All landing gear bolts must have the ______ to prevent wear and damage.

• A. Proper torque
• B. Loose torque
• C. Excess torque
• D. No torque

Answer: (A)

Tightening landing gear bolts to the proper torque creates the correct clamp load to keep the joints from moving under vibration and load, which protects against wear and damage. When bolts are under-torqued, the joints can loosen and permit relative motion, leading to fretting, wear, and possible failure of the fasteners or surrounding components. If bolts are torqued too much, the preload can exceed what the bolt and threads can safely handle, causing thread stripping, bolt head or shank damage, or distortion of the joint, which also undermines fatigue life. Not applying any torque at all obviously fails to hold the assembly together under flight loads. Use the manufacturer’s specified torque with a calibrated wrench and the correct lubrication or dryness requirements to maintain proper preload and protect the landing gear system.