Engineering Essentials - Segment Five (Torque)

So I got talking torque yesterday, and thought that I'd include it as the next installment in the "Engineering Essentials" blog.

Torque is probably one of the most important elements of engineering, particularly in the world of automotive engineering, and more so in the world of LM engineering and the Rally Fighter...so important to the success of the LM Brand and the Rally Fighter.

Torque = Force x Length,

where Torque is defined as the ability to rotate an object about an axis. Length is defined as the distance from that axis that the force to cause the rotation is applied.

To give a practical example of how this works is a door. The hinges are obviously the axis, the door is the object and the handle is where the force is applied. On doors where the handle goes across the entire door, the further away from the axis you push, the less force you have to apply to open the door. So kind of a weird unit that results "lb-ft" but when you think about where it comes from (applying "x" amount of force at "y" feet away from the axis), it makes a little more sense.

We're all "torqued up" at Local Motors about the upcoming Rally Fighter, and I hope you are too, so stay tuned for more updates on how we plan to put it all to use!

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