Just figured out a trick for stubborn torque stripe checks

Ngl, I used to hate doing torque stripe checks on the flight line because the old stripe would peel off or just not line up right. Then a senior mechanic at the gate in DFW showed me to wipe the bolt head with brake cleaner first and let it dry for 30 seconds before applying the new stripe. It sticks way better and I haven't had a single redo since. Anyone else got a simple prep step that saved them time?

3 comments

3 Comments

brooke76728d ago

That brake cleaner trick is solid, I've seen it work on all sorts of stubborn stickers and labels too. Your mileage may vary depending on the weather though, if it's humid out you might need to wait a full minute for it to dry. It's funny how a simple cleaning step can save so much headache across the board. From my experience, most gripes about stuff not sticking come down to skipping that basic prep.

harper69328d ago

Yeah, I gotta disagree with you on that "most gripes come down to skipping basic prep" idea. I've prepped surfaces exactly like every guide says and still had stuff peel off within a week, especially on older vehicles where the paint is already failing. Sometimes the problem is the product itself or the condition of the surface under the sticker, not whether you wiped it down with brake cleaner first.

the_jordan17d ago

Harper's got a point about older vehicles with failing paint though. I had the same problem on a beat up work truck until I started scuffing the bolt head area with 0000 steel wool first, then cleaning with brake cleaner. That extra bite gives the stripe something to hold onto when the underlying paint is already compromised. Brooke's right about the humidity too, I wait closer to 90 seconds on damp days and it makes a real difference.