Overheard a lead mechanic at ORD saying torque sticks are a crutch

Was helping out at a line maintenance hangar in Chicago last week. This old timer with 30 years in was ripping into a new guy for using torque sticks on wheel nuts. Said he trusts his calibrated arm more than those rubber things. I use torque sticks for most jobs but it got me thinking. Does anyone here actually skip torque sticks on critical fasteners?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_lopez27d ago

Call bullshit on that old timer right back. I've seen too many guys "calibrate" their arm after six cups of coffee and a bad night's sleep. Torque sticks aren't perfect but they're way more consistent than a guy who swears he's got the feel. The real problem is people using cheap sticks that are way out of spec. Spend the money on a good set and check them with a torque wrench once in a while.

wendy13127d agoMost Upvoted

Did your buddy ever find his socket in the engine bay?

mark_carr726d ago

Yeah torque sticks beat guessing every time.