A Torque wrench can Save a Life.

Product Categories

Abrasive & Grinding Products

Air Compressors and Accessories

Air Tools and Accessories

Auto Air Conditioning Tools

Auto Paint & Body Repair Supplies

Auto Shop Lighting

Automotive Electronics

Automotive Shop Equipment & Tools

Car Battery Chargers & Jump Starters

Car Buffers and Polishers

Cutting/Threading

Electronics & Diagnostics

Industrial Hand Tools

Industrial Safety Equipment

Power Tools & Accessories

Tool Storage

Vehicle Specialty Tools

Social Bookmarks

When working on automobiles, trailers and other vehicles your customers bring into your shop, inevitably you be required to tighten some critical lugs that directly effect the safety of that piece of equipment. As matter of good practice, the torque on trailer wheel bolts and the lug nuts on most automobiles should be checked on a regular to insure they are within manufacturer guidelines. Lug nuts will loosen due to wear and tear. Consequently, the nuts can come off and cause a serious accident. A tool that comes in at such times is the torque wrench, which is used to set the torque or force of fastening a bolt onto its socket. In places where the screws need to be tightly seated, this wrench is used and it allows the user to gather data about the torque applied to the screw to make sure it fits in snuggly.

For example, if your trailer lug nuts become loose, you run the risk of losing the wheel on the highway and jackknifing your trailer. This could lead to injury but if you are diligent about checking the torque, a situation like this can be avoided. Torque wrenches look like a long slender arm of the screw driver and have a handle and a second arm attached to the head with a torque measuring device in it. This arm remains fixed and straight at all times while the top arm is used to tighten the screws and moves with the bolts. As the top arm moves, the lower one measures the force and when it reaches the desired limit, it stops and the bolt is secured firmly in place. This is called a beam type Torque wrench Torque wrenches and the other is a click type wrench, where a clutch like mechanism is used which will slip the minute the maximum torque is reached. There are several other types and the latest one being programmable electronic which has a display that shows the torque intensity while the socket is working on the bolt.

The click type torque wrenches are said to be more accurate than the beam

type because the degree of measurement is minute and up to the last millimeter. Even though it is among the most expensive of hand tools, it is necessary to have one for home use. And going by the measurement devices fitted in them, customers are advised not to over torque as this might lead to twisting or bending the nut or bolt and will cause further damage to the door or pipe. Sometimes if you are trying to tighten a screw in a place you can’t really reach, you can use an extension arm which will allow you to access these tight spots.

One must understand the use of the extension arm before fitting it on the Torque wrench, because otherwise it could affect the reading and this will lead to over tightening of the bolts. There are also some angle wrenches available which can be used to reach into places hidden away or in a place we don’t have easy access to, these are like the extension arm but can move in any direction. The Hydraulic Torque wrenches come fitted with a cylinder and multiple nozzles to work on different projects at the same time. These are more suited while working under water, like in fixing a motor in the swimming pool and so on. Such is the benefit of a torque wrench that should be part of the tool kit in every auto shop or garage.