Torque wrench

A torque wrench is a special kind of tool that looks a bit like a regular wrench or a socket handle, but it has a very important extra feature. It can measure how much twisting force, called torque, you are applying when you turn a nut or a bolt. Think of it like a bathroom scale, but instead of measuring weight, it measures how hard you are twisting. Many of them have a gauge, a dial, or a mechanism that clicks loudly when you’ve reached a specific amount of force, so you know exactly when to stop turning.

People use torque wrenches to make sure things are tightened just the right amount, which is incredibly important for safety and for making things work properly. If you don’t tighten a bolt enough, it can come loose from vibrations and cause a part to fail. On the other hand, if you tighten it too much, you can strip the threads, stretch the bolt, or even crack the part it’s holding together. A torque wrench takes the guesswork out of this process. It ensures that every critical fastener is tightened to the exact specification given by the manufacturer, which keeps everything safe, reliable, and functioning as it was designed to.

You’ll most often see a torque wrench used on cars and bicycles. For a car, a mechanic uses one to precisely tighten the lug nuts that hold your wheels on. If they are too loose, a wheel could fall off. If they are too tight, you might not be able to get them off in an emergency or you could damage the wheel studs. On a bicycle, the bolts that hold the handlebars to the frame need a specific amount of torque. Too little, and the handlebars could slip while you’re riding. Too much, and you could crush the lightweight materials. Even when assembling some furniture, the instructions might specify a torque setting for certain bolts to ensure the structure is stable without being over-tightened.