The goal is simple: for non-critical fasteners, get a reasonable estimate instead of tightening purely by feel.
Good use cases:
- Brackets, covers, secondary mounts, trim, and other non-safety-critical hardware.
- Situations where avoiding stripped threads and over-tightening matters more than matching an OEM procedure.
Do not use this for:
- Brakes, steering, suspension, wheels, head bolts, flywheel/clutch, and any joint with a specified torque-angle procedure or one-time-use bolts.
Quick tips:
- Start with 60-70% of yield load for non-critical joints.
- If threads are lubricated, pick a lubricated K value; otherwise you will likely over-torque.
- If threads are dirty or rusty, clean them first or use a conservative (higher) K assumption.
- If you do not have a torque wrench, err on the lower side and re-check rather than forcing it.
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