Pickup Trucks

Transmissions are one of the most complex systems under the hood. In fact, that’s the reason many auto repair garages will refuse to work on them. Some might perform minor repairs, but will refer you to a transmission shop for anything more extensive. There are a lot of parts involved in the system, and mechanics hate to cause bigger problems.

This level of complexity often makes transmissions one of the least understood components to drivers. Adding to the confusion, they’re designed differently. Some are designed for front wheel drive while others are designed for rear wheel drive. In this article we will look at some of the differences. I’ll describe your transmission’s job and help you decipher the pros and cons of a RWD and FWD.

Understanding Its Job

Your car’s engine generates power through its 4-stroke combustion process. That power must be delivered to your drive wheels in order to turn them. Also, it’s worth noting that your engine has a range of RPMs in which it operates at maximum efficiency. Your transmission has two jobs. First, it needs to deliver the power generated by the engine to the drive wheels. Second, it needs to perform this task while keeping your engine operating within its optimal range of RPMs.

This is accomplished through several gears. In low gears, the engine must turn more quickly in order to power the wheels. In higher gears, it doesn’t have to work as hard. The transmission helps the engine advance from first gear to higher gears while keeping your car moving at higher speeds.

RWD Versus FWD

If your car has rear wheel drive, the transmmission will be located on the back part of your engine. A drive shaft will connect it to the rear axle. As your engine generates power and turns the crankshaft, that power is transferred though the transmission to the drive shaft and ultimately, to the rear axle. The rear axle spins, which causes your tires to rotate.

While the concept behind the power flow is similar, a front wheel drive car works a little differently. The transmission is still located near the engine. With the final drive, it forms a transaxle. A front axle forms a connection with the transaxle, which delivers the power needed to rotate the front tires.

To keep the explanation simple, I’ve ignored the torque converter. In reality, power travels from the engine through the torque converter into the transmission. The other components work as described.

Is One Better Than The Other?

Modern vehicles usually have front wheel drive. An FWD weighs less, costs less to manufacture, and usually delivers higher fuel efficiency. On the other hand, an RWD distributes the weight more evenly across a car’s frame, which improves braking ability. Plus, because the design is less crowded than an FWD, it’s easier to service without taking everything apart. In the end, when choosing between RWD and FWD, consider your driving needs and the factors on which you place a high priority.

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Cars that are equipped with a manual transmission require the driver to maneuver a knob that controls gear switches. If this is your first experience driving a stick shift, you are sure to have many questions. For example, how exactly does moving the knob cause gears to change? And what makes the grinding noise when the driver doesn’t move it correctly? In this article, I’ll describe how manual transmissions work, answering those questions and others along the way.

Transmission Basics

First, let’s talk about why your transmission needs to switch gears while you’re driving. Automobile engines are restricted by a feature called the “redline”.” The redline is the highest number of RPMs that the engine can endure without failing (or bursting from the stress). When your car accelerates, it requires horsepower. That horsepower has a maximum efficiency at any given range of RPMs. By shifting gears, your transmission keeps the RPMs below your engine’s redline while leveraging the existing horsepower.

Your transmission and engine are bridged by a clutch. In essence, the clutch is the connection between you, the transmission, and the engine. Also, keep in mind that the gear ratios shared by your engine and the drive wheels can vary in different gears. A 5-speed transmission changes the gear ratios as the driver shifts from first through fifth. Doing so allows the engine to make the best use of the available RPM range as your car accelerates.

How To Shift Gears

If you’ve been driving a stick shift (or manual transmission) for awhile, you’ll be able to imagine the stick positions easily. From a top view, they looks like 2 capital “E’s” placed back-to-back. The transmission is in neutral when the stick is set in the center. Shifting from neutral to first gear requires moving the stick to the top right. Second gear is located in the top left. Changing gears on the car involves moving the stick in the directions of middle right, middle left, and finally, lower right to shift into fifth.

As a point of interest (to some people, at least), it’s interesting to note that shifting the stick through the gears – specifically from left to right and back to left – uses different rods and forks, which engages different collars.

Learning To Love Manual

One of the reasons why many drivers enjoy manual transmissions is because they can better control the car’s power. They’re able to maximize the horsepower and torque available from the engine in a given range of RPMs, shifting to the next gear when it’s most efficient to do so. Not everyone though will enjoy driving a stick shift. But, understanding how manual transmissions work in order to power a car can be valuable for any driver.

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