Quick question. I've been wanting a ft. lb. torque wrench for a while now and my wife said she wants to buy me one for my birth day. I'm out of town, so I don't have my service manual with me. What range ft. lb. torque wrench do I need for working on my bike? I already have an inch lb. so that stuff is covered.

 

Have her get one that will go up to at least 150 ft-#; most of them will do this, and have 1/2"-drive--I have a Craftsman. I like Snap-On (for a lot more $) & have their 3/8" in-#. Both are preset "click" types, which I prefer, but the beam-type is very workable and even more foolproof for a lot less money. These are available new/mint on eBay, CL...; Sears is cheap enough new.

 

Yeah, I have a Craftsman inch lb. and I like it a lot. She wanted to buy Snap-On but I don't want her spending that kind of money so I'll probably get another Craftsman. Thanks for the info.

 

If you are going to drop the cash for a good wrench, I would recommend getting one that is digital with degree readings as well. So many things are going to TTY bolts and TQ+Degrees. Infact, almost half of the stuff I torque these days requires degree measurements.

 

+1.... 1/2" 150lbs min. I like the "click" kind myself. I have the Craftsman; they're good quality tools and if they break you can take it back and they'll replace it.

Happy B-day dude!!!

 

For as much use that non-full time mechanics will use this wrench...sears is fine.
I forget the increments they have but around 200 Ft lbs should do ya for what your going to run into. I guess referance the torqe of the rear axil nut and that should be the most your going to encounter.

 

I bought the Harbor Freight wrench for $25 a couple weeks ago. I looked pretty closely and couldn't figure out where it was made, so I bought the thing. I needed it at the time. Seems to work OK for 25 bucks and I probably won't use it 10 times in my life. Just wanted to throw that in the mix.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-hal...rench-239.html

 

I have three of them. A 1/4" drive inch-lb, a 3/8" ft lb and a 1/2" ft lb.

A lot of times, the manual calls for inch lbs and when it calls for under 20 ft-lbs I use the inch-lb wrench. One foot lb equals 12 inch lbs. Simple.

You start getting under 20 ft lbs and even the 3/8" drive torque wrenchs aren't real reliable. They may say their range is 10 ft lbs to 80, but that low number just ain't reliable. They don't like to 'click' down that low and even when they do, you won't feel it.

I bought mine at cheaper-than-dirt Harbor Freight. $20 each. Yeah, I know they're not that good but I ain't spending seriously heavy bread on something I'll use once in a blue moon. They're close enough, IMO.

If I were going to tear down and reassemble my motor or do something where the torque readings are CRITICAL, I might not even borrow my next door neighbor buddy's Snap On. I guarantee it hasn't been calibrated -- Probably ever, since he bought it. So I'd borrow my buddy's who is a professional mechanic. I know he gets his calibrated at least a couple times a year.

But if momma is gonna get you a decent one, I'd think about a 3/8" drive that goes up to -- What? 80 ft-lbs? Dunno, I'd have to look. But I can't think of too much on a Harley that requires more than that. Maybe the spokes.

Just a thought. Maybe not worth much. But you don't want something that's useless for smaller torque numbers. Some of those big 1/2" drive ones are.

 

Sears will only replace it with in the first year...ask me how I know. My $.02 is the Craftsman wrenchs are a POS. JMHO.

 

I'm going to have to second bikerlaw here and I use my Harbor Freight torque wrenches professionally.

The old man that was working on Harleys when they had wooden wheels always has something to say about my cheap torque wrenches but every single time we compare his snap on to my HF they match torques exactly.

On a sale I bought the 1/4" in.lb., and 3/8 ft.lb., and the 1/2" drive ft.lb. for less than $50 for all three. you can't even buy a rebuild kit for one of his for that price.

Now the 3/4" drive that I use to pull down crank pins to 400 ft.lbs. is a Snap On but only because HF doesn't offer one that size.