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Welcome to Truck Chat
Fleet 101 an educational series from Work Truck.
I'm Lauren Fletcher, executive editor of Work Truck, and today's episode discusses
one of the most commonly misunderstood topics we hear about at Work Truck.
What is torque
when you're in the middle of doing vehicle research for your vocational fleet?
There's no doubt you've come across the term torque a vast
majority of the time.
Have you developed a deep understanding of its meaning?
This video will have you speaking about the concept like a pro in no time.
So what is torque?
First off, we need to set the record straight.
Although related to one another.
Horsepower and torque are two different things.
While both are an indicator of power, torque will likely
be of more interest to those in the world of vocational fleet.
Simply put, torque is an indicator of towing power, while horsepower
is the maximum power available to a vehicle and has more to do
with the speed and the rate at which an engine accomplishes work.
For a basic comparison, you'll likely see many sports cars with higher levels
of horsepower than a truck meant for heavy lifting and vice versa.
Okay, so how is torque measured?
You've likely gotten pound, foot and foot pound
mixed up and weren't even aware there was a difference.
According to engine laps, a pound foot also referred to
as a Newton meter, in the metric system is a unit of torque
and a vector measurement created by £1 of force
acting on a one foot lever, on the other hand.
A foot pound is a measurement of work.
Work is the measurement of force over a given distance.
It measures the energy required to move a £1 object one foot of linear distance.
In simpler terms, pound feet is the official measurement of torque.
The force that helps the truck start moving from a stop and pulls it up
steep hills.
BMW states the formula for torque as follows.
Torque equals force times a lever arm,
Newton or pound stands for the acting force, while meters or feet
stand for the length of the lever arm being used to enact the twisting force.
So now where does the torque come from?
Essentially, torque is the rotational force
of an engine that measures how much of that force is available
when an engine exerts itself.
According to Toyota.
As the Pistons in an engine move up and down on an engine's crankshaft
torque is the force that keeps it constantly rotating at a certain speed.
From there, torque is shifted to the vehicle's wheels
through the transmission and drive train for an even simpler visual.
Think about twisting a jar open with your hand,
turning a wrench to tighten a bolt, or even opening a door
by rotating a doorknob in a piece for work truck sister publication.
Heavy duty tracking writer Ralf Lockwood stated in an engine torque is generated
by the pressure load of the expanding gases on the top of the piston
times the stroke, meaning how far the piston moves.
Two basic principles apply torque is stronger at the lower
end of an engine's operating range, while horsepower is higher at the upper end.
And a bigger displacement
engine will produce more power than a smaller one simply because there's
more area for combustion to force down those pistons.
What causes differences in torque?
All trucks are not created equal when it comes to talk,
and that's because the level of torque
produced is impacted by the amount of air flowing through the engine.
Larger engines produce more torque because they pump more air.
Piston length will also cause differences in torque Diesel engines, for example,
will create greater torque
because the piston moves relatively farther, resulting in longer strokes.
At this point, you may be
thinking, Well, this is well and great, but why does it matter?
With all the technical information out of the way, now it's time
to discuss the benefits of torque for vocational fleet drivers.
The low end revolutions per minute generated by higher levels of torque
is what allows the engine of a truck
to easily carry heavy loads and move quickly after coming to a stop.
For example, trucks will move slowly, moving up a hill with a trailer
or heavy load.
Therefore, the engine rpm will be low, enabling the vehicle
to operate smoothly for the task at hand.
According to the subject matter expert at General Motors, in simple terms,
torque is the twisting power of the engine to get and keep your vehicle moving.
A fleet might benefit from a truck with more torque
if they have heavy payload or towing needs.
As higher torque combined with low engine RPMs
often leads to better performance when starting from a stop.
GM noted that diesel engines naturally have high torque at low RPMs,
which is one reason they're often preferred for heavy duty applications.
And an expert from RAM Commercial
told us that businesses expect their vehicles to do at all.
So power and torque are important.
Delivery services require ample power and torque,
whether they're an expediter or a final mile service to cover
miles of interstate city streets and all the rolling topography in between.
Whether it's a landscaping company towing a trailer, a plumber
hauling heavy pipes, or a contractor carrying marble countertops,
power and torque are necessary to get in and out of the job site.
Something important to note is that torque
isn't the only factor that affects the vehicle towing capacity.
Components, such as wheels tires, suspension and the transmission also play
a critical part in the overall equation.
For more information on Torque or if you're looking for more fleet
101 and truck chat videos check out the links below
and thanks for tuning in and watch out for more episodes of Truck
Check coming soon.
We're all continue to focus on the people, the issues and the vehicles that matter
most to work truck fleets.