Enter the rim pull force and the torque into the calculator to determine the handwheel diameter.

Handwheel Diameter Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Handwheel Diameter.

D = T / RP * 2

• Where D is the diameter (in)
• T is the torque applied or required by the wheel (lb-f/in)
• RP is the total force on the rim of the wheel (lb-f)

What is a Handwheel Diameter?

Definition:

A handwheel diameter is defined as the proper diameter that a wheel requires to achieve a given torque when a force (in this case the force applied by a person steering) is applied to the outside of the wheel.

How to Calculate Handwheel Diameter?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate Handwheel Diameter.

First, determine the torque required. In this case, the torque required at a given force is found to be 50lb-f/in.

Next, determine the total force applied at the rim. In this example, the rim pull force is measured to be 5 lb-f.

Finally, calculate the handwheel diameter using the formula above:

D = T / RP * 2

D = 50 / 5 * 2

D = 20 inches