A hand torque wrench with an internal spring and toggle that releases momentarily at the set value, producing a click felt through the handle. It is accurate only when pulled smoothly at the handle mark and stopped at the first click, since pulling through the click adds torque. It should be stored at its lowest setting, never used to break fasteners loose, and checked on a calibration schedule.
It's a click wrench, one click and stop, you're double-clicking it and adding ten percent to every bolt.
Wind it back to the lowest mark when you put it away; leaving the spring loaded at high torque drifts its calibration.
Also heard as
- clicker
- micrometer torque wrench
Related terms
Torque-tension
The relationship between the torque applied to a fastener and the preload it produces, dominated by friction.
Rattle gun
Shop nickname for an impact wrench, from the hammering racket it makes running fasteners on and off.
Gutentight
Mock-German torque spec meaning tightened by feel until it seems good and tight, with no wrench reading.
Torque stripe
A paint line drawn across a tightened nut, bolt and joint to show it was torqued and reveal any later movement.