Re: [DML] Re: Transmissions (was upgrade paths)

["B Benson" <delornut@xxxx>]

 This may be pretty common knowledge among most of us so at the risk of
insulting everyone's intelligence I'll give an illustration of why higher
numbers are used for lower gears and lower numbers for higher gears. When
riding a bicycle that has more than one speed, lower gears require more
pedal revolutions per one revolution of the rear wheel. Higher gears require
less pedaling. With a final drive of 3.44:1, like the DeLorean's, it takes
3.44 revolutions of the pinion shaft to turn the rear wheels one revolution.
Now look at an off road 4x4 with 4.11:1 gears. It takes 4.11 revolutions of
the pinion shaft to turn the wheel one revolution. Just as with shifting the
bike down, it takes more input revs to turn the final drive output but it's
easier. Once your rolling you can shift up to lower engine RPM's and
maintain momentum. The DeLorean's 5th gear is actually less than 1:1, it
takes only 0.82 pinion turns to turn the final output ring gear once.
That's why it's called overdriven or overdrive. That's also why the stock
DeLorean will actually have a better top end in 4th gear than 5th. As the
engine revs and passes it's peak power range it becomes harder to turn the
rear wheels when the ratio is higher as in the DeLorean's case of less than
one to one.

Bruce Benson



> I don't know if it's an automotive thing or what, but yes, Higher
> Gear Ratios have Lower (smaller) Numbers. My assumption is that it
> has something do to with tranmission nomenclature - i.e. Low Gear is
> a bigger gear ratio (number) than high gear. Although Low Gear is
> also called First Gear and High Gear is called Fifth gear at least in
> our case). . Now I'm confused!
> Now that that is explained, do you really have a source for a lower
> (higher numerical) ratio ring and pinion set that will fit this
>
> Dave S.