"Ended up using a flange spacer kit to level things out—worked surprisingly well."
Interesting, I've had mixed results with flange spacers myself. Did you use any additional sealant or caulking around the spacer? I've found that sometimes, even with a spacer, there's still a tiny bit of wobble if the floor isn't perfectly level underneath.
Also curious—did you check if the subfloor itself was compromised at all? A buddy of mine had a similar issue, and after trying everything under the sun, he finally realized the plywood beneath had gotten soft from an old leak. No amount of tightening or spacers would've fixed that one. He ended up cutting out and replacing a small section of subfloor, and it solved the problem completely.
Totally agree about overtightening bolts being subjective. I usually go by feel too, but I wonder if there's a more precise way to gauge it? Has anyone here ever tried using a torque wrench for toilet bolts? Seems like overkill maybe, but might be worth it if you're worried about cracking porcelain.
One last thought—have you checked if your wax ring is thick enough? Sometimes when the flange height is off, switching to an extra-thick wax ring or even doubling up can help stabilize things without needing spacers. Just something else to consider before you commit to more hardware...
I've had my share of toilet disasters too, so I feel your pain. Last year, I tried the flange spacer route myself—worked okayish at first, but like you mentioned, still had that annoying little wobble. Turns out my subfloor was fine, but the tile underneath was slightly uneven (thanks, previous homeowner!). Ended up using a thicker wax ring and a thin bead of silicone caulk around the base to stabilize things. I know some folks swear against caulking toilets down because it can hide leaks, but if you leave a small gap at the back uncaulked, you'll still notice any issues pretty quickly.
And about torque wrenches... honestly, I tried one once out of curiosity (borrowed from my car-loving neighbor). Felt a bit silly tightening toilet bolts with automotive precision—like bringing a laser level to hang a picture—but hey, no cracked porcelain yet. Still prefer the good old "snug-but-not-too-snug" method myself though.
Yeah, totally get you on the torque wrench thing—feels a bit overkill for toilet bolts, haha. I went through something similar with uneven tiles, and honestly, shimming the toilet base with those plastic toilet shims worked wonders for me. They're cheap, easy to trim down, and you can hide them pretty well with a neat bead of caulk. No wobble since, and no leaks either (knock on wood...).
Had a similar issue a while back—thought I had it sorted with shims too, but turns out my floor was a bit more uneven than I realized. Ended up having to double-check the flange height, which was slightly off. Once I got that leveled properly and reset the toilet with a new wax ring, everything finally stayed put. Sometimes those little details make all the difference... Did you check if your flange is sitting flush with the tile?
Good call on checking flange height—it's often overlooked. Even a slight difference can cause rocking or leaks down the line. Ideally, your flange should sit flush or just slightly above the finished tile floor. If it's too low, doubling up wax rings can help temporarily, but a flange extender is usually the better long-term fix. Also, make sure you're not overtightening the bolts; snug is good enough. I've seen cracked porcelain from folks trying to eliminate wobble by cranking down too hard... gentle does it.
