Enter the engine torque and select the type of drive-train into the calculator to determine the wheel torque.

Wheel Torque Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the amount of torque at the wheel of a car.

WT = ET / DL
  • Where WT is the wheel torque
  • ET is the engine torque
  • DL is the drive train loss
    • front wheel drive = 1.1
    • rear wheel drive = 1.15
    • all wheel drive = 1.2 (= 20% loss)

To calculate the torque seen at the wheel, divide the engine torque by the drive train loss ratio.

What is wheel torque?

Definition:

Wheel torque is the total amount of torque delivered to a wheel from the engine after the losses inside the drive train are accounted for.

How to calculate wheel torque?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines how to calculate wheel torque.

First, determine the engine torque. In this case, the engine torque is measured to be 500 N-m.

Next, determine the type of drive train, and corresponding loss factor. For this vehicle, the drive train is all-wheel drive, which averages a 20% loss.

Finally, calculate the wheel torque using the formula above:

WT = ET / DL

WT = 500/ 1.2

WT = 416.666 N-m