PSA: I was wrong about using a torque wrench on every single bolt

For years, I thought it was overkill for anything but carbon or high-end alloy. Last month, a regular brought in his Trek Checkpoint after a local shop in Tacoma overtightened a rear rack mount and stripped the frame's braze-on. That $400 repair bill changed my mind. What's the cheapest part you've seen ruined by a 4mm hex and too much muscle?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey_henderson16d ago

That's a brutal way to learn that lesson. Saw a seatpost clamp on a basic aluminum frame get crushed by someone going full gorilla with a long Allen key. The replacement clamp cost maybe twelve bucks, but the dent in the frame was permanent.

michaelross16d ago

That Trek story is a real bummer, and it's a solid point. Casey's seatpost clamp example is good too, but I'd argue the clamp itself is the cheap part, not the real cost. The real damage is always to the frame, which you can't really fix. A torque wrench feels slow, but it's cheaper than telling a customer their bike is now scrap over a two-dollar bolt.