Torque Wrench

[TSM]

If you are to get one torque wrench for basic stuff like engine bolts etc, what torque range would be best.

Is £50 for a Halfords Pro Torque Wrench 8-60Nm a bit pricy?

[Mariner]

The Halfords Pro range is superb value, I work on Marine Engines and most of our tools have been ordered from Halfords. If you want a cheaper alternative, Machine Mart have cheaper stuff but obviously poorer quality. It just depends how much you will be using it and how much you can afford.

[Iansv]

Screwfix do a reasonable one for £12

[BURNER]

Halfwits have decent tools and worth the money. Even RiDE gave it a good score.

[Viney]

I have a Monster 60-300Nm for doing up front wheel bearings on fords! and a baby Draper item for the bike. At the end of the day i only use for probably 3 bolts on the bike, 2 of them beig the wheels. its only major stress laoding blts that need to be done to the correct tourque, and unless that wrench is calibrated from new, and regulaly after, then they aint much cop as they can vary a lot.

The Halfords stuff is very good. My large one (fnarrr fnarr) took a 4 ft lenngth of scaffolding it as well, and still works fine.

[TSM]

what i ment is what range e.g 40-200Nm, 8-60Nm, 60-300Nm etc...

What is the most usefull for the SV, i was thinking the 8-60Nm one.

[Viney]

yes the 8-60 would be good enough i suppose.

[Mr Toad]

I got the 8-60 one from Halfwits (think that's the range) - decent enough bit of kit

then I discovered that the real wheel nuts had to be tightened to 100nm - bugger :cry:

got a monster wrench from the Ally Palace bike show for £15
not as good quality, but does the job

When refering to the manual, just remember that the diameter refers to the width of bolt section with the screw thread, not the size of the socket needed :D

[Ceri JC]

What is the most usefull for the SV, i was thinking the 8-60Nm one.

That's what I have (the 8-60 halfords one) and it's ideal: No complaints with it at all. It'd be nice to have it marginally easier to "reverse" the direction, but I just have a comparatively cheap socket wrench I use for undoing. I had considered buying the 60-300Nm to let me cover 8-300, but I've not come across anything yet that needs it, other than the rear axle bolts (although that could be because I mechanical numpty and use the garage for big jobs!)

To quote Mr. Toad

When refering to the manual, just remember that the diameter refers to the width of bolt section with the screw thread, not the size of the socket needed

Yes, the above caught me out when I first took a spanner to mine :oops: :D

[northwind]

I just use a cheap-ish Draper one for small values, and a very cheap Clarke one for big values... Both are marginalyl less accurate than my brother's Snap-Ons, but I imagine they'll go out of calibration long before the Snap-Ons would. Still, they do the job.

[Valman]

That one is good but the 40-200Nm is supposedly rubbish, see here (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product_test/36115/torque_wrenches.html).

The Kamasa SP3780 seems to be very good value, although I couldn't find it for the £21.50 they quote, and has a 13.5 - 202Nm range, although a Nm scale is not on the wrench. You could buy another wrench for the stuff under 13.5 Nm as well though for the money so worth getting I think.

[454697819]

That one is good but the 40-200Nm is supposedly rubbish, see here (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product_test/36115/torque_wrenches.html).

The Kamasa SP3780 seems to be very good value, although I couldn't find it for the £21.50 they quote, and has a 13.5 - 202Nm range, although a Nm scale is not on the wrench. You could buy another wrench for the stuff under 13.5 Nm as well though for the money so worth getting I think.

i have a big daddy 10 to 200 nm. tis a bit big for most stuff on the bike, but at leat the rear wheel spindle will be doneup properly!!

[Bagpuss]

then I discovered that the real wheel nuts had to be tightened to 100nm - bugger :cry:


According to my haynes manual for the curvy model the rear axle nut has a torque setting of 65 Nm ????

[Carsick]

then I discovered that the real wheel nuts had to be tightened to 100nm - bugger :cry:


According to my haynes manual for the curvy model the rear axle nut has a torque setting of 65 Nm ????
Pointy is 100Nm.

[Bagpuss]

Thats alright, suddenly was a bit concerned since I adjusted my chain at the weekend, didn't want the wheel falling off!

[Warren]

argos to a 15 quid one.

think im gonna get one.

[Nekkid]

As already mentioned, the rear wheel spindle bolt on the curvy should be 65nm, so make sure what you buy goes at least that tight!

[Bagpuss]

I've got the argos one, does the job, I'm sure it's not that accurate.

[embee]

I've checked a couple of cheapo (sub £20) torque wrenches against a calibrated 2% accuracy one and found they tend to over-read (i.e. the safe way) by typically around 10%.

While this sounds a lot, and takes them well outside any recognised accuracy rating, it's still perfectly usable for most general fasteners. After all, it's the difference between 22 and 25Nm, and you get a bigger effect on tightening from the type of lubricant on the threads.

[RandyO]

Thats alright, suddenly was a bit concerned since I adjusted my chain at the weekend, didn't want the wheel falling off!

did you put a cotter pin back in ? torque specs on the axle nut are kinda meaningless, yo have to tighten to line the cotter pin hole up regardless of what the torque specs are, once you put the cotter pin in, how can it loosen?

[TSM]

Thats alright, suddenly was a bit concerned since I adjusted my chain at the weekend, didn't want the wheel falling off!

did you put a cotter pin back in ? torque specs on the axle nut are kinda meaningless, yo have to tighten to line the cotter pin hole up regardless of what the torque specs are, once you put the cotter pin in, how can it loosen?

I think that the cotter pin is only required on USA/Canada spec bikes. My SV manual only shows it on bikes from USA/Canada. We have a locking nut.

[sexysi]

I have two, a nice small for the 5nm-60nm, however if removing the swingarm, for whatever reason you will need to tighten to 100-110nm. Thus had to buy an big 1/2" drive one that goes upto 130nm.
sexysi