T
The Daily Insight

What is a flare nut wrench

Author

Robert Spencer

Published Mar 16, 2026

The flare-nut wrench is a specific type of wrench with five sides. It is open-ended so that it can be used for hexagonal nuts and fittings. … The head has a 15-degree angle with grooves so that the wrench fits tightly over different sized flare fittings and hex nuts. Many flare-nut wrenches are double-sided.

What's a flare nut wrench for?

Flare nut wrenches are a type of open-ended wrench that’s intended for use with hexagonal nuts and fittings, which are sometimes referred to as flare fittings. … Flare nut wrenches can also be found with hinged heads, allowing users to reach connectors in harder-to-reach places.

Where should flare nut spanner should not to be used?

Unlike 12-point ring spanners, 12-point flare nut spanners are not suitable for use on square fastener heads.

Is a line wrench the same as a flare nut wrench?

Brake line wrenches (flare nut wrenches or simply line wrenches) serve a specific purpose. Domestic cars often use 7/16-inch and imports 10 mm. Brake line wrenches (often called flare nut wrenches or simply line wrenches) serve a specific purpose in a mechanic’s toolbox.

How does a flare nut work?

A nut draws the flared tubing against a correspondingly shaped fitting, creating an extremely strong joint. The primary advantage of flare connections is that they form a relatively large contact area, making a reliable seal that’s resistant to damage from vibration.

What is the most common use of flare nuts and lines in automotive?

The 45-degree inverted flare is the most common style of flare used in automotive hard lines like brake, fuel, and transmission fluid transfer.

What do flaring tools have?

Flaring tools consist of three main components: a metal bar with holed presets that fit different pipe or tube sizes, a screw with a handle that goes into the pipe opening to expand it as needed, and a simple metal piece that fits into the handle and enables rotation by the user.

What is the difference between an open end and a box end wrench?

They come either separately or in a combination form, with one end being an open wrench, while the other is boxed. The box end has a tendency to slip off, while the open end allows more versatility since it needs only to contact two sides of the nut or bolt.

What is a crows foot tool?

Crowfoot wrenches are open-end sockets that come in handy when reaching around obstacles. They work where common 6pt and 12pt sockets and wrenches simply cannot fit. … The crowfoot wrench above is shown attached to a ratchet with a short extension for extra reach.

Why use a 6 point wrench when a 12 point is available?

If your fastener is 12-point, which is somewhat uncommon, then you must use a 12-point tool. For 6-point fasteners, a 6-point tool is your best choice. Matching up the points between the tool and fastener means that you will maximize the surface area of steel in contact, making the tool less likely to slip or fail.

Article first time published on

Do flare fittings need sealant?

Do not use Teflon ® tape or pipe sealant on any flare ends because you will not obtain a leak-free seal. Keep flare end of fitting free of grease, oil and thread sealant. Use a wrench only on the hex surfaces of the fittings. tighten more if a leak is detected.

Why do flare fittings leak?

A common issue that many people find with flare fittings is that they leak. But let’s take a look at why flares may leak: bad flare, the ridge on the flare, flare is too small, or most likely they are over-tightened!

Can flare fittings be reused?

Though industry generally accepts that JIC 37° flare fittings are reusable, they may not always be reliable when reused. … The cone and flare seat against one another to create a complete mechanical seal between the male and female fitting.

What is combination spanner?

Combination spanners are double-ended tools. It has an open-ended profile on one end and a closed loop on the other end. The two heads are usually at a 15 degree angle to the shaft for better access to the nuts or bolts. This single tool serves the functions of two spanners at once.

When would you use an adjustable spanner?

What is the purpose of an adjustable wrench? An adjustable wrench, also known as an adjustable spanner or crescent, is used to turn or loosen a nut or bolt. This wrench has jagged jaws, one of which you can adjust to get the grip you need.

What is a combination wrench?

Definition of combination wrench : a wrench with one open end and one socket end.

What is a flare tool?

What are Flaring Tools? Flaring tools use pressure to make a fabricated mechanical joint for joining or sealing copper tubing with a flare connection. Flaring allows you to connect tubes to each other or another kind of fitting. Flared ends tend to have an approximately conical shape.

Where can I use flare fittings?

Flared outlets are used for gas and high-pressure lines, where even a little leakage can cause major problems if left unattended.

Is a flare fitting a compression fitting?

Flare fittings are a type of compression fitting used with metal tubing, usually soft steel, ductile (soft) copper and aluminum, though other materials are also used. Tube flaring is a type of forging operation, and is usually a cold working procedure. … JIC fittings are typically steel or stainless steel.

What is the difference between flaring and swaging?

Both processes have a lot of similarities. The big difference is that flaring is shallower and a different shape. It creates a funnel at the end of the tube. Swaging on the other hand is deeper and you can expand the diameter further along the tube to create a flute shape.

Why is a flaring tool required in a rigid line fabrication?

This is necessary to prevent cutting off the flare and failure of the tube assembly under operating pressures. A double flare is smoother and more concentric than a single flare and therefore seals better.

What are the two types of flaring?

FLARES TYPES OF FLARES: Generally there are two types of flares: 1) Collision Avoidance Flares: Designed to warn other vessels of your position. These flares give a white light. 2) Distress Flares: To be used when there is “grave and imminent danger to life and/or to the vessel”.

What type of flare is used mostly in the United States?

The SAE/double (inverted/45degree) flare and the DIN/ISO bubble flare. We will refer to them as SAE or DIN flare. The most common is the SAE flare. Typically found on all American and Asian cars, but the European style DIN flare is appearing everywhere now.

What are 37 degree flares used for?

37° flare fittings perform well in severe applications where vibration, high pressure, and thermal shock exist. The flare fitting sleeve insures tube alignment with the fitting body axis and minimizes mechanical strain on the tube.

Can I use a double flare instead of a bubble flare?

Can you use a bubble flare instead of a double flare? The simple answer is no. The line and port are completely different and will not come close to sealing. When doing brake lines, you need to determine what type of flare you need for your car.

Can you use a Crowfoot on a torque wrench?

If you place the crowfoot wrench at an angle 90-degrees to the torque wrench handle, the amount of torque you’re applying doesn’t change. You can set the torque wrench to the fastener’s torque specification and continue to use the torque wrench normally.

What does a box-end wrench look like?

Box-end wrenches have ends that enclose the nut and have 6, 8, 12, or 16 points inside the head. … Early box and socket wrenches fit only a particular nut or screw with flat surfaces on the head. The open-end wrench may have rectangular slots on one or both ends.

Why is it called a crescent wrench?

Although the term “crescent wrench” is thrown around as though it were a type of tool, crescent wrenches got their name from the Crescent Tool Company in the early 1900s. It was first created by inventor Karl Peterson, although a wrench by the Swedish company BAHCO may have inspired Peterson’s design.

How do I know if I have an open end wrench?

The open-end wrench may have rectangular slots on one or both ends. In their earliest forms, such wrenches, with straight, angled, or S-shaped handles, were made of wrought iron.

What kind of wrench is open on one end and boxed on the other?

Combination wrenches have an open-end jaw at one end of the tool and a box-end wrench of the same size at the other. As there are many situations where one or the other type simply won’t work, combination wrenches can be handy indeed.

What's better 6pt or 12pt sockets?

Answer: It’s true that 12-point sockets are fine for most lightweight repairs, but heavy wrenching calls for a six-point socket. A six-point socket is much less likely to slip off a stubborn fastener or round over the corners. Here’s why: (1) Six-point sockets have thicker walls, so they’re less likely to flew.