Figured out I was overtorquing every dryer drum bolt for 3 years

A customer in Denver brought back a drum I'd fixed 2 months ago with the weld cracked. I checked my torque wrench and it was reading 15 ft-lbs high. Been cranking everything down like I was building a bridge.

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_barnes2412d ago

Maybe your torque wrench was fine before and it drifted, that happens. But also, maybe you were right to overtighten those bolts. I've seen plenty of dryer drums come loose after a few months because someone used too low a setting. A little extra torque can keep the weld from being the weak point. You might have just been preventing a future failure.

anthonynelson12d ago

That actually makes a lot of sense. I used to be in the camp of always following the spec exactly, but you're right, a little extra torque on those drum bolts can save you from a headache later. I've seen enough of those welds crack to change my mind now.

stella2212d ago

Totally hear you on that @anthonelson. I used to be strict about following the numbers too, but after a few too many callbacks for loose drum bolts I started giving them an extra nudge. Drum welds are a real pain to fix once they go, so if the bolt is the thing that can save it, id rather have that tighter connection. Ive had a technician tell me the same thing you just said, that a little extra torque actually helps the whole assembly hold up longer. Your take on preventing future failure is spot on from what Ive seen over the years.