Rear axle ratios and impact on towing
Suppose you have a choice between two axle ratios, say they are a 3.09 and a 3.45. And let's say the vehicle has an 8 speed transmission, so there's plenty of gear flexibility. Ok, so there's roughl...
Forum Discussion
BenK wrote:
Always wondered if folks ever ride bicycles with gears and ride in hilly terrain...
Toss in a kid trailer bike (one wheel, front clamps onto your bike) or
tow a kid/cargo trailer?
Not a kid cart, but a paper cart! went slower up the hill in a lower overall gear! Lower gears only help a larger load get going faster. Top speed is dependent upon HP, Torque is what gets you going, which can be multiplied by gearing.
A rig with 400 lb ft of torque with an overal low of 24-1 with 31" tires will pull 20K lbs up a 30% grade, same motor with 16-1, will do about half that amount! This is from both experience, and cranking numbers in some formula's I have. Top speed is based on HP doing the same thing.
Axle ratio should be choosen based on tire diam, what kind of trans you have, and the rpm of the motor, in such a manner you can get the bets speed, pulling power or equal in a given gear.
Marty
