Not to unduly prolong this thread and it's parallels, but my words may have been misinterpreted. I do not use a torque wrench in order to apply high torque, I can do that in the context of bike bolts without a torque wrench just by being too hasty (I am not a former pro mechanic). I try to use a torque wrench in order to prevent overtorquing due to enthusiasm and what has been called ham-fistedness. Because I'm worried about breaking 40 year-old parts, I tend to use torque settings at the low end of the recommended range. So far all the parts are staying on the bike, with no rattles. After that, I keep my fingers crossed.
Ken Freeman Ann Arbor, MI USA
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Carb7008@cs.com Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 1:15 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Axle nut adjustment specifications (was torque settings?)
Needless to say, many factors are involved in setting fastener torque specifications. It's been my experience that most bike fasteners I find are over-tightened. Perhaps due to liability or relatively unskilled hands during assembly. Conversely, it is a pleasure to disassemble a bike whose fasteners have not been overtightened. I wince when I think of exotic alloys, beautiful designs and tight tolerances to achieve weight-savings of a few grams being "torqued" during assembly.
Jack Romans
Sacramento, CA