The Ford Barn

theHIGHLANDER · 05-18-2013, 08:01 AM

Since about 2004-5, in several venues of car "crafting", be it hot rods, racers, prototypes and especially restoration, I find more and more techs and home builders simply under-tightening many of the fasteners. It's maddening. Is this a trend? Was there some new discovery that loose is "the way"? As I cruise through various elements of my pickup, well it's there too. Many of the new roof screws and fasteners were left quite loose. Cab bolts too. When I took over management of a local restoration shop I actually was argued with over how tight things should be. I final assemble my Packards with air ratchets and impacts. Good enough for Packard, good enough for me, right? The look of horror was priceless from the 3 guys I was working with, shocked that I would "risk" tightening things like that. With little exception, just about every job I follow up on or project I take over the same applies. Yes, I admit it's a personal peeve of mine like several other means of practice, but this is just fuggin silly. Anybody else noticed this or is it some regional disease that's struck the car biz in S.E. Mich?

05-18-2013, 08:01 AM	#1
theHIGHLANDER Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 492	Loose fasteners, I didn't get the memo... Since about 2004-5, in several venues of car "crafting", be it hot rods, racers, prototypes and especially restoration, I find more and more techs and home builders simply under-tightening many of the fasteners. It's maddening. Is this a trend? Was there some new discovery that loose is "the way"? As I cruise through various elements of my pickup, well it's there too. Many of the new roof screws and fasteners were left quite loose. Cab bolts too. When I took over management of a local restoration shop I actually was argued with over how tight things should be. I final assemble my Packards with air ratchets and impacts. Good enough for Packard, good enough for me, right? The look of horror was priceless from the 3 guys I was working with, shocked that I would "risk" tightening things like that. With little exception, just about every job I follow up on or project I take over the same applies. Yes, I admit it's a personal peeve of mine like several other means of practice, but this is just fuggin silly. Anybody else noticed this or is it some regional disease that's struck the car biz in S.E. Mich?