How much torque does your vehicle have at peak RPM?

Torque: A turning or twisting force. This is what gives you your low end, your launches at start, what gets you off the line. You can have all the horsepower in the world, but it doesn't work if you don't have enough torque to get you going.

I've been looking into this recently and it's pretty interesting what I've discovered. I've been told before that you need a big torquey engine to decently offroad or rockcrawl. That simply isn't the case. You can easily rockcrawl with a 110 hp 4 cyl engine just the same as a V10. Why? It's all about your gearing. This is why a Lo-Range or crawler equiped vehicle will ALWAYS have more torque than any other car/truck when it is engaged. Here's the formula to go by, insert your own numbers to find out the torque of your vehicle...

Multiply all together for lowest gear ratio

1st Gear/Case X Transmission X 2nd Case X Differential/Final Drive = Lowest Gear Ratio

(Note: If you have a vehicle with no Lo Range or Crawler case, you will not have a transmission or 2nd case value. i.e. 1st Gear X Diff = You Lowest Ratio

Then multiply the lowest gear ratio by your engine torque at the crank

Base Torque x Lowest Ratio

=

Your final torque value to wheels

Just for fun... 2003 Honda Civic EX 5MT

1st Gear: 3.143
Transmission Case: N/A
Crawler Case: N/A
Differential: 4.110
Crank Torque: 114 ft/lbs

Wheel Torque: 1472.62 ft/lbs

The civic even has a very slightly steeper gear than my truck, just goes to show how much the transmission is needed to make up for such a low output engine.

1472.62 ft/lbs sounds like a lot of torque, but lets compare it to a 2003 Supercharged SVT Cobra 6MT (yeah, WAY other end of the automotive spectrum haha)

1st Gear: 2.66
Transmission Case: N/A
Crawler Case: N/A
Differential: 3.55
Crank Torque: 390 @ 3500 RPM

Wheel Torque: 3682.77 ft/lbs

Dang, that's alot of torque=)

Now my truck, in 2HI

1st Gear: 3.83
Differential 4.10
Crank Torque: 307

Wheel Torque: 4820.82 ft/lbs

Regardless that the Cobra has almost 80 more torque at the engine, my steeper gearing is what translates it to the wheels at greater numbers than the Cobra. Does that mean I can beat a Cobra? Hell no, thats stupid... but I have a shitload more torque. Steeper gearing puts a lot of it to the wheels, but it limits your high end power/top speed etc. Other things factor in is well, such as vehicle weight, tire diameter, traction etc.

But also consider that I did not even factor in my Lo Range T-case. Which would multiply the torque value by another 2.566. (Toyota Aisen Lo Range case has a ratio of 2.566:1)

Final Ratio in Lo Range: 12370.2 ft/lbs

Now THAT'S a lot of torque! However, the super steep gearing makes it a super slow vehicle. As in my first gear tops out around 5-7 mph. It may not be faster, but if you hooked a tow rope between the Cobra and and me, then played tug-o-war, I would drag that snake like a ragdoll.

Can you imagine what kind of torque you would have with a crawler gear? Well, in the future if I modify my truck as planned, I hope to swap my gears to 5.29 and put in a 4.7:1 Marlin Crawler Case. Lets do those values providing my torque stays at 307 (the only variable value, gears will always be the same number)

1st Gear: 3.83
Transmission Case: 2.56
Crawler Case: 4.7
Differential: 5.29
Crank Torque: 307

Low Gear ratio : 243.7:1 (The driveshaft will make 243.7 rotations for every 1 tire rotation)

Wheel Torque: 74839.5 ft/lbs

That's why you dont EVER touch the gas while you have the crawler engaged, its called a crawler for a reason. Touch the gas, and easily blow out your axles and twist everything in between!

Here are some other vehicles for comparison. 4x4 vehicles have their numbers for 2HI.

2004 SVT Lightning = 4548.7
2003 Supercharged 3.3L V6 Nissan Frontier 4x4 = 3608.1
2003 Tundra 4.7L V8 4x4 = 4946.5
2003 S10 4.3L V6 Zr2 4x4 = 3254.4
2003 Hummer H1 6.0 Turbo Diesel V8 = 5246.7
My Tacoma = 4820.82

You'll notice that mine is close to the Tundra V8. I only have 13 less torque at the crank than one right now, but our transmissions/T-case are identical.

In reference to the green SAS Flatbed Tacoma on Page 5:

1st Gear: 3.85 tranny
Crawler Case: 4.7
Transmission Case: 2.57
Differential: 5.29
220 ft-lbs, motor

53,418.6 ft-lbs to the tires with 242.8:1 low range with aftermarket crawler/stock engine!

So... how much torque you got?