Originally Posted by
Duragrouch
The coil spring and mechanism in a click-stop torque wrench is steel. If not overstressed and not at (very) elevated temperature, steel does not "creep" or "take a set" at room temperature. Plastics/polymers/elastomers/etc are different, and can take a set. Lead, solder, ice, can also creep at temps below melting point. From wiki:
Steel, at room temperature, no.
Apparently torque wrenches overstress their springs, because every torque wrench maker says to release the tension.