Engine torque is at least as important a feature in a car as power. The torque expresses the rotational force of the motor, being created by the rotation of the motor around an axis. It is the force that propels a sports car from 0 to 100 km / h in a few seconds and pushes you into the seat and is measured in Newton-meter (Nm).
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In the simplest terms, torque is the force that twists objects. For example, you can generate torque when you use a wrench to tighten the studs on the car wheel. Basically, to use the key, apply a force on the handle, a force that creates a torque on the nut and twists it.
How does torque work?
In terms of theory, the torque is the force exerted by a lever on a turning point. The internal combustion engines transform the lifting and lowering movement of the pistons with the help of the connecting rod, within a rotating movement of the crankshaft. Combustion of the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder creates pressure on the piston.
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This pressure presses on the piston with a force that pushes it down. Furthermore, the gearbox turns the engine torque into propulsion.
In general, a car will seem more responsive when the best torque is reached early in the acceleration process, but this is not always the case. Torque becomes more and more important as vehicles become heavier. A small city car can be easily driven with less torque, while a large SUV needs more torque to get around. This is the main reason why large cars are equipped with diesel engines. Diesel engines offer more torque at low acceleration than gasoline engines.
Diesel vs petrol
Depending on the characteristics of the engine, different torque characteristics also develop. Most cars produce a useful torque within a fairly narrow range of the speed range. In the case of gasoline engines, it usually starts at around 1000-1200 rpm and reaches a peak between 2500 and 4000 rpm. In the case of diesel engines, it starts from 1500-1700 revolutions per minute and reaches the maximum point at 2000-3000 revolutions per minute.
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Torque vs. horsepower
Torque differs in power (which expresses the number of horsepower) because it refers to the amount of power an engine can develop, while horsepower defines how fast that power can be delivered. Both torque and power affect the speed of a car, so it’s easy to understand why many confuse them. In reality, however, the differences between them have a significant impact on the operation of a car.
The higher the power of an engine, the higher the maximum torque potential. This potential translates into real applications through the characteristics of the axle and transmission. This explains why a race car and a tractor that have the same number of horsepower behave so differently. In the case of a race car, all the torque is used for speed, while the tractor uses horsepower to pull or carry weights.
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Torque efficiency
The engine torque reaches the peak value at the speed at which it is most efficient. In other words, engine efficiency is at its maximum at a speed that produces a peak torque level. If you accelerate the engine above this speed, the torque will begin to decrease due to increased friction between the moving components of the engine. Therefore, even if you run the engine above the maximum torque speed, the torque will not increase.
Engine torque is multiplied by speed. If the selected speed is low (speed 1), the higher the traction power of the engine. However, if you turn the engine while maintaining speed 1, after a while it will reach a limit, which warns the driver to go to the next speed.
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Otherwise, if you change gears before the engine reaches maximum torque, the vehicle will lose acceleration. The reason? The wheels no longer have enough rotational force. Thus, the driver will be forced to pass at a lower speed.
To get the most fuel efficiency, you need to change gears as close as possible to the peak torque value. At the same time, we recommend that you select the correct speeds that correspond to the speed and number of rotations recommended by the specific model you are driving. Once the car has exceeded 60 km / h, you do not need a large number of rotations.
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This means that when driving on the highway, it is good to use the highest gear and keep the engine below 2500 rpm to achieve maximum efficiency. Similarly, when going up a slope, you need to use a lower gear and a higher number of revolutions per minute for the vehicle to go up.