Torque wrench
do i need a torque wrench?
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 816
Likes: 4
From: Stone Harbor, NJ
For the Derby cover? If you're a gorilla you need one. If not and you are just average strong probably not - just tighten in a star pattern until its a "bit too difficult to tighten further."
Then again - feel is subjective and everyone's "feel" is different which is where a torque wrench comes in. It takes the guess work out.
In general I think you should have at least a 3/4 if you are going to do anything more than oil changes. For the money (you don't nee the Snap on tools version for you home garage), piece of mind can't be beat.
USMAMule
Then again - feel is subjective and everyone's "feel" is different which is where a torque wrench comes in. It takes the guess work out.
In general I think you should have at least a 3/4 if you are going to do anything more than oil changes. For the money (you don't nee the Snap on tools version for you home garage), piece of mind can't be beat.
USMAMule
Last edited by USMAMule; Jun 23, 2011 at 10:08 AM.
Advanced
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
For the Derby cover? If you're a gorilla you need one. If not and you are just average strong probably not - just tighten in a star pattern until its a "bit difficult too tighten further."
Then again - feel is subjective and everyone's "feel" is different which is where a torque wrench comes in. It takes the guess work out.
In general I think you should have at least a 3/4 if you are going to do anything more than oil changes. For the money (you don't nee the Snap on tools version for you home garage), piece of mind can't be beat.
USMAMule
Then again - feel is subjective and everyone's "feel" is different which is where a torque wrench comes in. It takes the guess work out.
In general I think you should have at least a 3/4 if you are going to do anything more than oil changes. For the money (you don't nee the Snap on tools version for you home garage), piece of mind can't be beat.
USMAMule
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 263
Likes: 0
alright thanks guys. im not worried about snapping the bolts i know enough to know what tight is. my main concern was if it would leak if all the bolts weren't all at exactly even specs. so looks like ill be tackling this job without one.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 479
Likes: 1
From: Oregon
As a mechanic, I don't torque everything that I should, I've developed a pretty good "feel" over the years. If you are unsure, then you should probably use a torque wrench. IMO you get what you pay for with torque wrenches, I feel the cheap ones are complete garbage. I use the digital ones at work and I bought one to use at home on the bike. They are extremely accurate and they will do in-lbs, ft-lbs, nm, it's like multiple torque wrenches in one. I guess I don't understand why someone would want to work on a 15-20K bike with a $60 torque wrench. The derby cover is not that big of a deal but if you are going to be removing wheels or doing engine work, I would not trust the cheapies. Again, JMO.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,990
Likes: 9
From: Marina del Rey
Sorry, but a 3/8"-drive (inch-pounds) and 1/2"-drive (foot-pounds) are all that's needed.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,763
Likes: 371
From: North of Hell, South of Heaven
No. I replaced my derby cover over 2 years ago using a standard tool. No leaks. Ever.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,960
Likes: 26
From: Sonoma County, CA
My feeling is that if you've done much wrenching you will definitely develop a feel for "pretty close" torque. The size of the wrench and the size of the fastener all need to come into play when your doing your general stuff and the feel you get when tightening them. That being said, I have two Craftsman torque wrenches. One for in/lbs and the other for ft/lbs. Using them really gives you a peace of mind knowing you've done it right. Sometimes your "feel" is close and other times it's not. Bottom line is that you should get the wrenches and do your bike right. You depend on your bike to be a safe and reliable means of transportation and as the saying goes....Safety is no accident!