How tight to tighten the bolts (fork/rear dropouts)
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How tight to tighten the bolts (fork/rear dropouts)
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Last edited by ChicagoWinter98; 07-19-18 at 07:29 PM.
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#5
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Sorry, maybe different wording for other places (?) Hand tight = by feel - no torque wrench.
Not literally by hand, using a wrench
Not literally by hand, using a wrench
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Depends upon efforts being done, for training....standing starts, very tight. Doing laps with moderate pace....snugged, not very tight. Race day, tighter than training days. The rear wheel can come off once a day or many times, no need to tighten more than the necessary.
#8
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This is actually not a terribly easy question to answer. Being a former professional motorcycle mechanic, I can attest that historically much damage has ben done by over tightening stuff, and while less common, under-tightening stuff can lead to catastrophic failure and injury. With track bikes, over-tightening leads to short track end life, so "just tight enough" is what you want. What does that mean? Hard to say. I've personally never used a torque wrench to tighten wheel nuts, and I've never seen this done by any of my friends or competitors, but it wouldn't hurt if you don't have the experience or "feel" to do it free-hand. I've come to understand that many, many people out there lack the skill of getting something tight enough whilst not going overboard into ****ing it up.
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Oh, is this about WHEEL bolts?
Front: firm but not cranking on anything.
Back: pretty much just shy of 'as tight as possible because I put out a lot of torque' and any lighter is not enough. I mean, I'm not leaning into it or anything, but I am holding the frame to get a little extra purchase. There's usually a 'creak' that indicates right amount.
I've never used a torque wrench for wheels.
Front: firm but not cranking on anything.
Back: pretty much just shy of 'as tight as possible because I put out a lot of torque' and any lighter is not enough. I mean, I'm not leaning into it or anything, but I am holding the frame to get a little extra purchase. There's usually a 'creak' that indicates right amount.
I've never used a torque wrench for wheels.
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Dolan claims that the DF4 track ends were spreading because people were over-tightening their rear wheel bolts. I don't recall the exact explanation - it kind of made sense when I read it but also kind of didn't. Regardless, they said to use the tension bolts to assure to the wheel isn't pulled forward and to not over tighten the rear bolts.
(This is discussed in one of the other threads.)
(This is discussed in one of the other threads.)
#11
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At my local track I've noticed that riders who pull over a rear wheel at the start line often have one the following features:
1. A plain hex lock nut rather than a serrated lock nut (wheels with the former need to be tightened more than the latter).
2. An Allen key headed screw or bolt.
1. A plain hex lock nut rather than a serrated lock nut (wheels with the former need to be tightened more than the latter).
2. An Allen key headed screw or bolt.
#12
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I use the tensioner bolts in the track ends (on the back, of course) to do two things. First, the get the chain tension right and the wheel centered. And then as a "safety" in case the axle bolts aren't quite tight enough. I don't crank those tensioner (or adjusters, that's what they are on motorcycles) bolts tightly against the axle, just snug. They don't hold the axle in position, the axle bolts do. My 2.5 cents!
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Last edited by sarals; 06-28-18 at 09:13 PM.
#13
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Seconded on the chain tensioners. If you have them, use them, they work.
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I have not upgraded my Fuji elite since I bought it in 2011 (maybe 2012, I forget) because it has built in tension screws and the new Fuji elite does not. A couple of years ago I got distracted by someone just when I was tightening my rear axel nuts, and only snugged them up a little so I could check chain tension. I went out and did a a couple of standing starts and did not realize the mistake until I went to change gears. What could have been very painful was not because of the tensioners. I echo Baby Puke, if you got 'em, use 'em..
Last edited by rensho3; 06-27-18 at 02:52 PM. Reason: fix typo