I was in another forum area and someone was questioning where to find a specific tool for torquing a fastener on their bike. I don't even know what fastener he was concerned with as he did not state, but it got me to thinking about torquing fasteners in general. I'd like to get some of your opinions on the subject.

I suspect that I'm gonna get hammered here from a lot of folks for my opinion, but nevertheless, here it is...

My opinion... People get way too paranoid about torquing fasteners.

Sure, just about every fastener has a specified torque value associated with it and for good reason. They are absolutely necessary to control quality and consistency during manufacturing.

But once the product leaves the factory there are only a handful of applications that are critical enough to require the use of a torque wrench.

I don't think my Duece with 80,000 miles has ever seen a torque wrench and nothing has ever fallen off or failed as a result.

What say you?

 

I think you can get paranoid about it...but none the less I do have a torque wrench because there are some fastners on an HD that really need to be tightened correctly.

 

Totally agree with you but if you'd look at how insane some get about picking oils, cams, exhaust, etc. then being **** about tq values falls right in line with this group.

 

everybody's mechanical ability is different...
Having been a Machine repairman for 39 yrs Ive tightened nuts and bolts thousands and thousands of times.

So I can pretty well get the torque close to what its supposed to be without a TQ wrench.

but on some jobs such as the motor one still needs to right on,, not just close....

So I have and use TQ wrench when and where I feel needed...

 

i worked with a guy that had a torque wrence for spokes and a torque screwdriver..have worked on litertaly thousands of bikes/cars,the only time i ever used a tq wrence is on engine internals and cylinders,heads where it affects the flex of a machined part

 

Never used them when I was younger except like what j1mmy said,now I use them all the time.

 

Coming from a 20+ Year ASE Certified Master Auto Technician with L-1 Cert...

Bolts and nuts have a torque value that is in the torque specs section of any service manual...they're there for a reason...


gotta be a clue....


My Harley, I loctite and torque everything... we burn down the freeway doing 100mph riding 6" apart... parts falling off could be a bad thing lol

 

Been "back yard" wrenching all my life and never thought twice about tearing into something new. My new scoot is a different critter though with so much of it torqued in inch pounds. I don't have an inch pound torque wrench so won't be doing much to it (motor at least) until I pick one up.

 

Been working on cars for over a decade.... torque wrench for specifically machined parts like engine internals axle nuts and a few other bits ...most just go to me tight

 

I have a big torque wrench and a small torque wrench. I use them a lot, but not on every bolt and nut. I guess I use them when I think they're needed.