Two torque specs can look identical on screen and carry completely different confidence. Knowing where a number came from, and how much weight to put on it, is part of using it safely.
A confidence score, not just a tag
Every spec on TorqSpec carries a confidence score from 0 to 100. The score is not a guess or a marketing figure. It is calculated from the authority of the source behind the number and how many independent sources corroborate it. The higher the score, the more weight you can safely put on the value shown.
OEM Manual
100%Manufacturer engineering data or a published workshop manual. The benchmark every other source is measured against.
Workshop + Community
97.5%A workshop manual figure corroborated by independent community reports from the field.
Workshop Manual
95%An official workshop or service manual, verified against the vehicle line.
Professional Guide (corroborated)
95%A professional database or industry-adopted guide (e.g. Autodata, Mitchell, an MTA-distributed guide like Njoy) cross-checked against three or more independent sources.
Professional Database / Industry Guide
92.5%A professional compiled database or industry-adopted guide (Autodata, Mitchell, an MTA-distributed guide such as Njoy). Above community data, below a workshop manual.
Community (5+ sources)
92.5%Corroborated by five or more independent fitter reports, cross-checked against available documentation.
Community (3 sources)
90%Corroborated by three independent fitter reports, cross-checked against available documentation.
Provisional
87.5%Fewer than three corroborating sources. Visible so a workshop is never left with nothing, but flagged pending corroboration or a higher-tier source.
OEM and workshop manuals set the standard
Specs that trace back to manufacturer engineering data score 100%. A figure from a proper workshop manual scores 95% on its own, and 97.5% when a workshop manual is independently corroborated by community reports. This is the first source checked for any vehicle, and every other source is measured against it. Where an OEM figure exists, it is the figure shown.
Professional guides sit between manuals and community data
Not every vehicle has a workshop manual behind it, but plenty are covered by professional compiled databases and industry-adopted guides — Autodata, Mitchell, and guides distributed through bodies like the Motor Traders' Association (for example, the Njoy guide). These are professional, not community, sources. A single professional guide scores 92.5%, and when it is corroborated by three or more independent sources it climbs to 95% — on par with a workshop manual alone, and clearly above community data.
Community reports fill genuine gaps
Fitters see vehicles every day that manuals don't cover cleanly: obscure trims, older models, grey imports. Community reporting fills those gaps. Reports are not taken on faith. A single report on its own is never enough. The score climbs as independent reports corroborate the same value: three sources reach 90%, five or more reach 92.5%. A report that cannot be substantiated does not raise the score.
Provisional: visible, but flagged
Where a spec has fewer than three corroborating sources, it sits at an 87.5% provisional floor. It is still shown, because a workshop is better off with a flagged value than with nothing at all, but it is clearly marked Provisional. Provisional records stay visible while they wait for more corroboration or a higher-tier source to confirm them. The moment a stronger source lands, the score and the tag move with it.
AI-sourced data is a last resort
Where no OEM, workshop or community data exists yet, AI-assisted sourcing fills the immediate gap so you are not left with nothing at all. It is the lowest-confidence tier on the platform and it is always flagged as unverified. It is never presented as equivalent to a manufacturer figure, and it is replaced as soon as a higher-tier source is confirmed.
Why this matters on the hoist. A number from an unverified source and a number from an OEM manual display in the same place, in the same format. They do not carry the same weight. Torque affects whether a wheel stays on a vehicle, so reading the confidence score next to the number is as important as reading the number itself. Where the score is anything below 100%, confirm against the vehicle's own manual before you rely on it.
Every result shows its confidence score and source tier on the badge. If you are ever unsure what a score means, tap the "What does this score mean?"link under the badge for this breakdown.