[Ernest Lam]

Just make up my mind to buy a torque wrench so I don't have to guess how much force I'm using. But I have some confusion about those units.

There are various units in my lots of instructions comes on my bike, like "Nm", "inch-pound"....etc. Can anyone kindly teach me how to convert those units so that I can do it properly?

Another question about my choice. Here in Hong Kong we don't have any LBS or tool shop that sells a torque wrench in reasonable size, so I'm going to order a Park Tool one from some online shops. Just want to know which one of it is a better choice, the TW-1 or the TW-2? Since the difference is from 60 inch-pound to 600 inch-pound, I dont' want to make a mistake to buy one which cannot have enough reading to all my bolts. And will the TW-2 (600 inch-pound) be very difficult to take the readings?

 

[tlg]

Just make up my mind to buy a torque wrench so I don't have to guess how much force I'm using. But I have some confusion about those units.

There are various units in my lots of instructions comes on my bike, like "Nm", "inch-pound"....etc. Can anyone kindly teach me how to convert those units so that I can do it properly?

When you buy a wrench it'll probably come with a chart. Both the Park ones have graduations in metric and american.
Bookmark this http://www.engineersedge.com/calculators/torque_conversion.htm
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/torque.shtml

Another question about my choice. Here in Hong Kong we don't have any LBS or tool shop that sells a torque wrench in reasonable size, so I'm going to order a Park Tool one from some online shops. Just want to know which one of it is a better choice, the TW-1 or the TW-2? Since the difference is from 60 inch-pound to 600 inch-pound, I dont' want to make a mistake to buy one which cannot have enough reading to all my bolts. And will the TW-2 (600 inch-pound) be very difficult to take the readings?

The TW-1 will be too small for everything on your bike.
The TW-2 technically will do everything from 0-600, however on really small fasteners it will be difficult to get an accurate reading.
I'd say go with the TW-2, and on small fasteners use your best judgement.

 

[Speedub.Nate]

Agreed. The TW-2 will get you down to the 60 in-lbs (5 ft-lbs) range with some degree of certainty, which is in the range of most of the smaller bolts you'll be dealing with.

With NM and in-lb units shown on the Park, the only conversion you might need is changing from ft-lbs, where you multiply by 12 to get in-lbs.

 

[Ernest Lam]

Many thanks!

When you buy a wrench it'll probably come with a chart. Both the Park ones have graduations in metric and american.
Bookmark this http://www.engineersedge.com/calculators/torque_conversion.htm
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/torque.shtml

The TW-1 will be too small for everything on your bike.
The TW-2 technically will do everything from 0-600, however on really small fasteners it will be difficult to get an accurate reading.
I'd say go with the TW-2, and on small fasteners use your best judgement.

Really thanks, you've helped me a lot.

I just noticed that if I'm going to use the TW-2, I'll need to buy a set of those little sockets of hex nuts, and the pack tool set sells for around 200USD, which is kinda expensive, can I just go to some local tool shop to look for them, is there any special sockets on the TW-2 makes me cannot use other sockets?

 

[Homebrew]

You really need both sizes. The smaller one for stem bolts, brake rotors, etc and the larger one for cranks, bottom brakets, etc. Park has torque recommendations and unit conversions listed here...

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/torque.shtml

 

[tlg]

Really thanks, you've helped me a lot.

I just noticed that if I'm going to use the TW-2, I'll need to buy a set of those little sockets of hex nuts, and the pack tool set sells for around 200USD, which is kinda expensive, can I just go to some local tool shop to look for them, is there any special sockets on the TW-2 makes me cannot use other sockets?

You can get hex sockets at most hardware or auto stores. Nothing special about them.

 

[jrm]

what about a craftsman

Just make up my mind to buy a torque wrench so I don't have to guess how much force I'm using. But I have some confusion about those units.

There are various units in my lots of instructions comes on my bike, like "Nm", "inch-pound"....etc. Can anyone kindly teach me how to convert those units so that I can do it properly?

Another question about my choice. Here in Hong Kong we don't have any LBS or tool shop that sells a torque wrench in reasonable size, so I'm going to order a Park Tool one from some online shops. Just want to know which one of it is a better choice, the TW-1 or the TW-2? Since the difference is from 60 inch-pound to 600 inch-pound, I dont' want to make a mistake to buy one which cannot have enough reading to all my bolts. And will the TW-2 (600 inch-pound) be very difficult to take the readings?

I've had mine for ever and its got a lifetime warrenty. I have to think that theyre cheaper too.

 

[Speedub.Nate]

I've had mine for ever and its got a lifetime warrenty. I have to think that theyre cheaper too.

I suspect in Hong Kong the Craftsman models are pretty hard to get. But the Craftsman 0-75 ft-lb model is the exact same wrench as the Park TW-2, just with different decorations.

 

[Ultra Magnus]

Yeah, but don't buy cheap ones. cheap ones are made out of inferior materials, using inferior processes, and to looser tolerances. In the end, they can break, round off your bolts, and just piss you off. any tool where the only thing written on it is Taiwan or China goes in my trash can. Autozone and napa tools, I'll use, but only as a last resort. Crapsman (and it's competitors in the same price range, Husky, Kobalt, etc.) is the ceapest tool I can reccommend.

 

[jrm]

Online catalog

I suspect in Hong Kong the Craftsman models are pretty hard to get. But the Craftsman 0-75 ft-lb model is the exact same wrench as the Park TW-2, just with different decorations.

thats were i bought mine....

 

[rbart4506]

I just went to Canadian Tire and bought a cheap needle torque wrench and it's done me fine....

 

[Ernest Lam]

Thanks again for all the inputs

Thank you for you all to give so many suggestions and saved me some money.

I think I'll go for the TW-2 only, since I only care the torque number in a few area on my bike, like the frame bearing bolts (I ride a blur) or the bolts on the crankarm (04XT).

Beside, HK do have many choice for tool include craftsman, but the price was sky high, a torque wrench which do the same job as the Park's cost around $500HKD ($60USD). So even a park tool with shipping cost seems reasonable...

Torque wrench are expensive here because NO ONE here will care about torque, not even any bike shops or car shops, so the demand is very very low thus the high price...