According to the sticker on the Bontrager Elite stem, you should tighten the top bolts first so there is no gap, and then finish tightening the bottom bolts to the recommended torque. I believe the carbon RSL stem has the same sticker. (see pix). I have Elite stems on two of my bikes and followed this diagram exactly, with no issues.
Recently, I got a Pro version which looks very similar, with just slight differences in the front plate’s coating. However, the Pro stem does not have the same sticker. After searching for a while, I couldn’t find any information about the bolt tightening pattern for Blendr stems.
So, my question is: should I tighten the Pro stem the same way as the Elite, with no gap on top, or should I try to keep an equal gap among all 4 bolts like most other stems?
It will probably work either way, but I won’t be able to sleep soundly without knowing the definitive answer :).
Thank you!
by Accomplished_Cap_683