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Bearings to improve safety and fuel efficiency on Dakar Rally
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22/01/2010
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Vehicles competing in the forthcoming Dakar Rally 2010 will be equipped with specially sealed, compact throttle valve needle roller bearings designed to protect the engine and withstand the pressure peaks that originate from the fuel combustion chamber.
The specially sealed needle roller bearing manufactured by Schaeffler are reckoned to be a key component in modern turbocharged engines, playing a vital role in exhaust gas recirculation, helping to improve engine efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.
The high precision throttle valve bearings are airtight in the event of both excess pressure and vacuum conditions. The seal on both sides of the bearing offers extreme resistance to high operating temperatures. Corrosion-resistant materials also ensure that the bearing is resistant to fuel, mineral oil, grease and acidic 'blow-by' condensate. Due to their integrated seals, the bearings can operate in temperatures from –40 deg C up to 150 deg C without any additional sealing.
Motorsport is often a breeding ground for the development of engine components, which are then adapted for more general use in automotive passenger cars. Following the first Dakar Rally in 1980, Volkswagen and Audi engineers developed the legendary Quattro drive, adapted from the Iltis, a German all-terrain military vehicle (better known as the European Polecat) which competed successfully in the Dakar Rally.
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Author
Ken Hurst
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