question:
which is the relation between torque and acceleration?
more torque means more acceleration?
thanks

 

I'm not expert, but I'll try to explain it like this....

torque is what will bring the front wheels of the ground or make you take off nice and fast, horse power is what speed is......great now i'm getting confused

 

i guess that really didn't answer your question

but basically

acceleration is horse power

if you are trying to make your car fast all you have to know is that you need more power (hp and tq), less weight, and things to work with your set up (gears, etc)

thats about as simple as it gets

 

HP = (Torque X RPM)/ 5250

Torque is a force causing rotation around an axis of revolution.

HP is force(torque)/time

Torque is what gets something moving intially and HP is what accelerates it.

Maybe that will help, probably someone will look up an actual definition/relationship for you.

I would say more HP, means more acceleration.

 

Off the top of my head , torque is a two dimensional twisting force from a pivot point (as stated above). Torque=Forcexdistance.

Horsepower is a three dimensional measurement which isn't dependent on a pivot point and the equation is work/time (work being force x distance, not confused with the pivoted, two dimensional torque) Units of work are joules, 746 joules (about that) equal 1 horsepower.

So using the principles of physics, both elements will help you accelerate. Torque is the twisting force however, so all those turning parts will be turned quicker with torque.

It's all so confusing isn't it.......

 

now i may be completely wrong, but this is the way i see it:

the higher your HP, the higher your top speed

the higher your TORQUE, the faster you accelerate (assuming good traction)

so HP determines how fast you can go and TORQUE determines how quickly you get there.

Just my .02 (and i could be completely wrong)

 

Torque has the same units as work. You can't speak about horsepower and torque as two seperate entities. The equation for HP is HP= (Torque x RPM)/5252. Therefore, HP is the RATE at which Torque is applied to the ground. Notice how in the numerator Torque and RPM are multiplied together. This is why A little honda making 1 ft-lb of torque @5252 RPM can have the same HP as a big diesel truck making 5252 ft-lbs of torque at 1 RPM. The real difference between the two is the area under the curve, but I'll save that for a later discussion. Try going here: http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed....ech/power.html

And why is this ion the Aftermarket Product Review? Is somebody trying to sell you some torque, or some horsepower?

 

The simple explanation I guess would be torque = force, HP = force applied over a given distence.

 

To me, acceleration is the difference between the amount of power available at a given speed and the amount of power necessary to maintain that speed. Obviously, most vehicles have the most power difference at a dead stop. Then you figure in gearing, weight, tq converter stall, transmission gear spreads... In the end, typically a car with the most hp and torque will be the fastest in a race of acceleration. A car can give up 20hp and still be just as quick if it gains torque in the midrange while being less radical (cubic inches = more torque).

I would rather have 400hp and 425 lbs of torque than 410hp and 400lbs of torque (all else being equal).

 

Well, and we all have to remember to, Peak HP is only part of the equation, its the shapes of the curves. I'd need a pencil n paper to start explaning though, or a good series of dyno charts.

 

Don't get HrdRockA4305 into a long explanation. I usually walk away feeling less intelligent than before.

 

I have a reputation for giving lectures on stuff and taking all night to do it don't I? Not so much on the board though, but in person I should warn you...

 

because torque is measured instantaneoulsy(sp?) and acceleration occurs instantaneously, they are directly related. basically, as long as your motor produces more torque than is required by the vehicle at a given speed, you have the potential to accelerate. eventually external forces acting on the vehicle(aero drag, road friction, etc.,) will exert more force on the vehicle than the motors' available torque is able to overcome. Gearing can modify this somewhat via torque multiplication. For instance, a stock TPI can rev to 5500+ rpm in third-gear, but runs out of juice at around 4400 in fourth. Despite the fact that the motor makes more torque at 4400 than 5500 rpm, the taller gear reduces the torque to the wheels, and the higher speed in fourth carries a bigger aero penalty.

horsepower is a funny kind of deal. it doesn't really exist and it wasn't designed to measure output accurately(thank James Watt for that). Yet, most folks are more comfortable relating to horsepower than torque, even if they can't define what horsepower is or what it does. However, because horsepower is a time-based value(can't really call it a measurement), it can be usefull for describing what is needed to maintain a given speed(speed is also time-based - miles/hour for instance).

 

Torque is what breaks stuff. Ask my poor transmission.