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My lead mechanic said torque strips were a waste, proved him wrong in 20 minutes
Frank has been at this shop for 22 years and swears by feel for everything. Told me torque strips are just a crutch for new guys. Last Tuesday I used them on a set of flap track bolts for a 737, and when he double checked my work he found two that were 15 ft-lbs under spec. He didn't say much, just grunted and walked off. I still use feel for most stuff, but critical fasteners get a strip now. Anyone else have a senior guy who fights you on basic QC methods?
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eva_ward881mo ago
Ha, yeah I used to be on Frank's side actually. I thought torque strips were just an extra step for people who didn't trust their own hands. Then I had a similar thing happen on a landing gear job and found one fastener way off when I checked it cold. It really changed how I look at it. I still think feel is valuable for a lot of stuff, but for anything critical where a mistake could mean a big headache later, I'll take the extra five seconds. Your mileage may vary but it's hard to argue with results like that.
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caseys301mo ago
idk @eva_ward88, it's a landing gear bolt not heart surgery. you can still feel when something's off without going full QA inspector on every single fastener.
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river_scott21d ago
Eva bringing up that she found a fastener way off when she checked cold is exactly the kind of thing that sticks with you. Feels great when you catch it yourself instead of finding out later on a preflight. But Casey's point about feel is still valid for a lot of routine stuff where you've done it a hundred times. It's really just picking your spots. Torque strips are quick insurance for the high-stakes jobs, not a replacement for knowing your tool feel on the easier stuff.
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