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
