Torque vs. Horsepower: Selecting Tow Trucks

Imagine that a driver is stuck in the middle of nowhere with a car that refuses to work. What would the solution be? Calling someone to tow away the vehicle. Conversely, parking in the wrong spot can get the car towed as well. Towing is one of the most useful functions for moving vehicles that are unable to move on their own. If anyone is thinking about entering the towing business, it is important to understand how much power is required?

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The big question – horsepower or torque?

One of the main limitations of towing is that torque affects the process, and it is a weak link.

Let us look at the basic difference here. Horsepower is just a measure of the power that the engine of a car can generate, while torque is the measurement of the rotational force of the engine. Torque comes into the picture when it's time to tow heavy loads.

Truck commercials talk a lot about torque as compared to horsepower. The torque plays a significant role – big trucks like Dodge Ram 3500 can tow weights of 16,000 pounds – that is more than double the weight of the truck itself. Another area where torque comes into play majorly is moving up an incline. When moving along a steep slope, the torque allows the vehicle to move up.

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Horsepower dominates when driving on a plane surface like a highway. Torque works well at slow rpm, but hp works on higher rpm. Often, the tow truck needs to move ahead of the slower vehicles for which it needs enough horsepower. Horsepower ensures the work is done faster.

Conclusion to this debate

Car enthusiasts are torn between torque and horsepower. The truth is torque has more benefits than horsepower. So, the real answer to how much power is needed is that torque matters more than horsepower. Since towing involves pulling heavier loads, the torque is more important than the horsepower. So, if an individual is looking to buy a towing vehicle, the torque power should be given more importance.

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Engine power

Having said that torque prevails, horsepower cannot be avoided. The horsepower is needed to pull the car through various destinations. Here is what the calculation looks like. 1 horsepower is needed to tow about 25 pounds. So, to tow a 2,500-pound truck, 100 horsepower is needed.

To find out about the engine's capacity, check the manual. The manufacturers list the maximum towing capacity of the vehicle. The vehicle will also need a proper braking system and towing setup, which involves levers and hooks. The final decision must be made only after a through research has been conducted regarding the different aspects of the engine.