Torque wrench for chain adjustment

[muldoon74]

As per title etc.

 

I need to tighten my chain but don't have a torque wrench. 

 

As it turns out, they're actually very expensive! 

 

Is a torque wrench strictly necessary for adjusting chain on a cb215f? 

 

I've seen youtube vids where they're not used but also ones where they say its a must. 

 

Would rather start doing these types of maintenance myself, get some spannerring experience, than take to local bike garage (although they have a great rep) to give them £15 for 10 minutes (if that) work. 

 

I need it done by next weekend as I intend to go a bit of a big ride, maybe Tyndrum (I'm near Edinburgh) as I want a bacon roll at the Green Welly Stop. It's about 160 mile round trip from house so will be leaving nice and early as I can't use motorway up to Stirling to turn off onto A84 (a cracking road I've done many times over the years hillwalking, holidays and driving trucks and vans for work. It's in my bike bank [like a w**k bank, but for bike roads]).

 

Any help gratefully received.. 

 

 

[AstronautNinja]

From ym car background I'd say no unless your getting into engine building. MAybe the bike guys know sometings I don't but IMO experience generally builds the ability to judge the torque by the fittings application.

 

If you  new to mechanics you may not have this experience.

 

£25 for one that gore sup to 110nm. Bare in mind cheap ones will also be just a rough guide

 

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/amtech-3-8-torque-wrench-553774750

[muldoon74]

11 minutes ago, AstronautNinja said:

From ym car background I'd say no unless your getting into engine building. MAybe the bike guys know sometings I don't but IMO experience generally builds the ability to judge the torque by the fittings application.

 

If you  new to mechanics you may not have this experience.

 

£25 for one that gore sup to 110nm. Bare in mind cheap ones will also be just a rough guide

 

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/amtech-3-8-torque-wrench-553774750

Thanks I'll have a look at that.

 

There's a euro carparts 5 mins from my house so I'll try to pop in this week. 

[AstronautNinja]

3 minutes ago, muldoon74 said:

Thanks I'll have a look at that.

 

There's a euro carparts 5 mins from my house so I'll try to pop in this week. 

Do you know the NM required? I'm only asking for my own reference to learn.

[Shepherd]

When I had my cb125f,  it was a twin nut system to adjust?

One to pull adjuster back ( tightening chain), then the other locked it in place.

No torque wrench needed?

You'll need one eventually,  but not by next week.

Edited July 6, 2024 by Shepherd
Because I can't spell "my"

[muldoon74]

8 minutes ago, AstronautNinja said:

Do you know the NM required? I'm only asking for my own reference to learn.

Manual doesn't say but I googled it and it brought me back to this forum (maybe I should done a search ) 

 

And I found this...

 

 

 

So It think 54nm as its the rear wheel spindle nut (if not I'll sack trying to do spannering and take it to garage..)

[muldoon74]

2 minutes ago, Shepherd said:

When I had my cb125f,  it was a twin nut system to adjust?

One to pull adjuster back ( tightening chain), then the other locked it in place.

No torque wrench needed?

You'll need one eventually,  but not by next week.

It's mentioned for the "axle" nut? Although last vid i watched didn't use a torque wrench. Just a big old spanner. 

[Shasel]

8 hours ago, Shepherd said:

When I had my cb125f,  it was a twin nut system to adjust?

One to pull adjuster back ( tightening chain), then the other locked it in place.

No torque wrench needed?

You'll need one eventually,  but not by next week.

You are meant to use a torque wrench for the axle nut not the adjusters.

Don't know how important proper torque setting is as not a mechanic but they aren't that expensive (i think mine cost #80 on Amazon) and seeing it is what holds your wheel on and lets it spin properly I would suggest worth the investment.

[AstronautNinja]

8 hours ago, muldoon74 said:

Manual doesn't say but I googled it and it brought me back to this forum (maybe I should done a search ) 

 

And I found this...

 

 

 

So It think 54nm as its the rear wheel spindle nut (if not I'll sack trying to do spannering and take it to garage..)

 

8 hours ago, muldoon74 said:

It's mentioned for the "axle" nut? Although last vid i watched didn't use a torque wrench. Just a big old spanner. 

As I say, the ability to just do it to feel comes with experience. That figure roghley matches how much effort I'd put in for such a sbnstanatial fitting.

 

You'd also get a feel for how tighht it needs doing by the effort required to un-do it.

[AstronautNinja]

For reference car wheel nuts need 110-120nm

[Gerontious]

If you’re unsure then get one. If only for peace of mind.

 

I’ve been riding since 1980. Always had a torque wrench and have never experienced the nightmare of a stripped thread. I’ve been told countless times that it’s an unnecessary item, but of course these people won’t be there to help when  a stripped tread needs to be repaired.

Edited July 7, 2024 by Gerontious

[RideWithStyles]

It’s 54nm and it is important! You dont need an expensive version, Halfords own version will do or visit you local autofactor.
You’ll need a second socket or spanner to hold the spindle while doing up the nut.

you only have 1 nut and spindle to hold the rear axle and nut, its not mega high as the swing is thin box steel and less weight bearing on it at first thought but it’s easy to add the bikes its own weight or more again with a rider and pillion before luggage.

where as a car has four or 5 bolts and nuts per wheel plus four wheels all at a higher rate, yes with a lot more starting weight but in relation to weight that could be added to its own amount again it’s actually less likely unless your gonna put squeeze 10 fat people and luggage into it?

 

Edited July 7, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[Trooper74]

Do it up tight … standard length ratchet handle as tight as you can … that’s all that’s required … for an axle … for smaller stuff … hand tight plus 3/4 of a turn will not let you down. 

[Capt Sisko]

People have been adjusting chains of motorcycles for well over a hundred years and I can imagine outside of specialist disciplines the number of people that ever used a torque wrench to tighten the main axle nut & bolt can be counted on one hand. The trick I was taught was to tighten up the nut, then back it off one eighth of a turn before replacing the cotter pin.

 

Probably showing my age here (and the fact I've ridden shaft dive bikes for the last couple of decades), but do bikes still use castellated nuts & cotter pins?

Edited August 1, 2024 by Capt Sisko

[Nick the wanderer]

No they torque them up nowadays. You can get a reasonable wrench for not too much money. Also if you are using any tools solely for the bike 3/8 is a good size to work with socket wise.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I have several torque wrenches but only used for engine builds. Motorcycle chain adjustment can be easily done by hand.

[AstronautNinja]

5 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I have several torque wrenches but only used for engine builds. Motorcycle chain adjustment can be easily done by hand.

This IMO providing the user is experienced.

 

I'v never known a wheel nut on a car to be torqued up by ANY professional in all my days.

 

And yes I understand that correct values are given also to avoid damaging components as w ell as to avoid them falling off

Edited July 8, 2024 by AstronautNinja

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

11 hours ago, AstronautNinja said:

This IMO providing the user is experienced.

 

I'v never known a wheel nut on a car to be torqued up by ANY professional in all my days.

 

And yes I understand that correct values are given also to avoid damaging components as w ell as to avoid them falling off

All the car tyre shops round us use a torque wrench to set the final setting on wheel nuts. I suspect it's mainly regulations these days. I've never used a torque wrench on car wheels and so far none have  have fallen off. 

 

It does save the hassle we used get when the tyre monkey just used an air gun and jammed the nuts on so tight you needed a length of scaffold bar to get them off.

 

Mind you it's all bolts these days rather than nuts anyway. 

[AstronautNinja]

29 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

All the car tyre shops round us use a torque wrench to set the final setting on wheel nuts. I suspect it's mainly regulations these days. I've never used a torque wrench on car wheels and so far none have  have fallen off. 

 

It does save the hassle we used get when the tyre monkey just used an air gun and jammed the nuts on so tight you needed a length of scaffold bar to get them off.

 

Mind you it's all bolts these days rather than nuts anyway. 

I'm definatley not against them nor arguing they don't have their place. I now own a pretty decent pair of Teng wrenches (accurate to +/- 4%) due to having the money nice for tools I rarely use. My only point was men in sheds have survived without them for as long as we can remember.

 

I actually enjoy faffing with them regardless of being able to judge it correctly. I even have a tiny one for the various carbon road bike fittings jus to make myself feel like a scientist (yes I'm a big kid)

 

Will OP's wheel fall off without one? Probably not. Should he grab one if money allows to ensure his judgement isn't far out? Certainly

[RideWithStyles]

For amusement purposes- men spent much time in sheds to fix things that broke or worked loose cos they didn’t use one!

jokes aside - back in the day engineering designs and tolerances we’re laughing stock, so they had to educate a tolerance (through many fails) cos they couldn’t make them properly/as fine today. Hence the old jokes if it’s weeping it’s still good, just keep topping it up.

 

Edited July 9, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[stevecase29465]

Me I like torque wrenches, not as much as bacon but nearly!

 

[manxie49]

Just nip it up ........ What could possibly go wrong! 

[Fiddlesticks]

Having blindly trusted a torque wrench in the past, I'm firmly of the view that if it feels too tight it probably is. Older threads (particularly if dirty) get micro-stresses in them which can "go" before the recommended torque setting. I bought a wire wheel for the bench grinder to clean up bolts which should help some.

Edited December 4, 2024 by Fiddlesticks

[KiwiBob]

I'm old fashioned and prefer the foot-pounds measure for how tight nuts should be!..  It gives me a much better rough guide that I can visualize!

 

[Mawsley]

Little nuts, nip it. Big nuts, one final grunty turn using something with a long lever. Not had anything fall off a bike since 1980.

 

*Yes, my gear change lever fell off my Guzzi in the Netherlands - but that was the fault of Guzzi not using my surefire tightening method