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Ohlins forks pinch bolt torque values?

12K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  azure78 
#1 ·
Just installed my Ohlins forks (thank you, Hard Racing) this afternoon.
I do not have the proper torque spec for the axle pinch bolts as it is not listed in the Ohlins manual or on the Hard Racing installation thread. I currently have them at 30NM with blue Loctite. They are a smaller bolt diameter than the OEM pinch bolts, so the OEM spec for the Sachs is not correct in this case. It's also interesting that the Ohlins manual only called for 10NM on the lower clamps and 20 on the upper bolt .
 
#2 ·
The Sachs front axle pinch bolts on the right side of the front axle are listed as 8mm and require a torque of 19Nm according to the S1000RR repair manual. That is interesting that Ohlins called for a different torque spec than BMW on the upper and lower triple clamps.....? The manual lists them as 8mm also, with a torque value of 19Nm for upper and lower.
 
#3 ·
Yes, I noticed that as well. The question is do you go with the fork manufacturers recommendation or the OEM. I can understand that the OEM specs might be fine for the lower triple clamps as I cannot see the main fork tubes being any weaker than the OEM forks and being warped in the process.
The Ohlins pinch bolts are 6mm rather than 8mm, however. Hard Racing omitted those particular specs in their write up, unfortunately. I will try to contact them and see if they can update their posting with the info.
 
#4 ·
I can't imagine that Ohlins would build their forks so that they wouldn't take the 19Nm clamping force that the stock tubes do. I would think they use a high quality bolt for the axle clamping, but going from the stock 8mm bolt to their 6mm bolt and upping the torque to 30Nm from 19Nm might be taking a chance. I'll be installing their 30mm cartridge kit this winter and if you're ever at Grattan next season we'll have to compare the feel of the two different approaches.
 
#5 ·
I have no problem backing down the torque on the pinch bolts....just want to get the correct value whether I use the factory spec or a spec from Ohlins that they omitted in their manual. The discrepancy in the lower triple is disturbing. My 3/8 " electronic wrench would not even allow me to set a limit value below 13.5 NM, even though it registered on the digital display scale as I was approaching 10NM (less than 7-1/2 foot pounds). Doesn't seem like 10NM is enough for an 8mm diameter bolt unless its fastened into a piece of plywood.
 
#15 ·
im not sure what size my bolts were on my Ohlins FGRT 803 for my 1198, but i remembered i tighten them to the OEM spec and the Dealer almost had a heart attack..I asked why and they said the Ohlins are setup to run much less torque then OEM forks around 10nm...i felt how tight that was and i was in disbelief, but thats how they are..put some blue loctite and crank it down to 10 or 12nm and you should be good to go..that what i will do this weekend when i install mine...
 
#11 ·
Just installed my Ohlins forks (thank you, Hard Racing) this afternoon.
I do not have the proper torque spec for the axle pinch bolts as it is not listed in the Ohlins manual or on the Hard Racing installation thread. I currently have them at 30NM with blue Loctite. They are a smaller bolt diameter than the OEM pinch bolts, so the OEM spec for the Sachs is not correct in this case. It's also interesting that the Ohlins manual only called for 10NM on the lower clamps and 20 on the upper bolt .
.


The Axle Bolt should be - 50 N/mm

And the Axle Pinch Bolts should be 19 N/mm
We use a drop of Loctite blue on the pinch bolts, because they are upside down. Just a little extra security.



.
 
#13 ·
OOPS, sorry Nigel.:eek:
When I got to my office this morning I undid the fasteners to double check their size.
It looks like the bolt shanks are actually 8mm in diameter (6mm Allen head cap screws), they just have a much smaller head diameter than the old BMW Torx fasteners.

Sorry about that, I keep my toys in one of my warehouses for the winter, which is about 20 miles from my home. I guess I shouldn't rely on just my memory at my advanced age :rolleyes:.

That being the case, 19NM sounds about right, and is consistent with the factory torque spec on the pinch bolts. I removed them this morning, cleaned off the threads, reaplied the Loctite (blue) and retorqued them. I also upped the torque on the lower triple forks back to 19NM like the OEM specs (not the 10 NM as Ohlins indicated).
Should be good to go next spring.
 
#18 ·
Just to be clear....Ohlins must have gone back and changed these new FGRT forks in the past 12 months...My FGRT 803 for 1198 were 10nm..they didnt have the torque spec on the bottoms..I guess they had so many people cranking them down to OEM spec 19nm they figured lets fix this issue so we dont have a influx of warrnty claims..thanks ridersdiscount for clearing the matter up...
 
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