Torque Caliper Bolts
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,385
Likes: 1,442
From: Brentwood
Torque Caliper Bolts
Time to wise up and use a torque wrench.
I was washing my bike today and discovered a missing bolt on my rear caliper the other bolt was backed out about a 1/2 turn as well.
I changed out my wheels and put new pads on over a month ago and went with my usual feels about right torque values. I believe I dodged a bullet catching this missing bolt before the other one backed out as well.
I split lanes daily in bumper to bumper traffic and brake failure especially a caliper getting jammed in a wheel in traffic could be fatal.
Picking up a new bolt and an inch pound as well as a foot pound torque wrench. Does no good reading torque values in a manual and then buttoning everything up without the wrench.
If youve been wrenching without a torque wrench learn from my mistake and do it right!
I was washing my bike today and discovered a missing bolt on my rear caliper the other bolt was backed out about a 1/2 turn as well.
I changed out my wheels and put new pads on over a month ago and went with my usual feels about right torque values. I believe I dodged a bullet catching this missing bolt before the other one backed out as well.
I split lanes daily in bumper to bumper traffic and brake failure especially a caliper getting jammed in a wheel in traffic could be fatal.
Picking up a new bolt and an inch pound as well as a foot pound torque wrench. Does no good reading torque values in a manual and then buttoning everything up without the wrench.
If youve been wrenching without a torque wrench learn from my mistake and do it right!
Thread Starter
|
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,385
Likes: 1,442
From: Brentwood
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,858
Likes: 217
From: Puyallup Wa.
Time to wise up and use a torque wrench.
I was washing my bike today and discovered a missing bolt on my rear caliper the other bolt was backed out about a 1/2 turn as well.
I changed out my wheels and put new pads on over a month ago and went with my usual feels about right torque values. I believe I dodged a bullet catching this missing bolt before the other one backed out as well.
I split lanes daily in bumper to bumper traffic and brake failure especially a caliper getting jammed in a wheel in traffic could be fatal.
Picking up a new bolt and an inch pound as well as a foot pound torque wrench. Does no good reading torque values in a manual and then buttoning everything up without the wrench.
If youve been wrenching without a torque wrench learn from my mistake and do it right!
I was washing my bike today and discovered a missing bolt on my rear caliper the other bolt was backed out about a 1/2 turn as well.
I changed out my wheels and put new pads on over a month ago and went with my usual feels about right torque values. I believe I dodged a bullet catching this missing bolt before the other one backed out as well.
I split lanes daily in bumper to bumper traffic and brake failure especially a caliper getting jammed in a wheel in traffic could be fatal.
Picking up a new bolt and an inch pound as well as a foot pound torque wrench. Does no good reading torque values in a manual and then buttoning everything up without the wrench.
If youve been wrenching without a torque wrench learn from my mistake and do it right!
Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 773
Likes: 124
From: Between purgatory and retirement
Good post to let others know of your (common) mistakes, so others dont make them.
It is a bad idea to assume one can feel proper torque unless you do it regularly with a torque wrench, and then it is a mater of both experience and perception, especially with inch-pounds.
Also, did you apply the proper loctite?
.
It is a bad idea to assume one can feel proper torque unless you do it regularly with a torque wrench, and then it is a mater of both experience and perception, especially with inch-pounds.
Also, did you apply the proper loctite?
.
Thread Starter
|
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,385
Likes: 1,442
From: Brentwood
Good post to let others know of your (common) mistakes, so others dont make them.
It is a bad idea to assume one can feel proper torque unless you do it regularly with a torque wrench, and then it is a mater of both experience and perception, especially with inch-pounds.
Also, did you apply the proper loctite?
.
It is a bad idea to assume one can feel proper torque unless you do it regularly with a torque wrench, and then it is a mater of both experience and perception, especially with inch-pounds.
Also, did you apply the proper loctite?
.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 12,233
Likes: 4,943
From: England
In my youth it was a case of doing up fasteners until they creaked and then back them off half a turn. I use a torque wrench now to remove the guess work.
If the screws don't show signs of having Loctite and the manual doesn't call for Loctite then just be careful of the torque you put on the fastener if you do put Loctite on it.
I didn't know until I found it here and also found it by a little research that the lubricating effect of Loctite will make the fitting tighter than it needs to be.
If the screws don't show signs of having Loctite and the manual doesn't call for Loctite then just be careful of the torque you put on the fastener if you do put Loctite on it.
I didn't know until I found it here and also found it by a little research that the lubricating effect of Loctite will make the fitting tighter than it needs to be.
Last edited by Andy from Sandy; Dec 9, 2018 at 03:40 AM.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 1,488
From: SW Washington State
The problem with Torque wrenches is trusting one that has gone out of calibration, that is a recipe for disaster. So, If your willing to step up and do your own maintenance, you really should go all the way and maintain your tools. Have periodic calibrations done, because an out of calibration torque wrench is the most dangerous tool in your toolbox!
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 472
Likes: 59
From: farmington ny
A quality torque wrench is a precision instrument and needs to be handled and used with care,but they all need calibrated in time.I have good(maybe not the best) inch pound and a foot pound torque wrenches that are used for the Harley only. I figure the less I use them the longer they will go before needing calibrated.Could I afford this?Not really but I can't afford a crash and burn on the highway either.I refuse to pay over priced steeler to do the work. A fallen off caliper on a motorcycle would be a disaster for sure.
