First of all, Lets get to know what is the torque wrench. a tool used to precisely apply a specific torque to a fastener such as a nut or bolt. It is usually in the form of a socket wrench with special internal mechanisms. It was invented by Conrad Bahr in 1918 while working for the New York City Water Department. It was designed to prevent overtightening bolts on water main and steam pipe repairs underground.A torque wrench is like a normal wrench in that it lets you tighten or loosen nuts and bolts on your car. But it can be set to tell you when youve tightened a nut to a particular amount, e.g. 9 foot lbs, so you dont tighten it too much and damage the threads on the nut.
A torque wrench is used where the tightness of screws and bolts is crucial. It allows the operator to measure the torque applied to the fastener so it can be matched to the specifications for a particular application. This permits proper tension and loading of all parts. A torque wrench indirectly measures torque as a proxy for bolt tension. The technique suffers from inaccuracy due to inconsistent or uncalibrated friction between the fastener and its mating hole. Measuring bolt tension (bolt stretch) is more accurate but often torque is the only practical means of measurement
1. Examine the torque wrench. You will see that the torque wrench looks very much like a standard socket wrench except that the bottom part of the handle has a dial that you can rotate to set the degree of force you want to exert on a bolt or nut as you tighten it. By rotating this dial, you can change the force limit for the wrench.
2 Look in the manual for your make and model of car to discover what the manufacturers recommended "torque" is for the particular nut or bolt you are tightening.
3. Take the dial at the end of the wrench and change the dial by rotating it back or forward to reach the setting stated in the manual. Be sure that the torque wrench is set in the correct units for the manual that you are using. There are two standard measurement systems used to measure force. One is the metric system and the other is the U.S. Imperial system.
4 Find the right socket for the nut or bolt you are planning on tightening. Attach it to the wrench and fit it to the bolt or nut. Begin tightening the bolt or nut with the wrench and continue in short strokes of the wrench handle.
5.Stop tightening when the wrench feels like it "breaks" or slips on the nut. This is when the force being exerted on the wrench has reached the recommended amount of force. The wrench doesnt actually break or slip on the nut. There is a mechanism inside the handle of the wrench that releases the force, once it reaches the setting on the handle.
Type:
Beam type
Deflecting beam
Click type
Electronic torque wrenches
Mechatronic torque wrenches