What are the parts of a wheel wrench?

5th March 2020

	What are the parts of a wheel wrench?


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			Wheel wrench handle
			The handle is the part that is held by the user when using the tool. Most handles are fitted with a durable rubber handle to provide extra grip and comfort.

			Wheel wrench shaft
			The shaft connects the handle to the drive, which is the square end of the wrench that connects to sockets. On most models, the shaft can be extended, giving the user more leverage and extra torque when removing wheel nuts.

			Torque Torque is a force that causes an object to rotate. The actual torque applied to the wheel nut varies as the hand position on the wrench varies.

			Increasing the distance of your hand (A) from the point of rotation allows you to apply a smaller force at a greater distance; this is known as a mechanical advantage. The closer your hand (B) is to the point of rotation, the greater the force you will have to apply. The longer your lever (in this case a wheel wrench), the greater your mechanical advantage and the less force you have to exert to create the required levels of torque to turn the nut.

			Wheel wrench square drive
			The size (diameter) of the square drive can vary to enable a variety of sockets of different sizes to be attached and manually driven to remove wheel nuts. The size of the square drive determines the size of socket it can be used with.

			As a socket can have a ¼, ⅜, ½, ¾ or 1 inch square drive to allow different sized nuts to be secured and loosened, wrenches are available with square drives to match these measurements. To find out the size (diameter) of the square drive, measure from one side of the drive to the other.

			Wheel wrench socket
			The socket fits on to the wrench’s square drive to tighten and loosen wheel nuts.