Engine Torque Damper

Cars are an integral part of the American lifestyle. For many of us, they are integral because of what they can do for us – they get us from point A to point B, they save us time, and they allow us the freedom to travel anywhere our hearts desire and our gas money allows. For other people though, cars are the end in itself. They love and appreciate cars for what they can do – their looks, their speed, their horsepower, their performance. These are often the people who spend time and money learning about how their cars work and how to make them work even better. These are the folks (often male, but don't fall for that stereotype, there are plenty of female motorheads!) who you can find on a clear afternoon hovering over the hoods of their cars, asking for odd sounding tools and relentlessly changing one funny shaped auto part for another. Or, you find them at the auto parts store, rabidly browsing the catalogues and chatting knowledgably with the shop's employees.

It is the latter type of car drivers, the automotive enthusiasts, that would be in the market for an engine torque damper. To even know what an engine torque damper is, you are probably one of those people. And to understand that (and them), the layman or woman first needs to know what engine toque even is. Torque is turning effort (ever heard of a torque wrench?) and thus in an automobile engine torque is the turning pressure produced from the crankshaft on the pistons. Engine torque is variable. At low speeds, it remains relatively low, while at higher speeds, it increases as the engine speed increases. Also, torque is maintained at a high level as the engine revs and speeds get faster, but decreases once the engine reaches a certain point.

So what is an engine torque damper? And if torque is so good and necessary, why on earth would one want to dampen it? Well, it just so happens that engines can sometimes suffer from too much torque. When a great deal of torque is present, the engine begins to move erratically, which can often be a scary effect and is always quite a dangerous one. An engine torque damper reduces this extreme engine movement, i.e. dampening it. Engine torque dampers apparently offer people who want high performance in their vehicles, racers, for example, a way to take care of some performance issues that become apparent when a car is traveling at high speeds or has received an advanced level of modification.

The benefits of Eengine torque dampers can include faster and smoother acceleration, less wheel hop when accelerating, smoother gear shifting, better stability, reduced loads on shocks, less wear on exhaust system joints, and a more comfortable driving environment for the driver (i.e. less vibration.)

For some reason or other, engine torque dampers often have funny names, such as The Stiffy. (The Stiffy, for example is an engine torque damper that was manufactured for the sport compact market. Sport compact cars are just high performance versions of compact or subcompact cars.) Though engine torque dampers may have been designed for the sport compact market, they are able to be modified for use on other hot roads as well.

If you are a performance driver, chances are you know cars or have an excellent mechanic at your disposal. Or perhaps you are just becoming interested in motor sports and are doing your research. Whatever the case, be warned that installing aftermarket products on an automobile can sometimes lead to disaster or even, with improper use, bodily harm. Be sure to have a reliable mechanic perform or advise you on modifications.