rocdoc

Hi everyone,
I'm new to clipless, and loving it. I have googled this and cannot find any good information. It feels like a silly question, but I want to make sure my equipment lasts. I had no idea how tight I should have the screws keeping the cleats in place on the soles. I am using a light, fairly soft-soled sneaker-like MTB shoe with Shimano SPD cleats. Since I figured there is a lot of force on them, I have tightened them with my Richey torque key to the 5NM "click" of the key. This leaves a clear impression of the little teeth on the cleat surface into the plastic. Is that what I should be aiming for? I of course ended up moving them around a lot to dial in the perfect position, and this has resulted in a complicated overlapping pattern of teeth marks onto that plastic. Am I going to ruin the shoes? Should I do something different? Again, given that I assume there is a lot of force on them, I was worried that leaving them too lose would risk dragging the cleat along the sole, which sounds a lot worse.
Thank you in advance.

Square Wheels

Stop right before the bolts break or the threads strip.

Or, you 5nm sounds about right.
I'd check them after the first few rides.

klmmicro

A touch of blue locktite can help as well. I have had a screw back out while on a ride after being in place for a few months. It was stopped from coming completely out by the pedal itself. When i pulled from the pedal, the screw actually fell out. I now use locktite and have not had an issue since.

Buzzatronic

Typically I tighten with normal force until I can't tighten any longer to make the cleat bite into the shoe (they have teeth on the bottom for a reason). Then I'll give it one max effort turn which usually results in the bolt moving another 1/4th rotation. Never had a problem with them coming loose or stripping the nut in the shoe.

JamesInSJ

+1, and a drop of blue locktite on each one as klmmicro said.

gsa103

https://bike.shimano.com/media/techdo...9830672653.pdf

Shimano recommends 5-6 N*m final tightening torque, so you're good.

rocdoc

Perfect. Thank you everyone! I have not seen any problems with them coming loose or anything, just wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. I have not done locktite, I am greasing the threads up however, for protection.

superslomo

Loctite is kind of the opposite of greasing the threads, except in that both will prevent the threads from galling/seizing, whichever term you prefer. Grease will make it easier to loosen, loctite will make them bind up a bit (it's like a light glue, at least the blue variant is, the red stuff is pretty hardcore and meant to permanently fix bolts from removal with anything but air tools or dynamite or similar.)

As to tightness, I tighten mine exactly 1 unit of "that much and then another little nudge to make sure it's pretty damned tight", and then I bring an allen key along on rides as part of the multi-tool, you'll feel an SPD cleat getting loose before it lets go, and you can just snug it back down. I wouldn't bother with a torque wrench... I don't use a torque wrench on anything, though I would perhaps for tightening down the head studs on an engine.