Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25
TRENDS IN TRANSMISSIONS
STRESS NEED OF TRAINING
Thorough Grasp on Subject of Gear Ratios
Essential to Skillful Use
of Machines.

! use of third enables the driver to reach
80 miles per hour without unpleasant
engine or gear noises. He should stay in
this gear for the duration of steep
climb or when negotiating heavy traffic.
For normal going he shifts back to
fourth. In this gearSet, however, the
top speed is not geared any higher than
the high of three-speed affair. This
is significant.
Nothing to Be Gained.
1t means that there is nothing to be
gained by dropping to the third speed
if the car is climbing hill fairly we'll.
This is just the reverse Of the situation
where a four-Speed gearSet has a con-
slant mesh third. or second, depending
on whether it is of the three or four
speed type
Motorists who have two or more of
the late models in the household often
are puzzled by these differences, a fact
which emphasizes the need of close &C
quaintance with the newer features. If
the driver of the spur-gaar type of four
speed tranmission finds he gains moth
ing by dropping to third when the car
is climbing we'll enough in top speed. he
is apt to reach the same conclusion
when driving another car with a con-
slant mesh transmission. BY expert
menting, however, he would find that
dropping to third would enable him to
climb much faster than by staying in
fourth.
A test showed that one car was able
to climb test hill at SO miles per hour
in third gear. In fourth its top speed
was 40 The lover gearing enabled
the engine to develop more speed and
thus more power.
Theoretically, many a car could do
more speed in second or third than in
high whcre spur gearing is used, but
invariably the noise discourages the
trial, or the engine may exceed speed
where it functions to best advantage.
The valve springs may start to f1utter
and carburetion may not be satisfac-
tory. Invariably increased gear fric-
ton is factor in such failure.
Wrong Impression.
Too many motorists seem to be under
the impression that the fourth speed
of a modern transmission is to be used
for going faster on hills or in traffic.
Nothing could be farther from the
truth. To increase performance under
such circumstances you shift down to
third. Fourth speed is no longer an
overdrive, except in few special cases
where cars are designed for extra speed
The newer transmissions have not been
top speed but rather to increase its
average speed by providing more use
full gearing for hill and traffic work.
To further emphasize this purpose
the engineers have provided simpler
methods of shifting These, however
cannot be enjoyed by clinging to old
ideas of double clutching and hesita-
tons in neutral. The usual method for
the newer gearsets is to pause an in
slant in the gear in which the car is
running and then go directly through
neutral to the next speed, either up or
down the range. In one of the newer
models it is not necessary to press out
the clutch pedal during this process
because of the coaSting feature, but the
usual clutch action comes into play if
the car is operated in conventional
manner. The change is accomplished
by pressing a button at the top of the
| lever
The use of low low in the newer
gearsets is a story in itself, but any
driver who grasps the general idea OF
the transmission trend VIII be able to
utilize it to the end that he may enjoy
superior motoring