Does clutch control affect torque output in cars?

Thread starter LostConjugate
Start date Aug 16, 2011
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Clutch Control Torque

AI Thread Summary

Clutch control can influence torque output in cars, as slipping the clutch allows the engine to reach higher RPMs, potentially increasing torque available at the wheels. While slipping the clutch can provide more torque initially, it also leads to power loss due to increased slippage. Engaging the clutch fully typically maximizes torque transfer to the wheels, especially when shifting gears. However, some drivers utilize clutch slipping to maintain engine speed and torque during acceleration, despite the risks of clutch wear. Overall, while slipping the clutch can temporarily increase torque, it is not the most efficient or recommended method for maximizing performance.

Aug 23, 2011

JeffKoch

A couple things to keep in mind. First, gasoline engines produce no torque at no RPM, so what you would want to do to launch or climb a hill in a conventional car might be different from what you would want to do in an electric car like a Tesla, which produces gobs of torque at no RPM. Second, not all gasoline vehicles are created equal. Most cars can't sit at the lights and spin the tires, so clutch slippage is necessary to go anywhere - this becomes a huge issue with motorcycles, which I used to race. A sportbike (as opposed to a custom-built drag racing bike) definitely will not sit there and spin the rear tire, instead it will either stall or loop over backwards if you dump the clutch, so feathering the clutch is critical to good starts and people pay a lot of attention to the slip and engagement feel of the clutch. You burn out the clutch after a fairly short while, but that's part of the cost of doing business.