 |  We bought our 3/8-inch- and...  We bought our 3/8-inch- and 1/2-inch-drive pair of Husky torgue wrenches at our local Home Depot for less than 100 bucks. | |
If you've ever had a fastener come loose, break in half, or suffer stripped threads, then it's likely the bolt and nut wasn't properly torqued. Overtighten a bolt and you'll stretch it beyond its tensile strength and the fastener will fail. Undertighten the same bolt and eventually it'll come loose or not provide the clamping force needed to keep your parts bolted together. A torque wrench is a reliable tool for making sure your engine, suspension, or wheels stay put under the high-stress environment of the open road.
 How To Use The Tool 1. The...  How To Use The Tool
1. The torque verification setting is adjusted by sliding this collar downward and then spinning the handle to the desired setting. Once the wrench is set, simply release the collar. |  2. The 3/8-inch-drive wrench...  2. The 3/8-inch-drive wrench has a maximum torque setting of 100 lb-ft and the 1/2-inch-drive will go all the way up to 350 lb-ft for large-diameter fasteners |  3. The proper application...  3. The proper application of the torque wrench is just as important as the setting it's on. Adding an extension to the socket will change the amount of force that's necessary to achieve the desired torque of a fastener. For the sake of accuracy, the shorter the distance between the fastener and wrench, the less side loading and leverage is employed and the more accurate the result. To torque a fastener, pull smoothly on the wrench while keeping it close to perpendicular to the fastener until the wrench clicks. Going past the click point will only overtorque the fastener. |
 4. After you've bought your...  4. After you've bought your own torque wrench, this chart will make an excellent guide for choosing the proper setting based on the size of the fastener and in what sequence to torque the lug nuts holding the wheels to your sport truck. | | |