Off-Road Terms Glossary

Also referred to as Drop Out. The drop out refers to a particular type of axle with a separate gear case assembly that can be removed from the housing (picture A). This is opposed to an axle that has the gears installed into the physical axle housing (picture B).

The Toe of the gear tooth is the inner half closest to the carrier. This is the part that sees pinion contact last.

Torque is the rotational force needed to move an object. In our case, it refers to the amount of force needed to turn a bolt or pinion. Torque is measured with a special tool called a Torque Wrench.

A Torque Wrench is a special tool that is used to measure the amount of force required to turn a bolt. This torque is measured in either in foot pounds or inch pounds depending on the quantity of force needed. There are a variety of different types of torque wrenches, but the two most common are the bar graph and the click types.

The distance from the top of the tread to the grooves in a tire. The measurement is taken at the centerline of a tire and is measured in thirty-secondths of an inch.

The arrangement of grooves, blocks, sipes, and channels on the tread of a tire that provide a varying degrees of effects on traction, tread life, and other tire factors.