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That moment a torque wrench let go on a C-130 at McGuire
I was doing a wheel change on a C-130 at McGuire AFB last spring and my torque wrench clicked way too early. I checked the setting again and it was fine, so I figured it was just a bad wrench. Turns out the main gear nut was cross-threaded from the last guy and I almost missed it entirely. Anyone else ever catch something like that before it turned into a bigger issue?
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dixon.james1mo ago
Bruh, that's a nightmare waiting to happen. A cross-threaded nut on a main gear is no joke, one good landing and you'd have a whole lot of paperwork and a very bad day. Glad your torque wrench caught it, that tool saved your ass more than you probably know. Stuff like that is why you always double-check the feel when it clicks off, not just the number.
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xena_bailey181mo ago
Man, "a whole lot of paperwork and a very bad day" really says it all. That's the kind of mistake that sticks with you and makes you extra careful on every job after. It's good you're looking out for the little things like the feel of the click, that's where real experience shows.
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ivanbell1mo ago
McGuire has a decent rep but stuff like that still slips through. Cross-threading usually happens when the tool angle is off or the guy was rushing. A good habit is to hand spin the nut a few turns before the torque wrench even touches it.
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