About Torque Reference
Torque Reference is a torque specification reference for mechanics, engineers, fleet technicians and DIYers: bolt torque by size and grade, structural bolting, and vehicle lug nut torque by model year.
Most torque charts online give a single number with no word on the conditions behind it. A dry chart and a lubricated chart can differ by a quarter for the same bolt, and the reader cannot tell which one they are looking at. Torque Reference shows the condition next to every value, and the source of every number.
The site covers 22 SAE and metric bolt sizes in every common grade, structural bolting under the RCSC Specification, and wheel torque for 31 of the most common vehicles in the United States. It is an independent publication: no tool maker, fastener supplier or vehicle manufacturer pays to be mentioned.
How the numbers are made
- Bolt torque is calculated. Each value comes from T = K × D × F, using the proof loads in SAE J429 and ISO 898-1, the tensile stress areas of the thread, and a published nut factor (K) for the thread condition. The method page lists every input and its source.
- Vehicle torque is quoted. Lug nut, drain plug and caliper values are copied as printed from the manufacturer’s owner’s manual or service information, with the document title and page. Values are not converted or rounded, and years we have not checked in a manual are marked rather than filled in.
- Structural bolting follows RCSC. High-strength structural bolts are installed to a pretension by an approved method, not by a table torque. Those pages give the RCSC tables and procedures, not invented torque values.
A calculated torque is a sound starting point when the equipment maker gives none. When a service manual, drawing or installation instruction gives a torque, follow it: it reflects the joint, gasket, coating and fastener the designer actually used.
Who writes it
Pages are written and checked by the Torque Reference editors from the standards, data sheets and manufacturer documents cited on each page. Every page shows the date it was last reviewed against its sources.
Corrections
If a value does not match its source, or a manufacturer has changed a specification, please tell us. We check the report against the cited document, correct the page and change its review date.
The company that publishes Torque Reference is identified in our privacy policy. You can reach us at [email protected].