Engineering ToolBox - Resources, Tools and Basic Information for Engineering and Design of Technical Applications!

This is an AMP page - Open full page! for all features.

Bolt Torque Calculator

Sponsored Links

The relation between applied torque and axial force - or load - in a bolt can be calculated in this general equation as

T = K F d  (1 - l/100)                    (1)

where

T = wrench torque (Nm, lbf ft)

K = constant that depends on the bolt material and size

d = nominal bolt diameter (m, ft)

F = axial bolt force (N, lbf)

l = lubrication factor (%)

Typical values for K with mild-steel bolts in range 1/4" to 1":

  • normal dry: K = 0.2
  • nonplated black finish: K = 0.3
  • zinc-plated: K = 0.2
  • slightly lubricated: K = 0.18
  • cadmium-plated: K = 0.16

Note! - be aware that this is a rough calculation where the screw pitch is not included. Typical Metric and Imperial bolt torques are indicated in the links below:

Manufacturing data should always be checked before use.

In addition the accuracy of a torque wrench is normally no better than +-25%.

Typical metric and imperial bolyt torques

Bolt Torque Calculator

The calculator below can be used to calculate the torque required to achieve a given axial bolt force or load. The calculator is generic an can used for imperial and metric units as long as the use of units are consistent.


Note that standard dry torques are normally calculated to produce a tensile stress - or axial force or clamp load - in the bolt that equals to 70% of minimum tensile strength or 75% of proof strength.

Example - Required torque for tightening a Imperial bolt

The required bolt clamping force for a joint is 20000 lbs. The torque required for a 3/4" dry steel bolt with 0% lubrication to achieve this tension can be calculated as

Tdry = (0.2) (20000 lb) (0.75 in) (1/12 ft/in) (1 - (0%) / (100%))

     = 250 (lbf ft)

Example - Required torque for tightening a Metric bolt to proof load

The proof load for a M30 metric bolt grad 8.8 is 337000 N. The torque required to achieve this tension with a dry bolt with 0% lubrication can be calculated as

Tdry = (0.2) (337000 N) (30 mm) (10-3 m/mm)

     = 2022 (Nm)

Lubricating the bolt with SAE 30 oil reduces the torque required to achieve the same tension with approximately 40%. The reduced torque can be calculated

TSAE30 = (2022 Nm) (1 - (40%) / (100%))

   = 1213 Nm

Bolt Force vs. Torque

Eq. 1 can be rearranged to express bolt force as

F = T / (K d (1 - l / 100))                      (1a)

Example - Dry vs. Lubricated Bolt

The proof load for a M30 metric bolt grad 8.8 is 337000 N. The torque required to achieve this force with a dry bolt is calculated to 2022 Nm.

By failure the bolt is lubricated and tightened with the same torque 2022 Nm. The force acting in the lubricated bolt can be calculated as

Flubricated = (2022 Nm) / (0.2 (0.03 m) (1 - (40%) / (100%))) 

  = 561667 N

This is way above what the bolt can handle and fatal failure is likely.

Bolt Force Calculator

This calculator can be used to calculate the force acting in a bolt.


Sponsored Links

Related Topics

Fasteners

Bolts, nuts and threaded rods - torque, tension and loads.

Related Documents

Bolt Stretching and Tensile Stress

Tensile stress and Hooke's Law.

Improvised Torque Wrench

Improvise a torque wrench with a luggage scale.

Metric Bolts - Minimum Ultimate Tensile and Proof Loads

Minimum ultimate tensile and proof loads for metric bolts with coarse or fine threads.

Metric Bolts - Tightening Torques

Recommended thightening torque metric bolts.

Metric Nuts - Proof Loads

Proof loads of metric nuts - coarse and fine threads.

Reduced Torque with Lubricated Bolts

Lubrication effect on bolt tension and torque.

Threaded Bolts - Stress Area

Threaded bolts tensile stress area.

Threaded Rods - Loads in Imperial Units

Weight rating of threaded hanger rods.

Threaded Rods - Proof Loads - Metric Units

Proof load capacities of metric threaded steel rods.

US Bolts - Tensile Strength and Proof Loads

Tensile strength and proof loads SAE bolts.

US Bolts - Tightening Torques

Recommended bolt torques.

US Hex Bolts - Inches

ANSI/ASME B18.2.1 Dimensions of Hex Bolts - Imperial units.

US Hex Bolts - Metric

ANSI/ASME B18.2.3M Dimensions of Hex Bolts - Metric units.

Whitworth Bolt Torques

Torque specifications Whitworth bolts.

Sponsored Links

Search Engineering ToolBox

  • the most efficient way to navigate the Engineering ToolBox!

SketchUp Extension - Online 3D modeling!

Add standard and customized parametric components - like flange beams, lumbers, piping, stairs and more - to your Sketchup model with the Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Extension - enabled for use with the amazing, fun and free SketchUp Make and SketchUp Pro . Add the Engineering ToolBox extension to your SketchUp from the Sketchup Extension Warehouse!

Privacy

We don't collect information from our users. Only emails and answers are saved in our archive. Cookies are only used in the browser to improve user experience.

Some of our calculators and applications let you save application data to your local computer. These applications will - due to browser restrictions - send data between your browser and our server. We don't save this data.

Google use cookies for serving our ads and handling visitor statistics. Please read Google Privacy & Terms for more information about how you can control adserving and the information collected.

AddThis use cookies for handling links to social media. Please read AddThis Privacy for more information.