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Expertasig - Car glossary Category: Travel and Transportation > Cars Date & country: 24/11/2013, RO Words: 401

Z-axis
The plain of movement a road vehicle cant access.

X series
The name given to the famous chassis designs used by Jaguar since the 1960s, such as the XJ, XK an X-type.

X-ray detection
This is used by law enforcement agencies when searching for illegal materials concealed within the door panels an bodywork of cars, such as Semtex an heroin.

V-Type Engine
In a V-6, V-8 or V-12 engine, the cylinders are divided into two banks, each of which is angled away from the other at the top, forming a 'V'. Typically, this angle is 60 degrees on V-6 engines and 90 degrees on V-8 engines. From the rear are identified by having twin exhaust pipes, an by ear have a deep rumble engine sound.

V6
A vehicle with six cylinders. The cylinders are divided into two banks, each of which is angled away from the other at the top, forming a 'V'. Typically, this angle is 60 degrees on V-6 engines.

V8
A vehicle with eight cylinders. The cylinders are divided into two banks, each of which is angled away from the other at the top, forming a 'V'. Typically, this angle is 90 degrees on V-8 engines

V12
A vehicle with a dozen cylinders. The cylinders are divided into two banks, each of which is facing each other at the top, an slightly forms a 'V' shape. Typically this angle is 30 degrees on most V-12 engines. Occasionally two V6 engines can be combined to act as a V12.

R-134a
The environmentally safe refrigerant now used in air-conditioning systems. It requires a slightly bulkier condenser unit than the older R-12 type. Vehicles equipped with R-12 systems can be converted to use R-134a. Since Freon is now banned, expensive and hard to obtain, the conversion may be a good idea when an R-12-based system needs recharging, ...

T-top; Targa top
A hand removable plastic roof, as with TVR's Tuscan model, leaving a T shaped roof opening.

M+S Rating
A tyre rating which indicates a tyre designed to perform well in mud and snow.

B-pillar
Vertical metal roof support between front and rear side windows on the side of the vehicle.

C-pillar
The vertical metal roof support between the side edge of the rear windshield (also called the backlight) and the rear edge of the rear window.

I-Beam Suspension
A suspension beam under the car that supports the body in the shape of a capital I.

J-gate
A metal plate with a J shaped whole, in which the gear-stick must slip between during gear changes.

Yaw
The rotation about a vertical axis that passes through the car's center of gravity.

Yugo
The only car company named after a country that no longer exists, ie Yugoslavia.

Zero-offset steering
A steering system whose geometry has a scrub radius of zero. This configuration minimizes the steering effects produced during acceleration (with front drive) or braking on varying traction surfaces.

A-pillar
Vertical roof support between the windshield and front edge of the front side window.

Wheelstand
A mainstay in drag races, this refers to when the front end of car lifts up during a race. It is also known as a wheelie.

Wing
2 body panels that exist either rear side, beneath the trunk cover, partly enclosing the rear-wheel-space.

Winston Cup
The high-point of NASCAR racing, a race that spans the entire season as drivers accumulate points at each of 31 events. The driver that accumulates the most points, not the most wins, becomes the eventual Winston Cup winner.

Woody
Refers to a vehicle which has part of its side body-panels covered or replaced with decorative wood.

Wheel well/arch
The area of space between a wheel and the fender that shrouds it. The arch follows the profile of the wheel size.

Wheelbase
The distance between the center of the front wheels to the center of rear wheels.

Wheelspin
When a wheel continues turning after its lost traction during a sharp turn, or looses surface contact while over uneven ground.

Weight distribution
Measured in Kg, representing the balance, control an stability, with the centre of gravity acting as the fulcrum.

Wheel hop
An undesirable suspension characteristic in which a wheel (or several) moves up and down so violently that it actually leaves the ground. Wheel hop can be caused by many problems, including excessive unsprung weight, insufficient shock damping, or poor torsional axle control.

Wheel Size
Determined by the diameter and width of the wheel on which the tyre is mounted. A 15-inch wheel has a diameter of 15 inches. A 15 X 7 wheel has a 15-inch diameter and a 7-inch width.

Waste gate
A valve used to limit the boost developed in a turbocharger. A waste gate operates by allowing some of the engine's exhaust flow to bypass the turbocharger's turbine section under certain conditions.

Water Pump
The pump that circulates coolant through the engine block, cylinder head and radiator. It is driven by the engine crankshaft.

Vented Disc Brakes
A brake disc that has cooling passages between the friction surfaces.

Viscous coupling
A particular kind of fluid coupling in which the input and output shafts mate with thin, alternately spaced discs in a cylindrical chamber. The chamber is filled with a viscous fluid that tends to cling to the discs, thereby resisting speed differences between the two shafts. Viscous couplings are used to limit the speed difference between the two ...

Valvetrain
The collection of parts that make the valves operate. The valvetrain includes the camshaft(s) and all related drive components, the various parts that convert the camshaft's rotary motion into reciprocating motion at the valves, and the valves and their associated parts.

Van
A box-shaped truck with a forward cab and a cargo area to the back bumper.

Variable-Assist Steering
A power-steering system that varies the amount of assistance it provides according to driving conditions. It provides maximum assistance at low speeds for maneuvers such as turning into a parking space or turning a corner after leaving a stop light. It provides minimum assistance at cruising or highway speeds to provide greater vehicle stability.

Valve gear
The valve number per cylinder and the cam number plus its position.

Valve Train
The valves and camshaft(s) within an engine, and any parts attached to the valves, such as rockers and pushrods, to move them up and down.

Valves
Many overhead-cam engines, particularly multi-valve models, are described by the total number of intake and exhaust valves in the cylinder head. A 24-valve V-6 engine would have four valves per cylinder: two intake and two exhaust valves. A 16-valve V-8 engine has only the standard single exhaust and single intake valve for each of its eight cylind...

Unitized construction
A type of body construction that doesn't require a separate frame to provide structural strength or support for the car's mechanical components. A unitized body can employ monocoque construction, or it can utilize strong structural elements as an integral part of its construction. Before 1980 cars were built almost exclusively from frames. In other...

Valve float
A high-rpm engine condition in which the valve lifters lose contact with the cam lobes because the valve springs are not strong enough to overcome the momentum of the various valvetrain components. The onset of valve float prevents higher-rpm operation. Extended periods of valve float will damage the valvetrain.

Unidirectional tyre
Tire whose tread pattern is designed to get optimum traction only when the tyre is mounted to roll in one direction.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Insurance which pays for costs resulting from a hit-and-run or an accident with an uninsured motorist.

Twist-Beam Axle
A semi-independent rear axle often used on front-drive vehicles. The horizontal beam, which connects the two rear wheels, can twist to reduce the effect of one wheel's motion on the other. Less expensive and more compact than fully independent suspension.

Understeer
Occurs when the front wheels have lost adhesion or the driver is turning the steering wheel too sharply for the vehicle's speed. In understeer, the front wheels do not follow the steering wheel angle, and the car refuses to turn and pushes ahead. In motor sports, this is called push. The driver can regain traction by reducing speed. Also may be cal...

Turbo Lag
The time it takes the turbocharger to kick in after the driver accelerates; the lag results because a turbocharger compressor is spun by exhaust gases in the exhaust manifold.

Turbocharger
Device that compresses and forces extra air into the intake manifold to produce extra power. Both turbochargers and superchargers are used to produce more power without increasing engine displacement, but neither are particularly fuel efficient and both can require costly maintenance as vehicles age. By forcing fuel through the engine, this system ...

Turning circle
The minimum distance a car needs to turn around in one step. A low figure is a prerequisite for a proper Taxi deign, an in the venues of big cities is a regulation.

Tune-up
A regularly scheduled maintenance to check normal operation of the vehicle.

Turbine
An integral piece of the turbocharger, this small fan drives the compressor. A rotor with vanes or blades which is driven by the movement of fluid or gases across its surface. The turbine wheel in a turbocharger spins as a result of exhaust gases. In a torque converter, a turbine is used to propel ATF within the unit.

Trim Level
The level of options or features added to a model (as like with a GT version). An optional extra as selected by the customer, like an airbag, doesn't instigate a new trim level. Only the car maker selects the attributes to a car to make it a special variant of the basic version, which is the 'factory standard' version, an is the cheapest within the...

True MPH
The actual velocity a body moves at as opposed to the reading given by internal instrumentation. Used by speed cameras an police with timing guns in speed-traps.

Tread-Wear Index
A tyre rating consisting of a number followed by two letters, such as 300AB. The number indicates the useful life of the tyre, the first letter (A, B, or C, A for best, C for worst) indicates its traction in wet conditions, and the second letter (A, B, or C, A for best, C for worst) its resistance to heat buildup.

Tri-Link Suspension
A fully independent rear suspension featuring a single fiberglass or composite leaf spring.

Trim Decor
the embellishments added to the cars interior that give it identity an character, such as leather, wood, fabric, chrome etc.

Transfer Case
On four-wheel drive vehicles, a gearbox that allows power to be delivered to front and rear wheels.

Transmission
The transmission is used to take the high-speed, low-torque power of the engine and convert it to a lower-speed, higher-torque output, which ultimately turns the drive wheels. Transmissions come in a wide variety of choices, but they basically divide into three categories: Manual, Automatic, and Manumatic. Lower gears allow fast acceleration, highe...

Traction Control
A system for limiting wheel slip under acceleration, thus maintaining each wheel's contact with the road surface. Traction-control systems generally use the anti-lock braking system to stop wheel spin and reduce power from one or more engine cylinders when an electronic sensor detects wheel spin.

Trade-in Value
The amount a dealership credits you for the used vehicle you provide as partial payment for another vehicle. The amount credited is often about 5 percent below the vehicle's wholesale market value.

Transaxle
A transmission and differential housed together in the same enclosure. This setup is most commonly found in today's front-wheel-drive-dominated car (not truck) market. The transmission and differential are married together because no drive shaft is required in front-wheel drive (front engine) vehicles.

Torsional Stiffness
A vehicle body's resistance to twisting motions.

Towing Capacity
The amount of weight a vehicle can tow behind it, eg a trailer carrying a speed-boat.

Track
Vehicle width, measured from the center of one tyre's contact patch to the center of the opposite tyre's contact patch. 2 - a racing surface at race-course, like at Silverstone in the UK.

Traction
The amount of friction between the tyre and the ground.

Torsion Bar
A simple, rugged type of suspension spring that twists as it is compressed or stretched.

Torque Steer
The tendency of the front wheels on a front-drive vehicle to pull to the side under hard acceleration.

Torque-to-weight
The amount of torque derived power effort, in pounds per foot, over the tonnage of the vehicle.

Torque
A measure of twisting force, given in foot-pounds (abbreviated as lb.-ft.) or Newton-meters (N-m). In the case of an automobile, it is the twisting or rotational force the engine exerts on the crankshaft. Vehicle specifications often include the maximum torque an engine produces at a specific number of revolutions. An engine that produces 200 lb.-f...

Toe-in
A wheel-alignment term that indicates the leading edges of a pair of wheels angle slightly toward each other. Front-drive cars are often aligned with slight toe-in to compensate for the effects of torque steer, or the tendency of the front wheels to pull to the side under hard acceleration.

Toe-out
A wheel-alignment term that indicates the leading edges of a pair of wheels angle slightly away from each other.

Top-Fuel Dragsters
The fastest of drag racing vehicles, these have a characteristically long body and use top fuel which accounts for the tremendous speeds these vehicles can attain.

Taxometer
A machine which counts the travel-time of a taxi journey.

Tie Rod End
A type of ball joint which transfers the movements of the steering wheel to the wheels.

Timing Belt
On overhead cam equipped engines, an external belt used to synchronize the operation of intake/exhaust valves with the compression/ignition process occurring in the cylinder head and engine block below.

Timing Valve
A valve in a fuel injection pump which times the delivery of fuel.

Suspension
Springs, dampers, shock absorbers, hydraulics, wishbones, roll bars, struts, and links used to suspend the frame, body and engine above the wheels.

Synthetic oil
Engine lubricant not derived from raw petroleum. It has superior engine-protection properties but costs as much as five times more than petroleum oil.

Tachometer
The instrument gauge that shows engine speed, or revolutions per minute. On a vehicle with manual transmission, the driver can use the tachometer to tell when to upshift or downshift. Also called tach.

Tappet
A pivoting actuator that opens and closes cylinder intake and exhaust valves.

Sump
The space in the engine block under the crankshaft into which the oil drains from its various applications.

Supercharger
Serves the same function as a turbocharger but avoids lag time because it runs off an engine-driven pump. Both turbochargers and superchargers are used to produce more power without increasing engine displacement, but neither are particularly fuel efficient and both can require costly maintenance as vehicles age. A standard piece of equipment of Ho...

Strut
A single, self contained pivoting suspension unit that integrates a coil spring with a shock absorber. Struts are used on front wheel drive automobiles. A suspension element in which a reinforced shock absorber is used as one of the wheel's locating members, typically by solidly bolting the wheel hub to the bottom end of the strut.

Subcompact
The car size class one step up from the mini-car, like the Rover 45 an Austin Maestro.

Suicide doors
Car doors that open from the front rather than the rear, by being hinged beneath the windscreen or rear window. Although most often thought of as applying to rear doors of four-door cars, several early models had suicide-style front doors. Some of the last suicide doors to appear on an American car were on the '1960's Lincolns. In 2002 Mazda introd...

Straight-line tracking
The ability of a car to resist road irregularities and run in a straight line without steering corrections.

Street rod
A customized, usually modernized, most often classic, automobile designed for show and/or pleasure driving.

Stroke
The up-and-down distance the piston travels within the cylinder. On a traditional internal combustion engine, the piston makes four strokes during the combustion cycle, only one of which is a power stroke. On the power stroke, the piston is near the top of the cylinder, and it has compressed the air and fuel mixture. The spark plug ignites the mixt...

Steering Rack
The device by which the movement of the steering wheel is transferred to the front wheels of an automobile.

Steering Ratio
The ratio of the different steering gears. Usually a lower gear means a faster response.

Steering Rods
The metal rods on each end of the steering rack that connect it to the front wheels via ball joints (tie rod ends).

Stock Car Racing
Started by NASCAR's founder, Bill France, in the 1940s. Initially meant track cars equipped with showroom parts. Today, few cars use stock parts. Most are built from custom parts, made especially for these race cars, that look like those in showrooms.

Steering gain
The relationship between yaw and the steering wheel's position and effort. All three should be proportional and should build up smoothly.

Steering axis
The line that intersects the upper and lower steering pivots on a steered wheel. On a car with a strut suspension, the steering axis is defined by the line through the strut mount on top and the ball joint on the bottom.

Steering feel
The general relationship between forces at the steering wheel and handling. Ideally, the steering effort should increase smoothly as the wheel is rotated away from center. In addition, the steering effort should build as the cornering forces at the steered wheels increase. Finally, the friction built into the steering mechanism should be small in c...

Starting Grid
The first section or portion of a race track.

Station Wagon
A two- or four-door passenger car with a cargo area that extends all the way to the rear bumper. A model variant derived from an extension of a popular saloon model. In Europe is termed an estate version.

Stator
As opposed to the moving rotor, the stationary portion of a device. In an alternator, for example, the stator includes an intricate copper winding that picks up the current induced by the rotation of the rotor within a magnetic field.

Starter
An electric motor used to initiate movement of internal engine parts so that combustion can begin. Activating the starter causes the solenoid to thrust the pinion gear in the starter against the engine flywheel ring gear and begin turning it.

Sports Car
A body type designation. Generally a small, powerful car seating only two people.

Sprint Car
Two types of sprint cars exist, the first is the open-wheel cars that feature a upright roll cage. The second is a similar car that has a large wing mounted to the top for stability.

Spyder
A very fast sports car with a removable roof and a top speed above 170mph.