Torque Wrench Broke During Hitch Installation so Should Bolt Torque be Checked and Adjusted

Question:

I installed this hitch on my Forester, but the cheap torque wrench I was using broke in the middle of installation. Because I needed to complete the job, I simply tightened the bolts as best as I could guess I may have overtightened and replaced the muffler. Would it make sense to get a better torque wrench and check the torque on the bolts? If they are already overtightened - does it make sense to loosen and try to correct the torque - or should I simply leave them as they are so as not to damage the hitch or car?

asked by: Jim Z

Expert Reply:

I spoke with my contact over at Curt. He said that if you have just recently installed the hitch then it is permissible to back the bolts out and re-torque them down to the amount specified in the instructions for # C12100. Instead of buying a whole new torque wrench you could use digital torque adapter # PTM206. Takes up a lot less space!

If the hitch has been on for a while now and everything is working fine then he said not to worry about it.

expert reply by: Michael H