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I was torquing bolts wrong for years and didn't know it
I was working on a Cessna 172's landing gear last week, and a guy I trust from the hangar next door saw me setting my click wrench. He just said, 'You know you're supposed to pull, not push, right?' I froze. For eight years, I've been pushing the wrench handle to get the click, thinking it was fine as long as the tool went off. He showed me how pushing can twist the tool body and mess with the actual torque value on the fastener. We checked a few I'd just done with his calibrated wrench, and two were under by about 10 foot-pounds. It was a real face-palm moment. I guess I just copied someone else's bad habit early on and never questioned it. Has anyone else had a basic tool technique they were doing wrong for a long time?
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stone.daniel6mo ago
Man, that's a classic one. Pulling keeps everything in line so the force goes straight to the socket. Pushing can bend your wrist and put side load on the mechanism, throwing the calibration off. It's one of those things you can do wrong for ages without a failure, until you get that one critical bolt. Did your friend have any other simple tips like that?
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ruby8046mo ago
Yeah, the "one critical bolt" thing is so true. Another one he taught me was to always turn a stuck fastener a tiny bit tighter first, just to break the rust or gunk loose. That little click or pop makes it way easier to back out. Also, when you're using a breaker bar, put your hand on the head of the bar to keep the socket fully seated. Saw a guy round off a bolt because his socket was sitting crooked and he just leaned into it.
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felixlane5mo ago
Ever try that trick with a dab of grease on the threads before you start turning?
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lee186mo ago
What about using a dab of valve grinding compound on a stripped screw head for extra bite?
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