With these great videos and animations, you’ll get mechanical in no time.
By
No need to read through manuals as thick as a brick to understand the components that make up your car. From 1930s black-and-white clips outlining the basics of your suspension to modern graphics explaining complicated transmissions, these videos will teach you more than you ever knew about how cars are made.
Leaf-spring suspension
The leaf spring is the oldest and simplest suspension. Several long, thin steel leaves are bound together in a pack by clamps. One end of the pack is connected to the vehicle’s frame vis a bushing. The other end uses a shackle that can move for and aft. Combined with the flexing of the leaf pack itself, that provides the suspension movement and cushions the ride.
Most modern pickup trucks still use this setup for their rear suspension because of its simplicity and durability. The Chevrolet video from the 1930s shows how the suspension works and outlines its drawbacks for passenger car use.
The old-school manual might be an endangered species, but you should learn to drive you—and learn how it works. Manual transmissions provide a direct connection to the machine—one that makes the whole experience of driving a more rewarding activity.
The job of the manual transmission is to transmit the engine’s torque from the input shaft, through various gearsets to the output and on to the axle and driven wheels. Those gearsets in the transmission combine with the gears in the axle to multiply the torque of the engine and get the car moving. This basic animation shows how the gears are selected, and what these gears actually do when you move the shifter.
Vacuum shifting
The engine
This incredible animation by Toyota outlines the process by which an engine produces power. It covers the typical cylinder configurations as well as basic terms like compression ratio, displacement, and the differences between single and double overhead cam engines. The video also explains some of today’s newer engine technologies, like variable valve timing. It’s worth watching more than once.
Clutch
A clutch let the driver smoothly couple and de-couple the engine from gearbox so that power can flow from one to the other without stalling the engine or damaging to other components. Every time you push the clutch pedal, the pressure plate releases pressure from the clutch disc, separating it from the engine’s flywheel. Releasing the clutch pedal (after a new gear is selected, for example) creates friction between the disc and flywheel, which connects the transmission to the engine again, sending power to the wheels.
Frame rigidity
Back in the mid-1930s, Chevrolet developed what must have been some expensive and time-consuming films to explain in detail how automotive systems worked. The narrative in this one likens the squeaks and rattles in an outdated car frame to those in old houses. Cars at this time used body-on-frame construction like pickups still do today, though many of our modern trucks skip the engineering fixes outlined here because they use ultra-high-strength steel alloys that make them far more robust and much lighter than these earlier designs.
Starter motor
Can you imagine having to crank-start the car every time you need to run an errand? In the early days of driving, people would have to start vehicles with a hand crank, an unpredictable science that sometimes resulted in a broken arm if the crank kicked back. Not fun. Although electric starters began to appear on cars in the 1910s, cars like the VW Beetle still included a crank up until the 1950s. This 1957 US Army film explains the wonder of electric starter motors. Interestingly, these old military trucks still used a starter switch. Modern cars and trucks have them integrated with the ignition.
Automatic transmission
Perhaps more than any other automotive component, the automatic transmission became so ubiquitous so quickly that most people don’t even notice it’s there. Really, that’s the automatic’s job: to shift gears without drawing attention to itself. But there’s plenty going on behind the scenes, and this video demonstrates.
The automatic was invented back in 1921; today’s most advanced version have up to 9 speeds and manual shift control.
CVT
Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) have gained popularity as carmakers hunt for fuel economy gains anywhere they can find them. Unlike a conventional manual or automatic transmission, a CVT has no fixed gears inside the transmission case. Instead, CVTs use two adjustable pulleys with a chain in between to change ratios.
Picture a bicycle chain moving up and down the sprocket gears in the back and from one of the large chain rings to a smaller one up front. As the diameter of these discs change, so does the ratio. That’s the principle behind the CVT. This short animation is Subaru-specific but does a great job explaining the tech in simple terms.
Oil
After almost two minutes of showing us skiers and ice skaters, the announcer finally gets around to explaining that skates and skis glide upon a thin layer of water on top of the ice. It’s a lubricant, and the video goes on to explain how lubricants work in our everyday life. The most interesting part come halfway through, when they begin to explain why oil is needed as a lubricant between metal parts. A cut-away of an engine shows exactly how the oil is routed from the oil pump in the pan up through the various bearings, valves, rods, and pistons.
Torque converter
Like the clutch, the torque converter acts as a smooth connection between a manual transmission and the engine. The torque convertor is a fluid coupling that’s far more complex than the clutch but can be perfectly tailored to suit the power and torque characteristics of a particular powertrain. The converter can multiply torque, acting as an extra gearbox of sorts for a short time as a car leaves the line. Here’s how this slick coupling works in concert with an automatic transmission.
Turbocharger
The turbo is back. What seemed like futuristic performance tech back in the 1980s is now completely mainstream, thanks to automakers chasing better mpg. The industry has now turbocharged the engines in practically every segment, from economy cars to full-size pickup trucks.
Why? Because turbos allow small engines to act like larger ones when needed. Turbos take normally wasted exhaust gases and uses them to run a compressor, which pressurizes and feeds more air to the engine. Let’s let this video explain.
Aerodynamics
Car designers were experimenting with aerodynamics a century ago. At that time it was called “streamlining,” and by the 1930s American cars were beginning to look Art Deco and perform much better as they cut through the wind. Sadly, though the most advanced car of that time, the Chrysler Airflow, was largely a flop.
What this film shows more than anything is how far we’ve come. No, the world of tomorrow didn’t actually deliver elevated highways that can support 120 mph travel. But we do have big, roomy vehicles that cut through the air better than the slipperiest sports cars did not that long ago.
Supercharger
Like a turbo, the supercharger forces more air into the engine to boost horsepower. But it does so in a totally different way. Where turbochargers use exhaust gas to turn the compressor and pressurize air, superchargers are driven off the engine’s crankshaft by a belt. In the old days, turbo engines suffered from lag—it took some time for the exhaust gas to create boost. Superchargers never had this problem because the boost is tied directly to engine speed. Most turbos today don’t have much lag, so the playing field has been leveled between the two technologies.
This animation is clearly shows how a screw compressor supercharger works. This is the same style of supercharger used on today’s 650-hp Corvette ZO6.
Water-cooled engine
Air-cooled engines, like those in old VW Beetles or pre-1999 Porsche 911s, were rare even back in the 1930s and 1940s. Like today, most cars were water-cooled. This 1936 film begins with a dramatic introduction to the value of a water boy to hard workers in the field. It’s perhaps the most cinematic 3 minutes in any car tech film I’ve ever seen. But as the story progresses, there’s a very straightforward animation of how exactly water circulates from the radiator through an engine and back to the radiator. Despite similarities to the systems we use today, cars from that time routinely overheated—a problem modern cars rarely suffer from.
Differential
Differentials help compensate for the differences in wheel speed between the inside and outside wheels in a corner. Those outside wheels need to spin more quickly, so without a differential, the tires would scrub, chirp, and wear prematurely—and the drivetrain could sustain damage.
This video from Toyota illustrates exactly how power flows in a rear-wheel drive truck, from the driveshaft to the rear differential and out to the wheels. It also explains what differential gear ratios are and the types of differentials are available.
Clutch-type limited-slip differential
Most cars and trucks have an “open” style of differential driving the wheels. They operate smoothly, but have a major drawback: When the road is slick (or the dirt trail is muddy), an open diff will send power to the wheel with the least traction. That usually leaves the vehicle motionless with one tire spinning uselessly. A limited-slip differential sends some of that torque to the wheel that has traction.
Torsen torque-sensing differential
Many original Hummer H1s came fitted from the factory with a version of the Torsen in both the front and rear differentials. And for many years, a Torsen was the center differential in Audi’s all-wheel drive, meaning Audi’s famous Quattro system had this differential to thank for its reputation for great traction.
A Torsen differential uses gears instead of clutch packs to divert torque across an axle. The upside is that when it “senses” a torque difference, it works nearly instantaneously, sending torque where it can be most beneficial. The downside? It needs to sense some sort of resistance or friction. So when a tire is off the ground, the Torsen cannot send power across the axle.
Springs, shocks, steering and ventilation systems
This vintage clip (though it may reek of 1950s sexism) does do an excellent job of showing how some complex automotive systems worked on the new 1950s Chevy models, using easy-to-understand models and animations. Chevy customers at that time were apparently more concerned with ride quality than anything else. Today’s cars, for the most part, all ride smoothly. If a film like that were made today, it would likely focus on efficiency, connectivity, and safety technologies.
Suspension alignment
It’s not uncommon that when a car hits that giant pothole just right, it could begin pulling slightly to the left or right. So automakers build in a level of adjustability into the steering and suspension. This video shows just what these alignment points are, what components they affect, and how they control vehicle behavior.
Four-wheel drive
Although this is a Jeep-branded animation, the basics are the same for every old-school four-wheel drive system. Engine power goes to the transmission and then on to a transfer case. When 4WD is selected, the transfer case splits that power equally between the front and rear axles. Shift into Low Range and the vehicle’s torque is filtered through another set of gears. In this case, it’s a very aggressive 4:1 ratio. This ultra-low gearing allows the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon to crawl slowly and easily over rough terrain.
Hybrids
Typical hybrids use a conventional gasoline or diesel engine paired with an electric motor to drive the wheels. Energy from an on-board battery pack supplies the power for the electric motor or motors. When the battery pack is fully charged (through regenerative braking), hybrids can run on some efficient combination of engine and electric power. And most can run on pure electric power for a short time, which boosts fuel economy. Newer hybrids have larger battery packs that can be plugged in (PHEVs), allowing owners drive further on electric power and use even less fuel. Here’s a fairly simple explanation of how it all works on a Toyota.
ABS brakes
Anti-lock brake systems (ABS) are one of the greatest advancements in automotive safety. Before ABS, a driver in a panic often slammed on the brakes and locked them up, causing a skid. That’s why driving schools would teach students to pump the brake pedal rapidly. ABS uses an on board computer, hydraulic pump and valves and sensors to keep the brakes from locking up. So when the driver panic-brakes and pushes the pedal to the floor, ABS essentially pumps the brakes for you, and far quicker than you could ever do on your own. Here’s how it works.
Stability control
Engineers tap into the hardware of ABS to create traction and stability controls. Stability control systems use a computer and sensors to apply the brakes at individual wheels if slipping is detected. As a car begins to slide, say on an icy road, stability control can use the braking system to correct that slide and keep the car on its intended path. Stability control cannot overcome the laws of physics, but the technology has led to a serious reduction in accidents. Here’s a cool animation from automotive supplier Bosch.
Hydraulic steering
There was a time when power steering wasn’t the norm on cars. Early cars and trucks had skinny wheels and tires that were easier to turn, and the vehicles were relatively light, too. But that soon changed. The first hydraulic steering system on a production passenger car came in the 1950s, when cars began to really gain weight and tire size. In the mid 50s, the technology came to big, heavyweight military trucks. This explanation may be a bit dry, but it’ll show you how hydraulic power steering works in great detail.
Aerospace Dynamics 