Need a Torque Wrench

[718Rider]

I want to buy a torque wrench to work on my R1100GS. Any suggestions? I don't want to spend a ton of cash. Thx,

Tom

[gigantic]

spend a ton of cash and buy a good tourque wrench. i had a cheap beam wrench >$30 at sears that i used to tourque my valve adjuster lock nuts. that bargain tourque wrench cost me $1525 for a full engine repair after one of the nuts backed off and got sucked down the cam chain galley.
if you're on a budget, do like i did, and go to a pawnshop. you should be able to find a good quality wrench for around $100. believe me it's worth it.
Lance

[718Rider]

I was thinking betwee $50-$100 - should I get a 3/8 or 1/2? I'm a noob when it comes to tools.

[Flatbutt1]

IMO the 3/8 is all you'll need

[SCOTTinNJ]

i disagree with gigantic. i bought two beam-style torque wrenches from sears. one's a 3/8" and the other is 1/2". they work great.

my understanding is that they are more accurate than the click-style, as those need to be recalibrated every so often.

[ckcarr]

Sears is just fine for the garage mechanic.

On sale and then with the Craftsman Club they are a great bargain.

Roger wrote some interesting stuff long ago about torque wrenches and where the accuracy is not necessarily in the perceived wrench/cost factor but quality and condition of the fastners. There's all kinds of stuff if you do a search.

You sure wouldn't need a 1/2 inch. And probably could get along with a 3/8 inch-lb wrench on this bike as the Craftsman also has the NM on it.

[ErricZ]

Well, you might end up needing two ... one for low end stuff (in lb and up to 10 ft lb or so) and one for the higher end stuff (something that can go to 110Nm [at least] to get things like the wheel bolts tight). I've seen that many torque wrenches aren't very accurate at the extreme ends of their range.

Go to Sears and pick up a couple ... $89.99 I think is the highest. BTW, I think the only way that the Craftsman Club is valid anymore is online .. they aren't running those in-store specials any longer or that's what my buddy who works there sez ...

[on2wheels52]

Thanks for the plug, Gigantic. Let me go through my stash at the house, I never sell any Snap-On stuff here at the shop.

Jim

[tm1100s]

I'm with gigantic. My recommendation is to buy the best you can afford. I have Snap-On and Sears and the Snap-On are definitly the finer tools.

Also, consider that they need to be checked a calibrated every once in a while ( I check mine every two years or so). If the thing is dropped, I wouldn't trust it again until it's checked. Quality and calibration make a difference when you're working in ranges between 10 - 35 lb/ft where small errors can mean big trouble.

[1100s nut]

Same here. snap-on all the way. I just spent $150 to get my prop of my boat because I used the china tools that I keep on my boat instead of taking my good stuff with me. It rounded out the allen bolt. They had to cut part of the cone to get vice grips on it.
Lane

[718Rider]

Should I get NM of lb/ft?

[Rapid Dog]

...my Craftsman has both...

[StuartOstroff]

Craftsman has a 3/8" click-style which has both ft-lb and N-M windows. Put some tape over the ft-lb and use N-M as that is what the manual refers to. You don't want to get confused, or you'll be learning about heli-coils.

Also, when not using the wrench it is good practice to set it down near 0.

Stuart

[badger]

If you're planning on doing all your work according to torque specs, you will need 2 torque wrenches, one for high end, one for low end torque. The click style keep their calibration better if dialed back to 0 after use and if they're stored in moderate temps (read store inside, not in the cold as hell/hot as hell garage/tool shed)

I've had my Craftsman torque wrenches for 15 years, use them 6-8 times/year and they've always been well within spec every time I've calibrated them.

[bikpaintr]

I just added a clicker style inch lb torque wrench to the 3/8" & 1/2" to cover all the bases. Very handy for preloading bearings & small fasteners.

[ExarKunONe]

Beam type from craftsman, its like $25. Works great, just remember that the handle is swivled for a reason. you shouldnt touch the plastic to the metal when taking a reading and the wrench has to be in motion for correct readings. The nice thing about those is you never have to calibrate it, just bend the needle back to zero