What's the advantages of different gear ratios when used in the application of cars?

Question

for example I have a truck and I believe it has a ratio of 4.10. What would happen if it changed to 3.73? How does gear ratios apply to high performance cars?

Answer 1

It sounds like you're asking about "final drive" ratios; the gear ratio in the rear axle or transaxle. Here's how it plays out. Lower gear ratios like 4.10:1 mean that the output shaft rotates more per rotation of tire. This gives you more "power", but also limits top speed since at one point the engine RPM is approaching the redline. This is a classic problem with older trucks that have only a 3 speed transmission: they do fine until you get on the highway, and then at 65 mph, it sounds like the engine is about to self destruct.

"Taller" gearing gives you more top end speed, but also limits power and torque, since the engine bogs down at low speed. It's not such an issue with an automatic transmissions, because of the slip in the torque converter.

Changing rear end gearsets isn't cheap. An easier way is to change tire sizes. Taller tires will act like taller gearing, giving you more highway speed at a given engine RPM. Of course, recalibrate your speedometer once you do that. Going down a size will give you quicker speed off the line if your truck is geared too tall.

All of this is a moot point if you have a good transmission. No surprise that most performance vehicles have 5 or 6 speed transmissions, to match the engine output to any driving speed or situation. You may want to research upgrading your truck's transmission if you have an old 3 speed.

Answer 2

From a piece of writing in 2005: The kit rule carried out in 2005 via NASCAR limiting communities to a single, mandated kit at each and every race song aside from Daytona (Fla.) and Talladega (Ala.) - the two restrictor plate tracks on the Nextel Cup schedule - has replaced the racing sort at Pocono. long gone are the days while communities have been forced to out-think of one yet another on transmission and rear end kit ratios so as that they might gain optimal horsepower via having their engines turn optimal rpms. the single rear end kit available for Sunday's Pocono 500 is a three.89-inch kit, a a techniques cry from the 4.22-inch kit communities used to hire. i think some leeway is authorized in transmission gearing as diverse ratios are nevertheless mandatory for climate and temperature modifications.

Answer 3

This basicly decides how much torque is on your transmision, how many revolutions on the drive shaft : to tire. For example if you changed the tires on your truck from smaller to bigger, you would need to change the gearing to put more power to the wheel to accomodate the extra weight on the wheel.

Answer 4

The previous posters explained it better than I can. Thanks guys.