Torque settings - carbon bike

[digbyj]

Hi All,
I’m chasing information around torque settings.
I’ve got a carbon Colnago and would like to give it a service and general once over, check a few screws etc.. and try and fix my dam noisy crank!
I can’t find any torque information for it.
There was nothing in the manual, the shop wasn’t very helpful, and Colnago apparently do not respond to email, messenger or tweets!
I found a Park tool download but it had mainly ranges, not completely specific.
Would the settings be Colnago carbon frame specific? Or could I find a more generic perhaps Shimano related document?
Any advice appreciated. I can always do what I need to do and then get a shop to tighten a few of the key components but would prefer to do it myself.
Cheers

[Derny Driver]

Why would a Colnago frame be different to any other? Unless you have a C60, it comes from the Giant factory in Taiwan.
Which particular components are you worried about overtightening?

Personally I dont own a torque wrench and have no desire to have one.
I work on carbon bikes a lot and have never had anything come loose from being undertightened, or strip or break from being overtightened. I just must be lucky. But I prefer to trust the feel of the allen key in my hand rather than a torque wrench.
I did see a mates carbon seatpost snap (yes he came off the bike backwards) the day after it was serviced and the seatpost tightened with a bike shop torque wrench. But thats just anecdotal stuff. These torque numbers are specified by errrr scientists.
So I cant really help.

[digbyj]

Not sure about the answer to your frame question, but did think different frame shapes/designs may have different tolerances, but I really don’t know.
I don’t own a torque wrench (yet) and too have always relied on feel, but I’ve also never owned a carbon frame before so just looking at the options to protect my investment before I go ahead.
Cheers

[Duck!]

The only ones you really need to worry about torques on are where you're clamping onto tubes - both ends of the stem, seat post clamp, crank pinch bolts and front derailleur in the case of a band-type. As a general guide, these will typically be torqued between 4 & 6NM, with crank pinch bolts around 14NM. The stem, seatpost clamp and handlebar should have the torque specification printed on them somewhere. If there is a discrepancy between two components, eg stem and bar, go with the lower setting.

The fact the frame is carbon is pretty much irrelevant, except for the possibilty of a clamp-on front derailleur, everything else is clamped to something else. Things that are screwed in; rear derailleur mounting bolt, braze-on front derailleur, derailleur hangers, drink bottles etc, are screwed into aluminium inserts and not clamping anything.

If all else fails, the size of the hex socket in the bolts can be used as a torquing guide; the smaller the allen key, the lower the torque, and usually the torque number is one or two higher thanthe allen key size: 2-2.5mm -. 2-3NM; 3mm -> 4NM; 4mm -> 5-6NM; 5mm -> 6-8NM (the first exception being crank bolts, at 12-14NM - be careful of rounding out! The second exception being stem top cap, it only needs to be tightened enough to preload the bearings and remove any play. The third exception front derasilleur band clamp; 4NM max.) 6mm -> 8-10NM.

[Nate]

The only ones you really need to worry about torques on are where you're clamping onto tubes - both ends of the stem, seat post clamp, crank pinch bolts and front derailleur in the case of a band-type. As a general guide, these will typically be torqued between 4 & 6NM, with crank pinch bolts around 14NM. The stem, seatpost clamp and handlebar should have the torque specification printed on them somewhere. If there is a discrepancy between two components, eg stem and bar, go with the lower setting.

yeah this guy has it pretty correct IMHO.
Use a carbon assembly paste - its grease with a grit in it, that'll help stop movement too if you're under torqued.

The only issue i've ever had was on my steel frame & carbon seat post - needed to go over the specified amount on the clamp to stop it slipping. Mostly due to the steel i think - more force required on the tube to exert the same clamping force on the stem.

[digbyj]

Thanks for the responses, appreciate the detail put into them. I think that’s enough info for me to go ahead.
Just need to choose a suitable beer to accompany the work now...