A torque wrench is a very important tool to keep in your automotive repair toolbox. When working on your car, there are some repairs that will require you to set the bolts at an exact pressure setting. That is where the torque wrench comes into play. Allowing you to adjust the setting to a pre-determined number, it will tell you when you have tightened the bolt enough. Torque wrenches can save you a lot of time and worry as to whether the bolts for that engine part have been tightened properly.
Determine the torque setting you need to use for the bolt that you are tightening. You can find this information in an auto repair manual for your vehicle. It is usually found under the specifications section or in the section for the type of repair you are doing on your car.
Locate the dial at the bottom end of your torque wrench and turn the dial to the desired setting indicated in your auto repair manual. For example, if the manual says that you need to apply 100 foot pounds per square inch (psi), then turn the dial to the number 100.
Locate the lock mechanism lever at the top of the torque wrench head. Flip the lever all the way to the left, so that the wrench is turning clockwise (in order to tighten the bolt).
Connect the right sized socket for the bolt that you need to tighten on the torque wrench, and then place the socket over the bolt. See the tips section for notes on socket sizes.
Turn the torque wrench until you begin to feel resistance from the bolt, then listen for the wrench to make a clicking sound. The torque wrench is designed to release and start clicking when it reaches the torque that you set it on.
