A torque wrench is an essential part of any DIY auto mechanic's tool kit. How do torque wrenches work, and how do you use one properly?

This guide will teach you how to use a torque wrench, check its accuracy calibration, and keep it in shipshape with minimal maintenance.

A torque wrench is an essential part of any DIY auto mechanic's tool kit. How do torque wrenches work, and how do you use one properly?

An explanation of how to use a torque wrench, a tool that allows you to tighten fasteners with a specific amount of torque.

You will need to know how to use a vernier scale to set a click wrench, but that's easy, as I show in the video above. Click wrenches sit at the intersection of affordability and quality.

Effetto Mariposa's Giustaforza torque wrench is small, compact, and easy to use. (Image credit: James Huang) Click-type wrenches are most accurate between 30-80 percent of their indicated range.

Are Digital Torque Wrenches More Accurate? Realistically, they aren’t. The allure of a digital torque wrench is that it has a few more bells and whistles compared to a click-type torque wrench.