Glossary
torque wrench
A torque wrench tightens a fastener to a measured amount of turning force, clicking or reading a scale at the value it was set to, instead of stopping when the bolt feels tight.
A torque wrench tightens a fastener to a measured amount of turning force rather than simply until it feels tight. Torque is measured in foot-pounds or newton-meters, and the wrench clicks or reaches a mark on its scale when the setting is met.
It exists because both too little and too much are failures. An under-tightened head bolt leaks or works loose, while an over-tightened one stretches, strips the threads or warps the part it is holding. Cylinder heads, wheel nuts, suspension and engine bearing caps are the joints where the manufacturer gives a figure to work to.
Use it for the final pull, not as your only wrench: run the fastener down by hand or with an ordinary wrench first, tighten in the specified pattern, and never use a torque wrench to loosen anything. Its click is a release, not a limit to lean on.
Taught in
Related terms
- torque — Torque is a turning force — a force applied at a distance from the axis it turns — measured in pound-feet, and a torque wrench tightens a fastener to a set value.
Source: Official ASVAB — subtest descriptions (what each subtest asks) and the CAT-ASVAB scored-question counts (accessed 2026-09)