While most people prefer automatic transmission due to the convenience they offer, manual transmission remains a popular choice among auto sport enthusiasts and off-roaders in the UAE. Although it requires additional practice to learn changing manual gear of a car, it gives the benefit of added acceleration.
Let’s take a look at how changing manual gear affects the overall speed.
Understanding Manual Transmission
The purpose of the transmission is to control the speed and acceleration between the engine and drive wheel, depending on driving conditions. The power of transmission depends on two factors: speed and torque. More torque means less speed and vice versa.
The manual transmission consists of a series of shafts and gears including an input shaft, output shaft and a counter shaft. The system relies on gears in mesh. The power is applied to one gear, which then moves and powers the gear in contact. Changing the size of meshed gears is how power and speed of revolution are controlled.
As only one gear is engaged at a time, the rest spin freely on the output shaft. The gears are engaged and locked through by a system of anchored hubs and sleeves.
Different gear sizes means the number of revolutions for each gear is also different. The largest gear in the transmission, is the first gear in the car. The gear gives the highest torque for the wheels at the cost of speed. As you progress to second, third and fourth gear, the size of gears reduces to boost the speed at the cost of torque.
Hence, this is how manual car gear shifts impact the speed and acceleration. However, the gear change can’t happen without the use of a clutch pedal.
Understanding Clutch Mechanism
The clutch is basically a disc with friction plates on both ends. The transmission input shaft is connected to the clutch.
The friction plates are further connected by diaphragm spring, which helps engage and disengage the friction disc when changing gears.
Changing Manual Gear
For smooth operation of a manual transmission, you will need to maintain clutch control. As you increase the speed of the car, gears are shifted upward to get more power. For instance, the first gear will feel powerful with more torque. Ideal for situations like climbing elevated scenarios or starting out.
Manual Gear Speed Range
The correct speed range for optimum shifting depends on the car engine. For most cars, gear shifting is recommended when it reaches around 3000 to 3500 rpms.
Here is an example of possible speed range when shifting gears. Such a range may vary for different engines.
- Shifting 1st to 2nd – 25 km/h
- Shifting 2nd to 3rd – 40 km/h
- Shifting 3rd to 4th – 60 km/h
- Shifting 4th to 5th – 80 km/h
It does require some practice to correctly shift the gear and engage/disengage clutch for best performance and fuel economy. Shifting gear early will stall the car performance as the engine is unable to achieve proper RPMs.
When shifting the gear down, you should be around 1500 rpms. The following is an example of possible speed range when downshifting gears.
- Shifting 5th to 4th – 65 km/h
- Shifting 4th to 3rd – 45 km/h
- Shifting 3rd to 2nd – 35 km/h
- Shifting 2nd to 1st – 15 km/h
If the gear is too high for car speed, accelerating at low RPM can negatively impact engine health. This is known as lugging as your engine has to work harder for similar performance, decreasing overall efficiency. Hence, downshifting before acceleration at a lower speed is advised.
Take a look at the following cars in the UAE for optional or standard manual gear transmission:
- Used BMW M4 for sale
- Used Ford Mustang for sale
- Used Jeep Gladiator for sale
- Used Toyota Corolla for sale
Brake Failure Cases
Downshifting early can come in handy if you want to reduce car speed quickly. During life-threatening scenarios like brake failure, you can slow down the car by making downshifts. For smoother operation, downshift according to correct speed range. This should help slow down the car enough to safely pull over by engaging emergency brakes.
Overall, manual transmissions are easier and cheaper to maintain, and they have a certain advantage when it comes to performance and speed. However, this advantage often depends on the driver’s ability and experience. Not to mention, people in the UAE have more choices in automatic due to the general popularity. Check out this diverse collection of used cars for sale in Dubai comprising both manual and automatic vehicles.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blogs for more information on car parts, market trends and automotive technology.
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