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I have a new and calibrated torque wrench that is for 2-15NM. When I'm tightening a bolt it doesn't seem to click even at 2NM no matter how hard I turn.

I tried using it against a same size hex key as the bolt by holding the hex key firmly and then it seems to click at fairly light pressure, but not when I'm actually tightening the bolt. What could be wrong?

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  • Have you tried tightening anything to a higher torque? 5,10? Does that work?
    – Swifty
    Aug 18, 2018 at 19:07
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    It's possible that either as a break-in type behavior or just how it is, it's just not clicking very loud. After using them for a long time, one gets used to the feeling of the handle shifting/reverberating as the case may be when torque is reached, and the actual click is a little secondary. I've used ones that were kind of like this.
    – Nathan Knutson
    Aug 18, 2018 at 19:10
  • I'll give that a try, as when I was trying to tighten the screw (socket cap) I didn't feel it or hear it click even though I could tighten it very hard at even when it was set to 2NM.
    – Can Gencer
    Aug 18, 2018 at 19:25
  • You might want to specify the make and model
    – whatsisname
    Aug 18, 2018 at 20:33
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    If you go past the click, you can still tighten pretty hard. That’s one risk of mis-using the tool
    – Swifty
    Aug 18, 2018 at 20:54

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I see 3 possibilities, it’s not clicking because you aren’t turning hard enough, it’s clicking and you aren’t noticing it, or it’s broken. (Edit: 4th possibility it's a kind of break-in behaviour of the tool and the click is very gentle to begin with. Not sure why but seems to be what OP is reporting in comments. go carefully.)

I tried clicking mine at 2Nm holding the hex bit by hand and couldn’t do it. I had to twist the whole head of the torque wrench. Above 4Nm it’s quite hard to lever the head to click without an actual bolt to lever against.

I think you should try out a whole range of torques on suitable bolts, as well as finding another known torque wrench to compare against. Maybe seek out whoever calibrated it if practicable.

Edit: caveat; if one is a new user of torque wrenches go carefully with torque. A torque wrench will/should tell you when you achieve the torque spec., but it won't stop you tightening the bolt further if you continue forcing it. Excessive tightening can damage bolt threads.

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  • Thanks, at 2NM I can get it to click against a hex key without so much pressure, at 10NM requires a lot more pressure, but still doable. I was definitely turning quite hard I though 2NM would be quite light pressure? I will try it on some more bolts though.
    – Can Gencer
    Aug 19, 2018 at 6:26
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    @Can if you’re holding both ends of the tool in the air to click in one hand against the other, it will feel like hard work because one end (the hex end) is levering a tiny distance from the fulcrum. It will feel like less force is needed when tightening a bolt because you can lever the whole length of the tool properly. 2Nm isn’t a ‘high’ torque but the force you need to apply always depends on the length of the lever.
    – Swifty
    Aug 19, 2018 at 12:40

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