What is a spud wrench most commonly used for?

• A. Tightening bolts
• B. Aligning flanges
• C. Prying open valves
• D. Cutting pipe

Answer: (B)

Spud wrenches are built to line up bolt holes in flanges and similar pipe connections before bolts are inserted. The head includes an alignment feature, such as a pin or a precisely sized hole, that fits into a corresponding hole on the opposite flange. By using this feature, you can rotate one flange relative to the other until every hole lines up perfectly. This makes threading bolts smoother and helps prevent cross‑threading or damage to gasket surfaces when you bring the pieces together. They aren’t designed for tightening bolts, prying valves, or cutting pipe, so their primary use is precise hole alignment for easy, accurate bolting.