Torque Wrench what drive size and parameters

[cadmandu]

Hi All,

I was wondering what size Matco torque wrench to buy. I want to do a complete overhaul down to the crank on a 84 Magna VF700C and a GS650GL this winter. I'm sorry that I mentioned my Maggie Mae but Susie Q handles better.

[Nessism]

You should have two different torque wrenches, one for the low end range (in-lbs) and a second one for large bolts (ft-lbs). Sears Craftsman seems to be in the sweet spot when it comes to tool value so you might want to check them out.

[cadmandu]

Torque Wrenches continued

Hi Nessism,

I assume that one is 1/4 and the other is a 3/8 drive? I have seen torque specs for as low as 3.5 ft lb would that be measured as 42 in lb instead?

Thanks for the Sears idea.
Dan Yoder

[Nessism]

The low range torque wrench should be 3/8's and the high end one is 1/2". The large wrench won't be used much, mostly for things like head bolts, sprocket nuts, rotor screws, etc., but these are the most important fasteners so you need a wrench that covers this high range.

[mike_of_bbg]

While probably OK for occasional use, Craftsman torque wrenches (at least the digitork ones) have a poor reputation for durability. Just go to sears' own web site and see what their user reviews are like! And the torque wrenches are not covered under the lifetime warranty. Their warranty is 90 days I think.

3/8" is good for the most part on the in-lb torque wrench. For a couple of items I needed a 1/4" reducer because the socket sizes were pretty small.

[Steve]

I have found that the shaft-drive models only need mega-torque on the clutch basket, as they don't have chain sprockets, so my choices would be 3/8" and 1/4" drive wrenches. Although the markings may go down to 5 or 10 lbs on the 3/8 driver, it has always been my practice to not trust the upper or lower quarters of the entire range. This means that if the range is 0-100, only trust the readings from 25-75. Outside that range, use a different wrench.

.

[bwringer]

Old-fashioned beam torque wrenches are quite reliable and very accurate. I don't see any reason to put up with the risks of breaking a digital torque wrench or the iffy repeatability of a "clicker", not to mention the unholy expense.

One in each drive size -- 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" -- should do nicely. For motorcycle use, there are only a couple of uses for a 1/2" torque wrench, but it's handy to have around -- you might need to use it for some lug nuts on a car or something.

[cadmandu]

Good info on torque wrenches coming in.........

I agree with Steve on the 25% high and low accuracy on the clickers. And I really like Bill's story on the beam type. Does anybody have any data on the accuarcy of the beam type and do they still make them?

[GavinJuice]

I believe this is the best money can buy, bar none.... http://www.warrenandbrown.com.au/Pre...precision.aspx

This takes the second position...

http://www.srtorque.com/tabeam.html

The only thing with these two is the head does not ratchet, rather it is fixed which might be a problem in a tight spot. Other than that there is nothing to fail!