Friction

Friction is an extremely challenging problem because it is so variable and difficult to control. The best way to avoid the pitfalls of friction is by using the stretch method. This way preload is controlled and independent of friction. Each time the bolt is torqued and loosened, the friction factor gets smaller. Eventually the friction levels out and becomes constant for all following repetitions. Therefore, when installing a new bolt where the stretch method cannot be used, the bolt should be tightened and loosened several times before final torque. The number of cycles depends on the lubricant. For ARP recommended lubes, five loosening and tightening cycles is sufficient.