Carbon assembly paste on brake lever clamp?

Putting my new carbon bars on ready for the weekend, and as it’s my first ever carbon component (yes sad I know) I’m doing everything by the book – torque wrench, carbon assembly paste slathered on everything – stem clamp, grips, brake lever clamps …
Then I think – aren’t the brake lever clamps supposed to be a bit loose so they’ll rotate in a crash rather than break anything, whereas the point of carbon assembly paste is to stop things slipping when they’re a bit loose?
So what’s the right thing to do – carbon paste on the brake clamps or not?

don’t

Don’t if they don’t twist in a crash they’ll likely damage either themselves or the bar.

Hmmm! Just doing some Googling on this, and came across this thread on MTBR where they’re saying to use it on brake & shifter clamps because it means they don’t move at the very low torque values used to protect the bars, but still ‘break free’ if there’s a crash.

Now I’m really confused 😐

Don’t put it on. If the levers move in normal use try some.

I’m no expert but I would think that using the paste will mean you can get the same level of grip on the bars at a lower torque than without using the paste?
Therefore you wouldn’t need to torque up the clamps as much to get the same effect…

As alanf. Also, depending on lacquer used on the bars, the assy paste will help prevent corrosion between the alu and carbon.

I’m no expert but I would think that using the paste will mean you can get the same level of grip on the bars at a lower torque than without using the paste?
Therefore you wouldn’t need to torque up the clamps as much to get the same effect…

Yes, that seems to be the gist of the MTBR thread – can achieve the same ‘release’ effect with a lower torque if use carbon paste. I’d just be afraid they wouldn’t release at all!

Meanwhile, my research has led me to the manufacturers website (Easton, and yes I know – maybe should have started there 😳 ) where they mention carbon paste for the stem interface, but not for the brake clamps – and by that I mean literally no mention of it, one way or ‘tother, so that doesn’t really settle anything!

I wouldn’t bother. I did once and all It did was engrain the small beads into the carbon which won’t now come off. Looks rubbish if I want to run my levers in any other position.

I wouldn’t bother. I did once and all It did was engrain the small beads into the carbon which won’t now come off. Looks rubbish if I want to run my levers in any other position.

Ah, now that’s a good approach – appealing to my vanity instead of any of this engineering poppycock 😆

But the tart I am, I’m going straight over to wipe the stuff off…

use it on mine and they do move in a cash 🙁

I couldn’t get my brakes or shifters to stay on my 35mm Havocs at 5Nm until I applied carbon paste.

I don’t have it on my brake levers but do on the stem/bar interface – stops creaks too !

I don’t have it on my brake levers but do on the stem/bar interface – stops creaks too !

Yes it’s definitely going on the stem interface, and I fact I already used it there with the aluminium bars, and on the seatpost. Will happily use it anywhere components aren’t meant to move, but it’s just these brake lever clamps that are vexing me, cos they are supposed to stay still but then again they aren’t ❓