Swapped from a torque wrench to feel for bottom brackets after 6 months of stripping aluminum frames

I used to torque every single BB to spec like the manual said. But I kept seeing threads strip on cheaper alloy frames, especially with the higher torque numbers on Shimano units. Last March I started just going by hand feel, snug plus a quarter turn. Has not caused a single creak yet and I have done maybe 40 swaps since. Anyone else trust their hands over the click?

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabethg1820d ago

Oh man, a buddy of mine torqued his Campy BB to spec on a brand new Italian frame and the threads came out with the cup on the first ride. He sent it back to the builder and they told him straight up to stop using a torque wrench on aluminum shells, just hand tight plus a little extra. Now he does all his BBs by feel and has not had a single issue in two years.

elizabeth90018d ago

The builder was dead on. Tbh I've been doing hand feel for the last two years and not a single creak or stripped thread since.

bens8119d ago

His builder told him straight up to stop using a torque wrench" - that part really got me thinking. Was your buddy's frame actually brand new when that happened, or was it a used one where the threads might have been compromised already? I'm curious how many miles it had on it before he swapped the BB. Because I could see a torque wrench being overkill on a fresh shell, but on a frame that's been through a few seasons of salt and grit I wonder if you'd want the extra assurance.