The torque spec, and where it came from
Bolt torque calculated from the SAE, ISO and RCSC standards with the lubrication stated, and lug nut torque quoted from each manufacturer’s owner’s manual, page cited.
PopularM12 bolt torque1/2 in Grade 8F-150 lug nutsft-lb to N·m
22 bolt sizes calculated · 31 vehicles, 236 values quoted from manufacturer documents
Browse by topic
Bolt torque at a glance
Every sizeCoarse thread, clamp load 75% of proof load. Dry is plain steel (K 0.20), oiled is a lubricated thread (K 0.15). Each size page adds fine threads, zinc-plated and anti-seize values.
| Bolt | Grade | Dry | Oiled | Grade | Dry | Oiled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M8 x 1.25 | 8.8 | 19 ft-lb25 N·m | 14 ft-lb19 N·m | 10.9 | 27 ft-lb36 N·m | 20 ft-lb27 N·m |
| M10 x 1.5 | 8.8 | 37 ft-lb50 N·m | 28 ft-lb38 N·m | 10.9 | 53 ft-lb72 N·m | 40 ft-lb54 N·m |
| M12 x 1.75 | 8.8 | 65 ft-lb88 N·m | 49 ft-lb66 N·m | 10.9 | 93 ft-lb126 N·m | 70 ft-lb94 N·m |
| M16 x 2 | 8.8 | 161 ft-lb219 N·m | 121 ft-lb164 N·m | 10.9 | 231 ft-lb313 N·m | 173 ft-lb235 N·m |
| 3/8-16 | Grade 5 | 31 ft-lb42 N·m | 23 ft-lb31 N·m | Grade 8 | 44 ft-lb59 N·m | 33 ft-lb44 N·m |
| 1/2-13 | Grade 5 | 75 ft-lb102 N·m | 57 ft-lb77 N·m | Grade 8 | 107 ft-lb144 N·m | 80 ft-lb108 N·m |
| 5/8-11 | Grade 5 | 150 ft-lb203 N·m | 113 ft-lb153 N·m | Grade 8 | 212 ft-lb287 N·m | 159 ft-lb215 N·m |
| 3/4-10 | Grade 5 | 267 ft-lb362 N·m | 200 ft-lb271 N·m | Grade 8 | 377 ft-lb511 N·m | 283 ft-lb383 N·m |
Lug nut torque, most common vehicles
All vehiclesLatest model year checked, quoted from the manufacturer’s owner’s manual. Earlier generations can differ; the vehicle page lists every year.
| Vehicle | Lug nut torque | Model years |
|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | 150 ft-lb204 N·m | 2025 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 140 ft-lb190 N·m | 2020-present |
| Ram 1500 | 130 ft-lb176 N·m | 2026 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 76 ft-lb103 N·m | 2013-2018 |
| Honda CR-V | 80 ft-lb108 N·m | 2022 |
| Toyota Camry | 76 ft-lb103 N·m | 2018-2024 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 83 ft-lb113 N·m | 2016-2023 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 130 ft-lb176 N·m | 2026 |
| Tesla Model Y | 129 ft-lb175 N·m | 2025- |
| Nissan Rogue | 80 ft-lb108 N·m | 2024-2025 |
How the numbers are made
Bolt torque is calculated, not copied: T = K × D × F from the proof loads and stress areas in SAE J429 and ISO 898-1, with the nut factor for each thread condition stated next to the number.
Vehicle values are quoted word for word from the manufacturer’s owner’s manual or service information, with the document and page. Structural bolting follows the 2020 RCSC Specification, which installs to a pretension, not a table torque. Read the full method.
- Bolt sizes
- 22SAE 1/4 in to 1 in and metric M3 to M30, every grade, five thread conditions.
- Manufacturer values
- 236Lug nut, drain plug and caliper values, each with its manual and page.
- Sources
- 30Standards, data sheets and engineering references behind the calculations.
Calculators
All calculators- Bolt torque calculatorBolt torque calculator for SAE and metric bolts by size, thread, grade and lubrication, using T = K × D × F with the proof loads from SAE J429 and ISO 898-1.
- Lubricated torqueConvert a dry torque spec to oiled, zinc, anti-seize or moly threads by the ratio of nut factors. 100 ft-lb dry becomes 80 ft-lb with copper anti-seize.
- Torque converterConvert torque between ft-lb, in-lb, N·m, kgf·m, kgf·cm and ozf·in. 1 ft-lb = 1.355818 N·m and 1 kgf·m = 9.80665 N·m, from NIST SP 811.
- Bolt grade identificationIdentify a bolt's grade from its head: no marks, 3 or 6 radial lines for SAE Grade 2, 5, 8, stamped numbers for metric 8.8 to 12.9, and A325 or A490 for structural.
- Extension calculatorFind the torque wrench setting with a crowfoot or adapter: T_set = T × L ÷ (L + E). 100 ft-lb through a 2 in adapter on an 18 in wrench means setting 90.
- Clamp load calculatorEstimate bolt clamp load from tightening torque with F = T ÷ (K × D). 75 ft-lb on a 1/2 in bolt with dry threads gives about 9,000 lbf (40 kN), ±25%.
Guides
All guides- Torque sequenceWhy multi-bolt joints are tightened in a star or crisscross pattern and in several passes, with the sequences GM, FCA, Subaru, Ram and NASA actually specify.
- Torque-to-yield boltsTorque-to-yield bolts are tightened by torque plus angle into permanent stretch. How to read a TTY spec, apply the angle, and when GM, FCA and Honda say to replace them.
- Dry vs lubricated torqueWhy oiled bolts need less torque than dry ones for the same clamp load, with nut factor K values from Fastenal, NASA and Henkel for oil, zinc, anti-seize and moly.
- Anti-seize torqueHow much to cut torque with anti-seize, from LOCTITE data sheets: copper and metal-free K 0.16, marine and silver 0.18, moly 0.11. And why NGK says no on plugs.
- Thread locker torqueLOCTITE 242 changes the nut factor by no more than ±10%, so torque stays at the dry value. Henkel publishes no figure for 243, 262 or 271. What the data sheets do say.
- How to use a torque wrenchHow to set and pull a click, beam or digital torque wrench, what ±4% accuracy means under ISO 6789, when to recalibrate (12 months or 5,000 cycles) and what not to do.