I finally figured out why my torque wrench kept slipping

Been using a click-type torque wrench for 5 years and just learned last month I was supposed to grease the threads on the bolt, not just crank it dry, after a guy at the NAPA counter in Des Moines watched me struggle and asked if I ever heard of friction.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_gavin17d ago

My buddy at the shop in Omaha told me the same thing after he watched me snap a bolt on a control arm. He said the torque spec on the box is for a clean, greased thread, not the dry friction you get from rust or dirt. I read somewhere that dry threads can add up to 30% more friction, so you're way over-torquing without even knowing it. Some guys swear by anti-seize instead of grease, but the principle is the same - you need that lube to get the right clamping force. Now I keep a little cup of moly grease right next to my torque wrench and it's made a world of difference.

skyler_white9517d ago

Gavin's dead on about the friction thing. I started using a little dab of anti-seize on my lug nuts after stripping one in a parking lot, and it hasn't slipped since. That little cup trick is smart, I just keep a squeeze bottle in my toolbox now.