paige86•1mo agoProlific Poster

Serious question, found a chart that says 70% of fastener failures come from overtightening, not undertightening

I was updating my torque wrench calibration log last Tuesday and stumbled across a study from the FAA that says something like 70% of fastener failures on aircraft are from overtightening. I always thought undertorquing was the bigger risk, but this chart showed it's way more common to strip threads or stress the metal by cranking too hard. I double checked my own work and realized I've been leaning into that "tight is right" habit more than I should. Has anyone else seen this data and changed how they torque things up on the line?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron8841mo ago

So you're saying my breaker bar habit is the real problem?

evan_burns951mo ago

Wait, how many ugga duggas are we talking per stuck bolt? Like are you the guy who just cranks till the handle is parallel to the ground, or do you actually stand on the breaker bar like a seesaw? I've seen too many people snap a bolt head clean off because they went full Hulk instead of backing off after it budged. That habit works fine until it doesn't, and then you're drilling out a stripped stud in the dark at 10pm. Pretty sure the real question is what's your tolerance for bending or snapping things before you admit the breaker bar might be the problem.

shane65521d ago

Honestly, once I'm bouncing on the bar like a pogo stick, I've already accepted my fate. If it snaps, it snaps.