Just realized I was over-tightening seatpost clamps for years

I used to crank them down until the bolt felt solid, but a stripped bolt on a carbon frame last week changed my mind. The shop manual said 5 Nm, which felt way too light, but it hasn't slipped once. Anyone else have a torque spec that felt wrong but was actually right?

3 comments

3 Comments

schmidt.blake8d ago

Yo same exact thing happened to me. I always thought 5 Nm felt way too loose for a seatpost clamp but I finally followed the spec and it hasn't budged in two years. The trick for me was just trusting the number even though my gut said crank it more.

mitchell.shane1mo ago

Seriously, you need a torque wrench for a seatpost?

evana711mo ago

My buddy Jake snapped his carbon seatpost last fall. He just cranked it down with a regular hex key, thought it felt tight enough. That crack cost him four hundred bucks for a replacement. Now he borrows my torque wrench every time he adjusts anything. It's cheap insurance compared to new parts.