What is a Flare Wrench?

Many people enjoy making their own auto repairs with the right tools. One well-known tool used to make these type of repairs is the flare wrench. The wrench is also known as a line wrench. These wrenches are best to use when it comes to working on brake and fuel lines. Flare wrenches also work well with many different types of cable lines. Flare wrenches are called the life savers of auto mechanics.

A flare wrench is used when a standard open end wrench does not grip on a fuel or hydraulic line. The wrench can be used to tighten or loosen the nuts or bolts on the line. A flare wrench has a small opening, which is usually just large enough to slip over the line that is being worked on. The wrench looks a lot like a box-end wrench, but it does not encircle the complete nut or bolt. Its small narrow opening is just wide enough to fit over the tube and jaws to increase the contact with the nut. 

The flare wrench is six-sided but it has one side that is missing. It has a thick wall that is used for rigidity. The wrench is designed to lock on five corners of a six corner nut and allow high torque without stripping the corners from the nut. When using the flare wrench you should always be able to get a tight grip on a hex fitting without smashing the nut, even when there are no visible corners left on the fitting.

Flare wrenches can be purchased in most auto parts store. When looking to purchase a good set of flare wrenches you can expect to pay about $100. These tools are usually chrome-plated tools which are easy to clean and avoid rusting. The tools are small enough to fit into a tool box and easy to carry on tool belt. You can find the flare wrench available in many different sizes and thickness of the metal.