did you use a torque wrench to assemble your bike?

[NaturallyRC]

Same. For something like this, I trust feel, decades of experience, and periodically checking the screws -- which you should do anyway. If it were a cylinder head, different story.

I just used the tools supplied - meaning I did not use a torque wrench. I have been a bike owner for decades and commuted for more than 5 years on a bike and always fixed my own bikes.

Rad did not say you need to have a torque wrench to assemble the bike. It is of course nice to have a torque wrench and I am not arguing against one.  But I did not want to spend the money.

[FL-GK]

There were a lot of opinions and comments that I certainly agreed with. I love tools and when watching all the "how to" videos while saving up for and waiting for delivery I purchased a few tools and this was one I just felt like I needed. I work in mfg. and in assembly making 3 phase tankless hot water heaters (not so much now, mostly sales and Ops now), I do welding, drilling wire making, crimping, solder dipping, we use large industrial metal breaks for our aluminum mounting plates, cut foam with hot wires tool etc. so I have A LOT of mechanical experience but not so much with this and I felt like I needed one to get the feel for NM. I still use it regularly as even though now I have a much better feel for how tight I need to make things.

[handlebar]

I plan to buy a 1/4 inch torque wrench to assemble my bikes properly, although I am tempted to put it together with just normal allen wrenches.

Curious how many people assembled their bike just using regular allen wrenches?

Sixteen months ago, I bought this:
https://amzn.to/3NZOl0F

My immediate need was to break loose 6mm allenhead screws in an engine. I put 6mm box wrench on the allen wrench for more torque, but the allen wrench twisted so badly that I was afraid I'd strip the screw head. The 6mm bit in this set did it with ease.

When I work on my bike, I set up a table, put this Geardrive kit on it, and open it. It will handle allen heads down to 4mm, and it's vastly superior.

A specially made aluminum screw with a 5mm allen head held the chain tensioner on my Radrunner. An aluminum screw? What were they thinking! Once when I wanted to unscrew it, I used the allen wrench from the Radpower kit unstead of fetching my Geardrive kit. The Radrunner guard kept the wrench slightly out of alignment, but I didn't realize it until I'd stripped the soft head. With the Gearbox kit, I would have known by feel that it was misaligned. I had to order a specially made replacement screw from Radpower. It was a big bill for a little screw.

I'd been torquing by feel for decades before I had access to a torque wrench. Sometimes I'd tighten by feel and check with a torque wrench. I'd normally be pretty close.  Threaded connections are designed with elasticity. Taking up the elasticity creates a preload, which can keep the connector from vibrating loose and may increase resistance to breaking. As you take up the intended elasticity, resistance will increase gradually. When it starts to increase sharply, you're done. Going too far could strip the threads or permanently deform the fastener so that it no longer has the proper elasticity.

Threads in materials softer than steel take less torque, but the principle is the same. I can't feel the proper point with an allen wrench because it's springy. The Geardrive kit lets me torque a fastener with confidence because it's rigid. The leverage of the ratchet drive helps, too. It's easier to feel changes in resistance if you aren't turning hard.

(I fetch my especially rigid 1/2" breaker bar, 24" long, to torque lug nuts. It's my best wrench for feeling what I'm doing at 60 or 100 foot pounds or even the smaller torque used on the back axle of my Radrunner.)

By themselves, the bits are handy like little screwdrivers. The 6" extension provides the benefit of a long screwdriver, including reaching through the spokes to adjust a brake.

Amazon doesn't currently have this item. Other brands are probably as good.

I prefer Flex Shot to Lock Tite. The can is bigger so it's easier to spot, and I use it for so many things that I won't forget where it is. The rubbery coating on the threads will keep vibration from rotating a connector. If you unscrew a treated connection, rubber will probably remain in the threads, so you probably won't have to get the can before you screw it back together.

[pnwetc]

Here is the one I bought -
PRO BIKE TOOL 1/4 Inch Drive Click Torque Wrench Set – 2 to 20 Nm – Bicycle Maintenance Kit for Road & Mountain Bikes - Includes Allen & Torx Sockets, Extension Bar & Storage Box
by Pro Bike Tool
Learn more: https://amzn.to/3BMUiZK

I strongly endorse this set. I purchased it for use with my RR+ in mid-2020, and it's served me very well since then. It's a little awkward for adjusting the inner brake pad (the included Rad-specific tool sometimes works better for this), but it does the trick when the extender is used, and it's been great for every other use.

One thing I was happy to find is that this set made it a lot easier to remove the notorious Loctite-enforced bottle cage bolts on the RR+ frame. The hex wrenches included with the bike just stripped the bolt head on one (my lbs had to drill it out), but the rest came out with relatively little effort when I switched to this torque wrench.

[JimInPT]

One thing I was happy to find is that this set made it a lot easier to remove the notorious Loctite-enforced bottle cage bolts on the RR+ frame. The hex wrenches included with the bike just stripped the bolt head on one (my lbs had to drill it out), but the rest came out with relatively little effort when I switched to this torque wrench.

I have the same set; pretty great for the price, eh?  One thing to be aware of, as I recall, in general torque wrenches aren't recommended for loosening bolts, just tightening them.  Use regular ratchets or wrenches for removing bolts.  I use the various sizes included with that kit with my standard 1/4" drive ratchet all the time.

I believe a torque wrench will work for removal without breaking if it's an urgent need, but I think repeated "backwards" use can mess up the internal mechanism that sets the calibrated torque value.

This is all from distant memory; I'm sure a competent and regular mechanic can advise and correct me if I've had brain bubbles on the topic.

[pnwetc]

One thing to be aware of, as I recall, in general torque wrenches aren't recommended for loosening bolts, just tightening them.  Use regular ratchets or wrenches for removing bolts.  I use the various sizes included with that kit with my standard 1/4" drive ratchet all the time.

I believe a torque wrench will work for removal without breaking if it's an urgent need, but I think repeated "backwards" use can mess up the internal mechanism that sets the calibrated torque value.

I've heard this as well, and I think it is good advice. (EDIT: Indeed, the instructions advise not to use the torque wrench as a regular wrench.) I probably wouldn't have tried this set for that purpose either, if I weren't already frustrated in the moment after having stripped the first bolt with a regular wrench! But it does reinforce that a quality tool or tool set will beat the cheapo tools from Rad any day.

[Goosecreek]

As stated earlier you should not use a torque wrench during disassembly,  it will affect the accuracy of the wrench.

[Mike Dupre]

Yup, infuriating. I even had to wait for a crowfoot to do the pedals. But the pedals surprised me, it took way more torque than I had initially thought a pretty good guess.   

[slthomas1]

Old threadI know.

I got the torque wrench on Amazon and did it right.

As a former mfg engineer I?ve seen countless threads buggered by over-torquing, particularly in aluminum. Stainless can gall aluminum so the recommendation to chase threads isn?t a bad one although mine were pretty clean.

Thanks above for the crows foot comment. The pedals are the one thing I haven?t torqued because I forgot to order one!

[RADsterBID]

Park tool makes a great T handle adjustable torque wrench

https://www.parktool.com/en-us/product/adjustable-torque-driver-atd-1-2?category=Torque+Tools

[Raddirk]

I've been working motorcycles since I was 14 years old. I rarely use a torque wrench except on critical engine parts and fork tubes. You get a feel.
I did not use a torque wrench assembling my rad. I think it's a liability thing on their part. 

[ChrisB]

Yes I used a torque wrench. I figured that I had spent over $4000 dollars on two bicycles, I might as well spend another $30 to buy a 1/4" torque wrench and put them together properly to protect my investment.

[John Rose]

I have one of those flex-type torque wrenches, but I don't think I used it. I mostly used the supplied tool kit.
I looked at the chart just to get an idea of the relative torques. I used more torque on large diameter nuts, much less on those fastening plastic parts.