jason_stone12•1mo agoProlific Poster

Just realized a lead mechanic’s comment changed how I torque bolts

I was torquing landing gear bolts on a Cessna 172 last Tuesday when an old timer walked by and said 'you're cranking those like a gorilla.' He showed me how to use a slow steady pull on the wrench instead of jerking it, and now I get consistent readings every time. Has anyone else had a simple tip like that completely fix a bad habit?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley_hart1mo ago

Did you check if your torque wrench is actually calibrated right? I see a lot of guys blame their technique when the tool itself is the problem. A slow pull can feel smoother but it might just hide a worn out clicker. I had a fancy digital wrench that drifted off spec and was reading 10% low. No amount of steady pulling fixed that. Also landing gear bolts on a 172 are pretty forgiving, they take way more torque than you think. I'd bet your old timer was just being picky about sound and feel, not actual accuracy. Maybe get your wrench tested before you change anything.

harper_murphy1mo ago

Whoa, that digital wrench thing is wild. I had a similar issue with a beam style wrench once, it was way off until I figured out the needle was bent.