Three years ago I refused to follow torque specs on landing gear bolts

I always thought I could feel when a bolt was tight enough, until a gear trunnion bolt backed out on a 172 at my shop in Memphis last week. Watching the NTSB report on a similar failure from 2021 finally convinced me that torque wrenches aren't optional. Anybody else ever learn this lesson the hard way?

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1 Comment

mason_jackson1mo ago

Wait, you actually had a trunnion bolt back out on a 172? That's terrifying, man. Ngl, I always thought the whole torque spec thing was more of a suggestion until a buddy of mine had a nose gear collapse on a Cherokee from the same issue last year. Honestly, seeing that NTSB report you mentioned is probably the only thing that stopped me from making the same mistake.

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