torque wrenches necessary? By 80ccsofawesome (Read 1,103 times)

[80ccsofawesome]

just a general question for the veteran gearheads... how important is it to use a torque wrench to tighten the nuts on a bike? particularly the ones connected to the wheels? i've had one guy with a lot of experience tell me you don't really need to torque the nuts, just make sure they're tight without overdoing it.

i'm trying to decide whether it's worth investing in one or not. if you think it is, do you have any recommendations for a good quality, reasonably priced one? how about beam vs. click-type vs. digital?

[Alleyoop]

I do not think it is necessary myself only if your going to put on a top in on the motor. Other than that Tighten the bolts but do not overdo it.
Alleyoop

[Bashan]

Yes, you should get a torque wrench. I spent about $80.00 on a click type from Lowes. Ideally you should look up the torque value on every bolt and set them to spec. Having said that I personally get in a hurry and will guess with a regular wrench based on my experience with having previously used a torque wrench in that spot. I also marked the nuts on the variator, clutch, and stator after using the torque wrench and then used the impact to match up the mark after that a few times. In a perfect world you should use the torque wrench every time. Rich

[sprocket]

I agree with Rich...it is important for the variator nut especially... people use an impact wrench and over tighten the variator nut which drives the kickstarter gear up the tapered shaft to a point where it can be nearly impossible to remove, except by cutting it with a grinder... no fun...

[Cruiser]

The advice of not overdoing it when tightening nuts and bolts is very good, but how does a person know what "overdoing it" is especially if they are not experienced in wrenching? To take the guess work out - use a torque wrench. Especially important for engine work like assembling the head and engine cases and a good idea for tightening the spark plug. I have no idea what 70 foot pounds or 40 foot pounds feels like when tightening. I have done my own repairs and maintenance on cars, motorcycles, small engines, and scoots for 50 years and I own 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive click type torque wrenches. Once I guesstimated tightening the variator nut on my 250cc and lost it after about 1 hour of riding. So much for not overdoing it.

So, if I have any doubts, I use my torque wrenches.