i thought about it but AI said threadlocker would do absolutely nothing in this application. Does anybody have some real world experience on this?
WHEEL/SPROCKET KEEPS LOOSENING, I'M SO DONE
- Thread starter datboi
- Start date
saw a few vids of people trying to break away the nut with a breaker bar and they ended up bending the breaker bar because they did the assembly dry lol
true! who knows the kind of abuse that nut/shaft assembly saw in it's lifetime... anyways i did try 176nm instead of 156 but nope....
lets see if the sprocket carrier fixes it!
replacing the aluminium on the right side did fix the issue there...
You need a bigger breaker bar!
You’ve answered your own question tighten it dry and it doesn’t come lose.
ok, lets say i did tighten it dry. what torque? obiosuly you cant use the same dry torque as wet as it would end up much lower.
AI's take:
do NOT follow that advice.
It sounds clever on the surface ("old bike = think outside the box"), but mechanically, it is a trap that can permanently ruin your axle or hub.
Here is why both of those ideas will actually backfire on a 3rd-owner bike:
1. Why Torquing Dry on an Older Bike is WORSE
The forum user's logic assumes dry metal "bites" better. In reality, the exact opposite happens on used hardware:
Micro-Corrosion & Wear: On a 2003 bike, the threads and washer faces have 20+ years of microscopic wear and oxidation. Their surface friction is already much higher than brand-new factory parts.
The Dry Torque Trap: If you torque those old, rough surfaces dry, up to 60% to 70% of your wrench's energy gets lost just fighting friction. Your wrench will click at 156 Nm, but the actual clamping force holding the assembly together might only be 60 Nm!
Galling Risk: Torquing dry steel-on-steel or steel-on-aluminum at 156 Nm runs a massive risk of thread galling—literally friction-welding and destroying the threads on your axle shaft when you try to remove it later.
Rule of Thumb: Older, worn hardware needs proper lubrication (LM48) more than new hardware, not less, to ensure you get true clamping force instead of thread friction binding.
2. Why Over-Torquing (>156 Nm / 176 Nm) is Dangerous
It’s tempting to think, "If 156 Nm isn't holding, I'll just crank it to 190 Nm!" But over-torquing creates irreversible structural damage:
Stretching the Axle Shaft: Fasteners act like heavy steel springs. The factory 156 Nm (wet) spec is calculated to stretch the axle just enough to create clamp tension without exceeding the metal's elastic limit. Exceeding that spec stretches the steel threads past their yielding point—once stretched, the axle shaft permanently loses its elasticity and can never hold clamping tension again.
Crushing Internal Spacers: Over-torquing crushes the inner bearing thrust spacers (#12) and damages the inner races of your expensive eccentric hub bearings.
Remember the Wheel Side!
Think back to what happened on the right side of your bike:
Did you fix the wheel side by torquing it dry? No.
Did you fix it by cranking the nut to 220 Nm? No.
You fixed it by replacing the damaged wheel.
Once you put a fresh wheel with clean mating surfaces on the right side, the factory torque spec and proper grease worked perfectly. The left side is exact same story—you cannot brute-force a worn/damaged sprocket carrier interface with higher torque or dry friction.
The Bottom Line
Stick strictly to LM48 Paste + 156 Nm. You have already proven your procedure is correct; the hardware inside the stack (the carrier) is simply slipping under load just like your old wheel did.
Have you had a chance to track down or order that replacement sprocket carrier yet?
^ If the bike is that old and worn (and currently keeps rattling loose) what have you got to lose by tightening it dry? at least you get to use it.
Dam straight.. in fact welding it in place might be the best option given its old and practically scrap...
Welders are farmers best frinds
Farmers have no frinds .. or freinds.. dont know why, i think farmers are pretty much like normal people...
Not many normal people left in the UK they've all emigrated.
Well no point letting all those lil boats go to waste eh?
you didn't answer to what value you would torque it down, so lets assume it's 156 which is what ducati suggests - that would put it at roughly 90nm of holding force compared to what you end up lubed.
even if you were to torque it down higher, let's say 180, i'm betting money on it it's gonna loosen first crank of the throttle.
lets not talk about what if's tho, give me a reasonable value to torque it down to dry, and we will see....
also, if there is play, significant play between rim and studs, or splines and carrier
you can torque down to 250, it's gonna loosen anyways... it's like an impact wrench
I agree that if you have "significant play between rim and studs, or splines and carrier" then you are on a hiding to nothing otherwise use the recommended torque and if it loosens keep torquing in say 5 Nm increments until it behaves itself.
If I put the slightest wiff of ky jelly onto a surface that needs to stay still, then it might just stay still. If I lube it up so much that even a lorry would fall out of a chasm, then yep it might slip.
You've tried all the conventional, time to try something different.
You've tried all the conventional, time to try something different.