Thread: Over-torqued screws

Just tightening up my nice new rings on my Vx-6 and found a discrepancy between the Leupold torque figures and the rings. In Looey I trust, so I went for 28 inch pounds vs 15-18 and tore the head off the third screw. Am I buggered because the threads are stretched or can I just replace that torn screw? (There’s six screws per ring)

In Leupy you may trust but I would suggest Leupold have stated a max torque limit, you have exceeded the ring manufacturers max torque which you will be lucky if you haven't damaged to rings especially if they are aluminum.
In a situation like that I would go with the lesser torque value as that is you maximum before things start breaking.

15 inch pounds on virtually all kinds of scope ring clamps

The cross bolts that hold the rings to the receiver are often 30 inch pounds

aluminium is very easy to strip. as stated less torque is better

Try replacing it - it will work or it won't. 5 screws is probably enough anyway...

Jeez, however did we get by in years gone by with 1x cross-slot screw and 2x screws per ring to hold everything in place on a weaver type setup? But seriously, scope rings only need to be 'nipped up'. 18 inch pounds you can do with fore-finger and thumb, shade over 2 newton meters.

Be interested to know what sort of torque wrench and bit were using.

Vortex wrench. The star bit that fit.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

Be interested to know what sort of torque wrench and bit were using.

A 3/4” strong-arm bar?

Thanks. I didnt know Vortex made a torque wrench.

Can we ask what the rings were ?
If its a 22LR it might just work to replace the screw. Judging by six screws per ring perhaps its a hard kicker and you might save yourself some grief and wasted ammo by cutting your losses and relegating the rings to a 223 or somesuch.

Thanks for the interest. Just a 6.5cm. I might get fresh screws and throw a bit of loktite into the mix and see how I go. 34mm low rings are unobtainium.

Originally Posted by YosemiteSam

Thanks for the interest. Just a 6.5cm. I might get fresh screws and throw a bit of loktite into the mix and see how I go. 34mm low rings are unobtainium.

I have two new sets of rings here in 34 mm low

They are around

My interpretation is that the head of a socket head screw has separated from the shank, if you have been able to remove the shank from lower half of the ring it should simply be a matter of fitting a new screw, the screw has failed, not the threads in the ring body. Before assembly you should try the new screw in the same hole and confirm that it is not bottoming in the hole (if it is a blind hole) or binding in incompletely formed threads in the bottom of the hole as either type of obstruction could be the cause of your problem. If the screw separated while fully seated in the hole then it was possibly just a faulty screw and simply a matter of replacement. Either way it doesn't sound like the threads will have been damaged.

Even pressure on each screw is more important than the
Actual torque itself as long as it’s tight enough I normally use 20inlb no matter the ring type
Nothing will ever move 10lnlb would actually probably be enough in most cases but 20 keeps it safe

Just hope you haven’t crushed your scope

With six screws, the technique of tightening is as important as the actual torque setting. I start at 10inlb, but do one corner loosely and then the opposite and back and forward until the opposite corners are close to the right spec, then the opposite corners making sure the cap gaps are level and even then a final go on the middle screws and back around the lot again. There will be a manufacturer setting for torque, but unless you're on a 50cal or a big 300 or 338 magnum you won't need to get to gorilla red-face-tight levels.