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mich800's avatar
mich800
Explorer
Jan 19, 2018

HP vs Torque

For the horsepower does not matter it is torque that accelerates debate.

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58 Replies

  • I put the hammer down on my Hemi 6.4 and even with the trailer hitched, I get pressed back in the seat a little, not as much as when I'm unhitched, and nothing like the Corvette which had a smaller engine
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    You can look at YouTube and see unmodified Ford 6.7's beating muscle cars in short drag races: Youtube

    There are a lot more like it. There is a button on the dash that when in the normal position prevents you from laying a down trail of rubber. Forget what it's called-Traction Control? I'd rather not leave a 1/4 inch if those expensive tires behind so I haven't tried it.

    Your Ram may be the same.
  • So I just switched from a suburban with a 5.3l to a 7.3l powerstroke. What I notice is that The suburban could get up to speed quicker, but first hill that we come up to, the powerstroke just pulls right on up and the suburban would start dropping speed, and dropping gears. Both made it to the top. I think the suburban has more horsepower, and less torque, but the powerstoke has more torque and less horsepower. Interesting to compare the two.
  • azdryheat wrote:
    Torque is what gets you up the mountain. Horsepower is how fast you're going to do it. No way I would attempt to tow my trailer with a gas motor.


    Torque doesn't get you anywhere with out moving something. Diesels produce their torque at lower RPM's which means they are producing more power at those lower RPM's. Provided the gearing allows an engine to make its maximum HP, the higher HP engine will get up the hill faster.
  • Torque is what gets you up the mountain. Horsepower is how fast you're going to do it. No way I would attempt to tow my trailer with a gas motor.
  • Torque is force, horsepower is work. Force without motion is nothing.
  • some internet so and so recently posted a video where his such and such ystem went out on his recent model Ram 3500 CTD so rather than do the powertrain warranty on it, he traded for a 2018 Chevy 2500 gasser ... he took the DW for a drive with their bumper pull trailer behind, and both he and the wife kept complaining about how the gasser just wasn't pulling like the CTD, and this was on the flat. somewhere along Lake Erie

    I guess I've never felt "pull" ... is pull the same as when you get squished into your seat like wide-open in a Corvette, or is it something else?

    I put the hammer down on my Hemi 6.4 and even with the trailer hitched, I get pressed back in the seat a little, not as much as when I'm unhitched, and nothing like the Corvette which had a smaller engine

    I put the hammer down on my 5.7 Hemi and it did 60mph climbing out of Denver west on i-70, passing plenty of diesels ... maybe they were pulling but I was accelerating?
  • One matters more than the other depending on the use. High HP is great for all out racing but 100 HP steam tractor from back in the day will pull the doors off a modern turbo diesel - albeit slowly.
    For a modern pulling rig, you need both delivered in a comfortable fashion.