benefit is that it's a wrench with a very long handle.  Not too long to use in places like the clutch or compensator.  But definitely long enough that the tight pull on a compensator nut is noticably easier than it was with my old wrench that was 2/3rds the lenght.

[porthole]

Ditto for most of the info here.

3/8 drive for inch pound, 1/2 inch for foot pounds.

Forgot the "bar" type, spend the bucks on a "click stop" wrench.

As mentioned, most 1/2 inch drive wrenches start the scale at 20 ft lbs. which is 240 in lbs.
Most 3/8 in lb wrenches go as high as 200 in lbs, which is 16 ft lbs.
So you can see you have a "gray" area here.

In Harley's "FREE" torque value book (p/n 99959-05) many torque specs start between 16-20 ft lbs, and one in particular rates the starter mounting bolts at 14-18 ft lbs! Which wrench do you use?

These are common numbers, going to high end like Snap On and Mac will give you a much greater variety of ranges.

If you are just using this for your own work and want to be satisfied with the work you are doing you should be fine with the Craftsman series of click stop wrenches.

Stated degree of accuracy is relative, eg 1% 4% accuracy etc. A 4% accurate wrench will be acceptable for most torque vales listed for a particular fastener, eg spec calls for 25-30 ft lbs., stay in the middle with your wrench setting and you should be good to go.
The key point is that multiple fasteners are torqued to a consistent value.

If you don't mind spending the money on tools buy the Snap On, you won't be disappointed, but for home owner use the Craftsman is fine.

You'll probably find that once you start using a torque wrench consistently, that prior to, you were probably over torquing your fasteners.

[Gettinold]

I have 1/4, 3/8, & 1/2 inch Snap-On click type torques, but I have Volkswagon, sour kraut blood so I use German specs most of the time, in not so critical areas, Goodentit'e. 

[Jbbrown73]

I have this one and it is awesome.  It is pricey, but well worth it.  You can convert in/lbs. to ft./lbs. to newton meters with the touch of a button.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=66659&group_ID=17226&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog