If you have heard a rumor that gear ratios can affect the acceleration of your car, you have actually heard it right. The gear ratio of your vehicle can indeed determine at how much top speed it can run, how fast it can reach the top speed, and how much your engine has to work p to do so. In recent days the Car manufacturers are trying their level best to strike a balance between the absolute performance and extreme fuel economy while determining the final drive gear ratios. Test reports that we collected from the Smelterville Chevrolet dealership say that while too much gear can bring down the fuel economy, on the other hand, a vehicle becomes “gutless,” if it is given too little gear.
Gear Ratios of the Transmission
Both Transmissions and rear end differentials have gear ratios. The Transmissions are known to use the gear ratios just to maintain the engine within a range of safe and economical RPM while giving a vehicle its ability to accelerate while maintaining a safe speed. By adding yet another gear to the transmission will either keep the vehicle accelerating or can keep maintaining the current speed at a much lower yet efficient RPM.
Differential Gear Component Interactivity
A differential is it for the front- or the rear-wheel drive will generally serve two purposes. One will be to convert the rotational energy or torque of the engine from one axis to another and the other is to multiply the torque of the engine while reducing its rotational speed.
How it Works
The engine and transmission of a car turn the driveshaft when it is moving at a certain speed. The driveshaft stays connected to the input source of the differential, also known as the pinion gear. The pinion gear is usually installed at a 90-degree angle fixed to the ring gear, where the two gears have meshed with each other. So the pinion gear drives on the ring gear. Through this interaction of gears, the torque changes from one axis of rotation to the other. As the ring gear gets turned on by the opinion, it starts rotating the carrier that is held responsible to turn the wheels through a set of splined axles.
Differential Gear Ratios
We were explained with clarity at the Smelterville Chevrolet dealer, that depending upon the number of gear ratios that is held in the transmission, it will determine the speed of acceleration of the vehicle. Whether a vehicle will accelerate at a lightning speed and compromise on the mileage or will take 65 MPH to reach up to the maximum cruising speed without breaking a sweat, will be determined by this differential gear ratios.
The Conclusion
Finally, it can be safely concluded that the higher are the ratios, the better will be the torque and acceleration of the vehicle. On the other hand, if the ratios are lower, it will allow reaching the top speeds taking some more time but with better fuel economy. Higher ratios indicate that the engine has to run faster in order to achieve a given speed, while the lower ratios will enable the engine to run with much more fuel efficiency within the same given speed.