Why oh why ...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Slartibartfast
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Slartibartfast

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Do BMW insist on using these Torx headed things !

It's a serious question really. Do they have any advantages ?

I have had a frustrating fight with some dome head Torx bolts in an awkward location. I just found them so awkward to engage a "Torx key" , the fit felt awful and they just feel ready to "round" the fitting or the key. At least it's difficult to over-torque them !

To be fair I suspect theses weren't the original bolts (the four that hold the windscreen bar onto the bracket) as I was removing an after market GPS bracket but I didn't have any replacements which would fit.

Ho hum .... the classic 5 minute job ;)
 
Slartibartfast said:
Do BMW insist on using these Torx headed things !

It's a serious question really. Do they have any advantages ?

I have had a frustrating fight with some dome head Torx bolts in an awkward location. I just found them so awkward to engage a "Torx key" , the fit felt awful and they just feel ready to "round" the fitting or the key. At least it's difficult to over-torque them !

To be fair I suspect theses weren't the original bolts (the four that hold the windscreen bar onto the bracket) as I was removing an after market GPS bracket but I didn't have any replacements which would fit.

Ho hum .... the classic 5 minute job ;)
Click to expand...

Easier to use with power tools in the factory.
 
Less likely to round off than Allen bolts?

.........and more secure (theiving scum less likely to carry torx tools;-)

.........'cos BMW try to discourage us from tinkering?

.........I like 'em :thumb
 
AndyW said:
Less likely to round off than Allen bolts?

.........and more secure (theiving scum less likely to carry torx tools;-)

.........'cos BMW try to discourage us from tinkering?

.........I like 'em :thumb
Click to expand...


Mmmm , not too sure about about them being more resistant to rounding.

Security ? ... well yes .... any selgf respecting theif would have more sense than to try and undo them even if they did have tools :)

Anti tinkering ... probably

The big chunky ones are OK it's the little fiddley ones I don't like
 
I think the theory is that they allow more surface area for the tool to make contact with than does a normal allen key, and to be fair they're much easier to work with if you get a proper socket set with all the right sizes rather than the keys they give you in the tool kit. But I don't like them either - replaced most of mine with Steptoe's stainless steel kit :thumb
 
Real problem is that the driver has to be directly in line with the head, whereas on allen bolts, there's ball headed drivers which allow the driver not to be in line.
 
At first I hated them.

But now I reckon that they are much less likely to round off than an allen head and with a proper set of Torz bits for the socket set I'm quite happy to work with them.
 
The answer

"But now I reckon that they are much less likely to round off than an allen head and with a proper set of Torz bits for the socket set I'm quite happy to work with them."
I have found they work very well - but not with the tools provided in the toolkit. Someone mentioned the four that hold the "windscreen bar ......" - I suspect that these are the ones which are painted over and have to be removed and refitted to fit the Touratech 'dashboard.' These are a devil and although I managed them eventually with a tool held in vice grips I would advise careful study before you get involved in this 'simple' addition.
 
I'm 100% with Slartibartfast. I hate the things. The keys just don't feel to fit securely to me and I've already rounded out a clutch lever clamp screw when the (correct) key slipped. It isn't quite so bad on the bike where you can usually see the fastener head reasonably well, but on a car where you are poking around in dark and unforgiving places whilst lying upside down in positions even the Kama Sutra never envisaged, they are truly pants.
I speak from bitter experience of mistakenly inserting a hex key into the invisible torx orifice of a Xantia caliper bolt. It appeared to fit just fine and hey - the previous BX used hex socket head bolts. However once I applied the requisite leverage via the obligatory length of tube .... oops.
Having just spent a Sunday afternoon wrestling with the wretched things in my daughters Peugeot I feel like a good rant! It's far too easy to use the wrong size and far too difficult to judge at a glance what the size is anyway. I now work on the principle I will need to try at least three before one feels right. A 5mm AF hex is easy enough to recognise but T8? T25? what does it all mean?

Quick nurse .... one of my pills ...

The following is extracted from my "I'm new here" thread:
I quote from the 1200GS riders manual section 3.56 - "Warning: for safety reasons do not attempt to change the position of the shift lever". Well no problem there! It's a male Torx head and guess what - there are no female Torx in the toolkit. I had to ride around for a week missing every other upshift (safe eh! thanks BMW) until I could find one. £30 of Draper Pro later (god bless ebay) and I'm safe again. I'd only just finished expanding my metric hex tool collection too!

I promise never to mention T**x again

Cheers
Paul
 
Up date tools

My very sturdy socket set has really lasted too long; Of course it has Whitworth, BA and Metric sockets. I will dump it one of these days and arm myself with a 'comprehensive' tool kit- Torx, Philips, etc.etc. ....and a torque wrench (although I don't really believe in them) but I will need new glasses first.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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