Hi,
With a lot of thru axles now on the bikes requiring 10nm of torque with a 6mm hex, is there a set torque wrench on the market for this application?
It would help with the four bikes I have at home that all have the same requirement! Rather than adjusting my torque wrench to 10nm all the time and then backing it back down to 0 once I’m finished.
Thanks!
Dan
I was thinking the same thing the other day. It would be super convenient.
Not sure if the design of the handle allows you to comfortably provide 10 Nm of torque.
I use the presta cycles ones. I have no problem hitting 10nm one handed. Also, unlike others, these can be used to loosen too. Good product!
I’ve never done that . What is the reason you do it if you dont mind me asking?
It’s good practice to unload the spring in the clicker mechanism, IIRC it slows calibration drift
Another vote for Prestacycle. Good for 5,000 uses IIRC, my set have been in daily workshop use for 5 years and are still bang on the money. Yes, you can comfortably get 10NM out of the smaller handle if you hold it like a knuckleduster (ie in your fist) instead of forefinger / thumb.
Am I the only one that has my hand set to 10Nm?
This video shows how far out of calibration an un-zeroed torque wrench can go.
McMaster-Carr - McMaster offers custom wrenches with your desired torque - but price is biting
Thanks. I hadn’t realised this. I’ve always set the torque on a wrench by slackening it off then coming up to the required torque but hadn’t realised about the spring inside the wrench " loosing tension"
Yeah, it was an education for me too.
Hmm That’s what I do too, I’m lost as to what I should do then? (I’ve saved that video to watch - if that explains it)
Hey Dan,
Another option is to use a witness mark with a paint pen or similar. The process for this is to torque the axle to 10 Nm, and then draw a small straight line from the bolt to the edge of the dropout. Now when the marked spot aligns, you’re roughly at the original torque.
+1 on a preset 10nm key
Not sure if people will agree with this or not (kind of curious actually): but I dutifully torqued my thru axles to 10nm when I saw that on my Factor Ostro VAM. Then I got disc brake rub. Brought bike to shop. They tell me thru axles are too loose. I told them I did 10nm as instructed. They said ignore that and hand tight them solidly. Did that and the disc brake rub disappeared. Haven’t done 10nm since!
I have two bikes:
2019 Specialized Venge: 15 Nm is the recommended torque and I do 14 Nm.
2024 Santa Cruz Stigmata with Rudy XPLR front suspension: 12 Nm is the torque labeled and I do 12 Nm.
It’s hard to imagine 10 Nm would be “too loose”, if that was the Factor recommended torque.
Hi Dave,
Just $0.02 - with your method I think it’s important to make sure you mark it on the right part, as axle thread in many frames is a kind of nut, which can rotate. (had this happen on my ‘23 orbea wild, where axle somehow “seized” in the nut and the nut rotated - it was a new bike)
Therefore - if you mark your axle on “head” side and the nut rotates - you will have wrong torque.
First things first - I put grease on my axle threads so torque info from manufacturer can go in the bin as it doesn’t specify wet or dry torque.
More practical, I need to be able to get it off with my roadside tools –> so I install with a similar tool to nice and tight (but likely <10nm dry equivalent).
Unless I have no access to a torque wrench, I always use one when tightening the thru-axle primarily to avoid disc brake rotor rub.