SAE J174

SAE J174

The relationship between tightening torque and the clamp load generated in a bolted joint is the fundamental variable governing whether a fastened assembly will perform reliably throughout its service life. SAE J174 establishes the standardized torque-tension test procedure for steel threaded fasteners, providing a repeatable laboratory methodology for quantifying this relationship under defined conditions of lubrication, surface condition, and loading rate. Presto Stantest's torque and clamp force testing machines, with simultaneous torque and axial load measurement capability, are well-suited to SAE J174-compliant fastener evaluation across the full range of thread sizes the standard covers. 

Significance

SAE J174 gives automotive, aerospace, and industrial fastener manufacturers, coating suppliers, and assembly engineers the validated test framework needed to characterize fastener friction behavior, establish torque specifications, evaluate lubricant and coating effects on clamp load generation, qualify new fastener products, and resolve joint performance disputes with objective, reproducible measurement data.

Scope

SAE J174 covers the apparatus requirements, test specimen preparation, testing conditions, and calculation procedures for determining torque coefficient, friction coefficient, and clamp force generation characteristics of steel threaded fasteners under controlled laboratory tightening conditions, applicable across the full range of metric and inch-series fastener dimensions used in automotive and engineering assemblies.