Originally Posted by
dabac
DON'T keep tightening the crank as you ride. That'll force the crank further and further up the BB spindle until it splits.
It's possible to do a kinda-sorta torque estimate by standing on a scale, doing some maths for length of wrench and how much your push reduces your weight.
The typical torque spec for square taper crank bolts is 30 ft/lbs. That's quite a bit more than I would use if I were left to my own judgement using a 6 inch long Allen wrench. If you don't have access to a torque wrench, imagine a 30 lb. weight hanging off the end of a 12" long wrench.
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