Digital Torque Wrench

[Ihor]

Does anyone use a digital torque wrench on their e-bikes?

 

[fooferdoggie]

no its way overkill on a bike. I seldom meed one so it sits around and only gets used once in a great while.

 

[Ihor]

Is overkill to loosen bolts, spray silicone, the torque them all, and do the same for the mid hub motor?
the specs on the Tern list all the connected parts and their nM.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I use a traditional torque wrench from PRO BIKE TOOL. However, I also use digital calipers, which is a precise and convenient tool.
The digital torque wrench is an overkill

 

[Ihor]

Thank you.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Is overkill to loosen bolts, spray silicone, the torque them all, and do the same for the mid hub motor?
the specs on the Tern list all the connected parts and their nM.

pretty much. there are only a few places you need accurate torque. the motor and thats seldom off the riser and any carbon fiber parts. maybe the 6 bolts on rotors but I usually use a impact tool to put them on.

 

[Ihor]

Thank you.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

pretty much. there are only a few places you need accurate torque.

I disagree. It is very easy to pull a bolt or a screw with irreversible outcome.

 

[MartsEbike]

You can get complacent believing digital torque wrenches are more accurate but this isn't always the case.

Traditional or Digital, most are only guaranteed for 1 year from first usage.

If accuracy matters to you, then you need to have it torque checked or calibrated. I'm in the UK and it costs about £30-50 to calibrate a torque wrench. Worth doing every so often.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I disagree. It is very easy to pull a bolt or a screw with irreversible outcome.

if your heavy handed.

 

[PCeBiker]

if your heavy handed.

I find that using regular Allen keys really helps with guesstimating the proper torque.

Smaller bolts have smaller keys that have a shorter thinner handle.
A thin short handle bites into your hand just about as hard as a long fat handle at the appropriate torque value.

If you don't feel the pinch and leave a dent in your hand, it's too loose.

If you draw blood and have a permanent imprint of an Allen key tattooed/branded into your flesh, then you probably over-torqued and broke the bolt or stripped the threads.

Listen for the crunching sound and feel just before it breaks.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

if your heavy handed.

I dunno. A lot of people are heavy-handed. If you have a torque wrench, why not use it? But I have torque wrenches and don't use them most of the time. There are times when they're worth breaking out though. And if I didn't already have about all the torque tools I need, I might use a new bike as an excuse to buy a new one.

TT

 

[PCeBiker]

I dunno. A lot of people are heavy-handed. If you have a torque wrench, why not use it?

Because a torque wrench can fail or be Way out of spec,. but you trust it as truth and break stuff.

But I have torque wrenches and don't use them most of the time.

I'd much rather guess inch pounds of torque with a tiny little wrench than trust a torque wrench with a foot long handle to click when it's supposed to.

There are times when they're worth breaking out though.

If you break a bolt with a regular Allen key, you're going to feel that before it breaks.

And if I didn't already have about all the torque tools I need, I might use a new bike as an excuse to buy a new one.

TT

I usually buy new tools for my e-bike, but that's a good idea/excuse.

There's something about getting your hands dirty and going by feel.
I get ZEN with my e-bike when I go there.

I use cheap tools whenever I can, but a torque wrench ain't one of them.

I'll get a proper Park Tools Torque Wrench if I decide to get one and have it calibrated yearly like you're supposed to, but I can't justify the cost right now when I figure that I can guesstimate quite accurately.
I've never lost or broken a bolt on my e-bikes.
(I broke a bunch on my car though.)

 

[Aushiker]

I'd much rather guess inch pounds of torque with a tiny little wrench than trust a torque wrench with a foot long handle to click when it's supposed to.

I am lucky then as my BBB torque wench is not a foot long ...

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Because a torque wrench can fail or be Way out of spec,. but you trust it as truth and break stuff.

Yeah, maybe. Or maybe you get it calibrated or check it against another torque wrench. They're generally going to be at least as accurate as guessing. But, like I said, I don't think they're needed for a lot of regular stuff.

I'd much rather guess inch pounds of torque with a tiny little wrench than trust a torque wrench with a foot long handle to click when it's supposed to.

At least one of my torque wrenches has about a 6-inch handle. Quarter inch drive. (I have one that has about a 3-foot handle too.

If you break a bolt with a regular Allen key, you're going to feel that before it breaks.

Yeah, probably, but I'm not sure what that means.

TT

 

[PCeBiker]

I am lucky then as my BBB torque wench is not a foot long ...

Yeah, I exaggerated a little.
I got used to working on my car.

I need to get some smaller tools.

I'm used to buying my tools by the foot.
I've got to learn how to shop by the inch

 

[PCeBiker]

If the tool costs more than the part I'll break if I torque it incorrectly, then I'm just going to wing it with my Allen keys.

I can buy a new hub motor for the same price as the tool used to torque it properly.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I dunno. A lot of people are heavy-handed. If you have a torque wrench, why not use it? But I have torque wrenches and don't use them most of the time. There are times when they're worth breaking out though. And if I didn't already have about all the torque tools I need, I might use a new bike as an excuse to buy a new one.

TT

as you said they can be a hassle. I always use one when adjusting the riser. or my seat bolt.

 

[PCeBiker]

I use a traditional torque wrench from PRO BIKE TOOL. However, I also use digital calipers, which is a precise and convenient tool.
The digital torque wrench is an overkill

I was looking at that, and I didn't like the negative reviews.
Sure it was only 3%, but a torque wrench is something where you don't really know if it's working properly or not.

I wonder how many of the other 97% of customers actually have their bolts tightening to spec. ??

@Stefan Mikes ,..
Surely you must know who the German brand with the green logo is ??
They're right next door to you.

That's the torque wrench that I want to buy.

My German made Knipex Side Cutters Kick Ass !!
I can cut anything where I'm strong enough to squeeze the handles without damaging the tool !!

I like tools that are stronger than I am, except a torque wrench.
I need that tool to be more accurate than I am, and I'm pretty accurate so I need to spend Big $$ to get something better than me.

I'd prefer to not buy into Park Tool hype though, so I want to know who the German brand with the green logo is.
I'm sure that it's better and cheaper.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I was looking at that, and I didn't like the negative reviews.
Sure it was only 3%, but a torque wrench is something where you don't really know if it's working properly or not.

My Pro Bike Tool wrench has been with me for the last 4 years and served me well. The only thing the user of any torque wrench needs to do is to turn the handle back into the neutral position after use to decompress the spring. I don't care whether it is calibrated or not; it is still better than tightening things by the feeling. For instance, pulling the thread on a thru-axle will damage the fork or the frame beyond repair. Or, the axle is tightened too loosely.

I am surprised some Americans here still work by the feeling as I was sure it was a "measuring nation"

@Stefan Mikes ,..
Surely you must know who the German brand with the green logo is ??
They're right next door to you.

It could be WERA (I guess). Wera makes very expensive tools. They now have their manufacturing in the Czech Republic, which is a good thing as the country is famous for precision engineering. Moreover, the Czech have a great sense of humour and open minds, making them so different from the German!

Talking off-topic: I have seen e-bikes from a Czech brand by the name of Superior. The brand makes just excellent Shimano or Bosch based e-bikes! I could see a Superior e-MTB in person and was impressed!