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Finally stopped chasing max torque on every lug nut, here's why
For 6 years I always hit every lug nut with the full 120 ft-lbs on the torque wrench, even the small Cessna wheels. My mentor saw me doing it and asked why I was reading the book for the 3/8 studs on a Piper. He pulled up the manual and showed me the range was 80-95. I just always assumed tighter was better. That convo made me realize I'd been over-torquing for years and probably stressing out threads on old planes. Now I check every spec fresh before I touch anything. Anyone else have a habit they carried over from cars or trucks that turned out wrong for aircraft?
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michael80325d ago
Wait, have you checked the thermal expansion rates on those studs versus the wheel flange material? I remember a shop that torqued a set of mains cold, then watched the pressure drop on the bolts after a long taxi on a hot tarmac. The aluminum expanded more than the steel, so the clamp force actually went UP past the max spec, not down. That's a whole different kind of over-torque nobody talks about, and it can crack the hub web over time.
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