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Original poster

Can anybody tell me - in plain english please - what torque is.

22 replies

mawbroon · 03/08/2009 21:23

DH was telling me all about the torque on the car we have just bought.

I made the mistake of saying that I didn't really understand what torque was, and could he explain it.

He started telling me, and I just didn't understand. I could hear the words he was using, but just could not understand what he was saying to me.

I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent, and did higher maths and physics at school (admittedly 100 years ago) and I don't understand why I don't understand IYSWIM.

DH got a bit exasperated at why I couldn't understand and in my irrational, pregnant, hormonal state, I burst into tears because I couldn't understand.

So, I still don't know WTF torque is. Can you enlighten me?

OP posts:
Katisha · 03/08/2009 21:25

Nope. Have had it "explained" to me at length as well.

MmeLindt · 03/08/2009 21:26

from behind DH's car magazines.

While you are at it, could you explain the whole "8 liter engine" bit. DH wittered on about 8 bottles of coke but I just did not get it.

Doodle2u · 03/08/2009 21:27

Ya know when you use a spanner to turn at nut? Well torque is the amount of pressure you need to turn the spanner and depends on how long the spanner is!

When used re: cars - it means you're getting a bluey purply coloured one

Original poster
mawbroon · 03/08/2009 21:36

Ah, I know the cylinder one. The total capacity of the cylinders is the figure that they use. So you might have a 2L or 1.6L or whatever size.

Dunno if you get an 8L one though! No doubt there will be some nutter engine somewhere......

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Ponders · 03/08/2009 21:37

ohhh - we had a conversation recently about wind turbines in which DH used the word torque - something to do with a heavy vane generating more power than a light vane???

Does this help?

(Thought not! It didn't for me either )

westcoastdad · 03/08/2009 21:39

The easy way to think of torque is as pulling power.

It would be like the difference between the pull of 1 shire horse versus 6 shetland ponies!

6 shetlands may be more powerful together, but the shire horse can pull more.

So shire horses are torquey Lol, does that help

Original poster
mawbroon · 03/08/2009 21:45

Ponders - re the wind turbine thing. DH has just said that turbines need speed, rather than torque.

But those things you see in films that work water pumps with loads of sails on them have lots of torque which is used to work the pump. The more sails, the more torque, I think he said.

westcoastdad - i did grasp from our conversation that it is always to do with turning, so isn't your shire horse going to be very dizzy!!!!

I still don't really get it though..

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Katisha · 03/08/2009 21:46

Why are the shire horses in Torquay?

stealthsquiggle · 03/08/2009 21:49

It's turny power. Horsepower is pully power.

lots of attempted explanations

Ponders · 03/08/2009 21:51

A lightweight vane would go round faster, but would generate less electricity because there would be less friction?

(Maybe torque wasn't the right word then - DH isn't the most techie person in the world either )

lucasnorth · 03/08/2009 21:54

Torque measures how hard something is twisting/being twisted.
In the case of a car the more torque (i.e. the more 'twisting force') the faster it can accelerate. (Assuming that everything else e.g. tyres/road surface is equal).

Does that make sense?

Original poster
mawbroon · 03/08/2009 21:58

I have just had a look at this and might have had a breakthrough

I think this will be DH's department when DS starts asking questions!!!

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stealthsquiggle · 03/08/2009 22:02

PMSL. When I started driving lessons, the instructor said very patronisingly "Do you know how a clutch works?" - so I told him. I was an engineering undergraduate at the time - I don't think it was quite the answer he was expecting

Ripeberry · 03/08/2009 22:02

Torque is pulling power and to me it meant would my car stall if i tried to pull off on a hill in 3rd gear?
One car i had was puny and really useless at hill-starts (small engine, low torque) Another was very good at pulling off in high gears and had a bigger engine.
That's what torque means to me

stealthsquiggle · 03/08/2009 22:03

no no no no. Torque is turny power, not pully power...

Original poster
mawbroon · 03/08/2009 22:04

OK, now dh has explained why diesel engines have more torque than an equivelant petrol.

And I understood.

Wow!

OP posts:
Original poster
mawbroon · 03/08/2009 22:05

Yes, stealth. With my new found knowledge, I agree that it is turning power.

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ClaireDeLoon · 03/08/2009 22:06

I think in a car it's all about acceleration - my everyday car is very torquey. Apparently.

Original poster
mawbroon · 03/08/2009 22:13

OK. Here is my summary. All my own work!!

Torque is force (applied around a pivot point) x distance from the force to the point.

In a car, this refers to the force on the piston (created by the combustion of the fuel) multiplied by the distance to the centre of the crankshaft.

Halleluja. I can go to bed now.

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MmeLindt · 03/08/2009 22:13

oooh, MawBrown, that is a great website. I actually understood that.

And they explain the liter thing too. Thanks.

VulpusinaWilfsuit · 03/08/2009 22:14

I thought it was rotational force? So the ability to carry weight along faster, in essence?

Car with more torque is able to move its engine (and ergo wheels) faster for the same weight...

Or barking up wrong tree here?

Original poster
mawbroon · 03/08/2009 22:20

it's not the force though. You have to multiply the force by the distance from the pivot point.

MmeLindt - yes, I have looked at it before for stuff. it's for kids, so just right for my level

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