TIL I was using my torque wrench wrong for like 4 years

Was tightening lug nuts on my truck last Saturday and the socket just slipped right off the wrench when I pulled back. My buddy Dave looked over and goes "you know you're supposed to push the collar forward to lock the socket on, right?" I had no idea that thing even had a locking feature, it's just been loosely sitting on there this whole time. Anyone else find out they were missing a basic feature on a tool they used forever?

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jana_price5mo ago

Nah I gotta push back on this one a little bit. I've been using torque wrenches for over a decade and I've never locked the socket on with that collar thing. Most of my sockets stay on just fine from friction alone, especially the 6-point ones that are a little tighter. Last time I tried using that locking feature I actually had trouble getting the socket back off because it stuck so hard I had to tap it on the ground. Most mechanics I know just give it a quick snap to make sure it's seated and move on. Is the collar really meant to be a locking thing or just a release button you're not supposed to hold while using it?

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john_murphy5mo ago

It's funny how tools just develop their own little habits over time like people do.

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