Understanding torque and power

When it comes to performance cars it’s about making them fast and reliable, and in these applications It’s about understanding torque and horsepower when it comes to choosing the right clutch.

“When the bench racing starts it’s way too easy to get lost in the hype of engine power,” says Mark Davis, product manager, Exedy. “Engine torque is what really matters when it comes to getting the power to the ground and measuring clutch performance.

“Torque is the measurement of force, or let’s call it twist, applied in a rotational motion. Simply put, the higher the engine torque, the harder it twists, and the faster the car will accelerate.

“Power, on the other hand, is the measurement of distance, or in this case rotation, covered over one second due to the torque applied over this time.”

Clutch performance is measured by the maximum amount of torque applied through the driveline before the clutch will begin to slip. This is known as the clutch’s torque capacity.

“Power will get you over the mountain but torque is what moves mountains,” Mark quipped.

Peak engine torque is the point in an engine’s rev range where the most torque is being generated. This peak engine torque is independent of the engine’s rpm.

Peak engine power is the point in the engine’s rev range where the relationship between engine rpm and the torque applied at this rpm, not peak engine torque, is most efficient.

“Peak engine torque is the maximum amount of force applied to the driveline at any one time,” says Mark.To find out more visit exedy.com.au