This article was co-authored by Audra Fordin and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Audra Fordin is a Certified Automotive Technician, the Founder of Women Auto Know, and the Owner of Great Bear Auto Repair in Flushing, New York. With more than 38 years of experience, she has intensive knowledge about foreign and domestic auto repairs. Audra has been featured on numerous news and talk shows such as The Today Show, Inside Edition, and Anderson Cooper.
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Are you worried about damaging nuts and bolts when you’re tightening them? Rather than guessing when to stop tightening, a torque wrench is the perfect tool for the job. Torque wrenches stop when they reach a specified torque setting, so there’s no risk of under- or over-tightening the nut or bolt when you’re doing automotive or machinery repairs. It’s so easy to set and use your torque wrench, and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know. Keep reading to learn how to adjust your wrench and maintain it like a pro.
Tip: Refer to your car or bike’s manual to determine how much torque a nut or bolt requires to be safely set. There are no universal rules for torque settings on vehicles.
Warning: Avoid using a torque wrench when you’re first attaching the nut or bolt. Torque wrenches provide a lot of power and if your nut or bolt isn’t perfectly aligned, you could destroy the threadings.
Tip: The rule of the thumb is that you need a calibration once a year or once per 5,000 clicks. If you work on cars or bikes every single day, you probably reach 5,000 clicks after 8-10 months. If you’re a DIY enthusiast though, you’re unlikely to hit 5,000 clicks before the year is up.
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