Appreciation post: Switched to a torque wrench for carbon seatposts after a shop in Denver showed me a cracked frame.

I saw a 40% drop in seatpost slippage complaints in my shop over six months once we started using a preset 5.5 Nm for every carbon install, so has anyone else found a specific torque value that solved a recurring issue?

2 comments

2 Comments

campbell.evan2d ago

My buddy had a similar thing happen with his gravel bike's carbon stem. The shop just cranked it down until it felt right and the next season he found a hairline crack starting under the faceplate. They now use a torque wrench for every single bolt on carbon parts, no exceptions. It really seems like guessing just isn't worth the risk anymore, you know?

wood.john2d ago

A cracked frame from a seatpost? That's a nightmare scenario. I've seen some bad slips but never a total frame failure. It makes sense that a set torque would help, but 5.5 Nm seems pretty low for some of the gritty paste I've used. You must be using some really slick assembly compound.