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Carpedia Category: Vehicle Measurements
Alignment
Alignment is the position of a vehicle's wheels relative to its body. If a vehicle's wheels are improperly aligned, uneven or rapid tire wear can occur as well as a diminished handling.
Camber
Camber refers to an alignment angle of the wheels. The measurement is taken by comparing the angle of the vertical axis of the wheel perpendicular to the ground to the vertical axis of the wheel viewe
Compression Ratio
The compression ratio is a measurement comparing the volume of the combustion chamber when the piston is at its lowest to the the volume at the piston's highest point. For example, if the volume of th
Curb Weight
The curb weight is the weight of a vehicle with all standard equipment, all necessary operating items (such as oil, coolant, and transmission fluid), and a full tank a fuel, and without passengers or
Cylinder Bore
The cylinder bore is the diameter of the cylinder hole in the engine block.
Cylinder Sequence
The cylinder sequence is the order in with the cylinders are laid out in relation to the location of the Number 1 cylinder. The Number 1 cylinder is the first one in the firing order, and is used to m
Gear Ratio
The gear ratio is the number of revolutions the engine makes compared to the number of revolutions of the transmission gear. When in lower gears, like 1st gear, the ratio is high(e.g. 3:1). This mean
Speed
Speed is the rate of change in distance over time. To calculate speed, divide the distance traveled over the time. For example, if a car went 50 miles in 30 minutes, the speed was 100MPH.
Top Dead Center
Top dead center, or TDC, is the position of the piston at its absolute high point in its stroke. It represents the maximum level of compression the fuel air mixture can achieve. The acronyms BTDC and
Wheelbase
The wheelbase is the distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel of a vehicle.