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Gear Ratio Formula:
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Gear ratio is a measure of the relationship between the number of teeth on two gears that are meshed together. In automotive applications, it specifically refers to the ratio between the ring gear and pinion gear in a differential, which determines how many times the driveshaft must rotate to turn the wheels once.
The calculator uses the gear ratio formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates how many times the pinion gear must rotate to complete one full rotation of the ring gear.
Details: Gear ratio affects vehicle performance characteristics including acceleration, top speed, and fuel efficiency. Lower ratios provide better acceleration but lower top speed, while higher ratios offer better fuel economy but slower acceleration.
Tips: Enter the number of teeth on both the ring gear and pinion gear. Both values must be positive integers greater than zero.
Q1: What is a typical gear ratio for passenger cars?
A: Most passenger cars have gear ratios between 2.5:1 and 4.5:1, with higher ratios common in trucks and performance vehicles.
Q2: How does gear ratio affect towing capacity?
A: Lower gear ratios (numerically higher) provide more torque at the wheels, improving towing capacity and hill-climbing ability.
Q3: What's the difference between axle ratio and final drive ratio?
A: Axle ratio refers specifically to the ring and pinion gear ratio, while final drive ratio includes any additional gear reduction in the transmission.
Q4: Can I change my vehicle's gear ratio?
A: Yes, but it requires replacing the ring and pinion gears in the differential, which is a complex and expensive modification.
Q5: How does gear ratio affect fuel economy?
A: Higher gear ratios (numerically lower) allow the engine to run at lower RPMs at highway speeds, typically improving fuel economy.