Torque

[Tone]

Okay -what is it? Yeah - we know it's more about acceleration than power, and something about lbs/ft.

The important point is - has the 'S' got it in spades? How much bang do we get for our bucks?

Will conversions to 200bhp add more of the stuff? At what revs is torque at its best?

Anybody have any ideas?

[Pebble]

This site is good for learning about engines and other 'stuff'.

How Stuff Works

Here is a link to torque: LINK

Search around that site and it will tell you how horse power and torque are related, Why it's good to have a high end torque and other stuff.

[friedduck]

Without getting into another one of *those* threads , torque is measured in pounds-feet. IIRC, one pound-foot is equivalent to a one-pound weight at the end of a foot-long lever. You can test a torque wrench, apparently, by setting up an experiment.

So essentially, a twisting force. Cars are measured by manufacturers at the crankshaft, and by enthusiasts using a dyno, which usually measures how quickly the car can spin up a drum of a known mass. Note that the enthusiast measurement will be lower due to drivetrain losses (friction, etc.)

In the real world, torque translates into the force you feel in the back of the seat.

The S has good torque, I'd say. My seat-of-the-pants impression is that max is around 4k rpm. In the perfect world, I'd like more off-the-line oomph, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Hope this answers it for you. Howstuffworks is indeed a well-written site if you want more info.

Jeff

[Andy@Ross-Tech.com]

If you REALLY want to see one of "those" threads, check out this one:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=21101

[Rich-UK]

Here's a good explanation:

Torque gets you going, quick acceleration.
BHP keeps you going at high speed.


or:

Imagine your riding a bicycle, when you start off you push down on the pedal and slowly move away and build up speed as you begin to pedal faster ..... the force you are putting through he pedals is torque!
Then you come to a nice gradual down hil section and you pedal as fast as you can, you get to a stage where you just can't pedal any faster ....... you have reached your maximum power!

[BoostingMini]

torque gets you there horse keeps you moving

[GTT 280]

Quote:

Originally posted by Pebble
This site is good for learning about engines and other 'stuff'.

How Stuff Works

Here is a link to torque: LINK

Search around that site and it will tell you how horse power and torque are related, Why it's good to have a high end torque and other stuff.

That's a really great site !!!
Thanks.

EB.

[Tone]

Hey Guys - great reads. Thanks.

[pcmike]

Quote:

Originally posted by Rich-UK
Here's a good explanation:

Torque gets you going, quick acceleration.
BHP keeps you going at high speed.


or:

Imagine your riding a bicycle, when you start off you push down on the pedal and slowly move away and build up speed as you begin to pedal faster ..... the force you are putting through he pedals is torque!
Then you come to a nice gradual down hil section and you pedal as fast as you can, you get to a stage where you just can't pedal any faster ....... you have reached your maximum power!

I'd assume this is why a V8 needs very little revving off the line to get going when compared to a V4? Or am I wrong in making that assumption?

[Bilbo Baggins]

Quote:

Originally posted by pcmike
I'd assume this is why a V8 needs very little revving off the line to get going when compared to a V4? Or am I wrong in making that assumption?

You are sort of correct. It is more of a displacement thing.

Usually, more displacement = more torque = less rpm necessary. If you were to have two engines of equal displacement, one with 4 cyl and the other with 8 cyl, the 4 would rev slower and have more low rpm torque. The 8 would have a wider rpm range and most likely develope more Hp and torque but at a considerably higher rpm. There are really an awful lot of variables that are being delt with here. The state of tune of the engine would make a huge difference.

[Keith]

... and then there was this thread... http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=13238

[Tone]

Think that puts it in a nutshell! Will just add this item from the U.K. press:

"Torque is notoriously difficult to explain, so picture Linford Christie as he's sprinting the 100 metres. In car terms it is primarily the torque that gets him off the blocks and through the first 30 metres or so. Then it's power and torque together for the next 30, and for the final stretch it is pure power that keeps him going to the line."

Looks like it's "torque" that we're all after!

[Keith]

Not wanting to repeat the long thread I mentioned above, here is the short summary:

power is torque * engine RPM. i.e. There is a direct relationship so you don't get one without the other.

In a fixed gear, you get max acceleration at max torque. i.e. If you want lots of acceleration without needing to downshift, it is best to have a lot of torque at the RPM you are driving at.

The higest acceleration will occur in first gear at max torque.

For a particular road speed, you get max acceleration in whatever gear gives you max power. i.e. Fastest runs come from shifting so you drive as close as possible to the power peak.

Given a sufficiently close ratio gear box (so you can use the max power) and equal weight, the car with the highest power will have the best acceleration. That's why power/weight ratio is so important.