Gear Ratios
To understand drivetrains, one must first understand gear ratios. Gear ratios are often expressed as either a mathematical ratio such as 4.11:1 or simply a number like 4.11. If this gear ratio were found inside an axle, its wheels would turn once for every 4.11 turns of the input shaft. The wheels would also have 4.11 times as much torque, but the amount of horsepower going in would be the same as the amount of horsepower coming out (except for friction losses).
Lower gears make the wheels turn more slowly. Since automotive gear ratios are written in an upside-down way, this means that the lower the gearing, the higher the number used to express the gear ratio. An axle with a 5.37:1 ratio is geared “lower” than one with a 3.23:1 ratio. ...
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