Different Types Of Gear Transmissions

Driving a car is an excellent experience but the mechanics behind it is equally amazing. For a smooth drive, a driver of the car has to learn a perfect combination between the clutch, gear and accelerator. It all might seem easy but the slightest out of proportion can bring the car to a halt. However, today there are various gear transmissions available that elevate the driving experience. Each of these transmissions has its own benefits and drawbacks. The mechanics will sound confusing and magical to a lot of people around but the mechanics behind is fairly simple and easy.

Let’s dive into understanding how the properly gear transmission function and what makes them stand out from one another. 

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• Manual Transmission – 

This transmission type is one of the oldest and the simplest transmission which is still in use and is trusted by many. This gearbox functions using a friction clutch that’s been modulated by the driver’s foot to establish a connection between the engine’s rotational energy to the transmission’s input shaft. It is here, where a fixed set of gears are placed using a syncro and gear-selector fork, which is connected to the shifter. This shifter is adjusted by the driver by the right hand or the left hand, based on the country they’re in.

Over the years they’re given various names, such as stick shift, manual, three, four, five, or six-speed, or standard. This age-old gear transmission is slowly been replaced with automatic shift gear as many are finding it difficult to handle. As the demand is constantly decreasing, manufacturers are making fewer models with the manual gear shift. 

Despite its blurry future, the manual gear shift has got quite a lot of advantages over other gear transmissions. To begin with, the gear shift mostly likely needs less expensive repairs and in case there is a problem, it’s easy and cheaper to fix. 

For ages, the manual gear shift was the only choice when it comes to performance. So much so that even the race cars were equipped with one. However, in recent years, the manual gear shift is slowly been dominated by the semi-auto or dual-clutch transmission in most high-end cars. Nonetheless, it is still difficult to beat the manual gear’s performance with anything else. The same can be said when it comes to fuel efficiency. Those who have been using manual gear shift will vouch for the excellent fuel efficiency it provides. Automatics, now, can narrow the gap with their ever-increasing gear count. 

• Automatic Transmission – 

Automatic gear transmission is the most commonly used gear transmission after the manual. Most car manufacturers roll out cars with automatic gears. This gear transmission uses a highly complex torque converter to transmit the engine’s rotational energy. This happens when the gear shifts are managed by the car’s computer and achieved with a planetary gear set along with a series of clutches and brakes. 

However, the mechanics are quite complex. The driver has to choose from P-R-N-D-L on the gear selector. Its advantage is that it simplifies the driving experience and eases the car learning experience. The major drawback is the complexity that makes the automatic cars prone to issues and repair work is costlier. 

Despite how easy this get, automatic cars can’t match up to the manual transmission for performance and fuel efficiency. In some selective previous cars, there were eight and even nine forward gears. 

• Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) 

CVT or Continuously Variable Transmission has quite a similar driving experience as the automatic. However, the mechanism is different. The major difference is the missing gears. Yes, it doesn’t have gears at all. Instead, it uses a system of belts and pulleys to generate an infinite range of ratios. The pulleys are controls by the car’s computer. It decided how to adjust the pulleys to create the optimal ratio for the provided driving situation. This gives its first advantage – fuel efficiency. No other transmission can provide more mileage per litter than CVT, as of yet. 

CVT is less complex than automatics making it less prone to issues and failure like automatic, as well less costly to repair. Though they’re fuel-efficient, the major drawback is the driving experience. The lack of gear shift doesn’t give a smooth drive experience to the driving enthusiast. It would make them feel as if they’re operating an appliance instead. 

• Semi-Automatic & Dual-Clutch Transmission:

Take this as a hybrid car between a fully automatic and manual transmission. A semi-automatic or dual-clutch transmission uses a similar mechanic layout to a conventional transmission but uses a system of pneumatics and actuators to change gears. In this transmission, there are two different clutches for odd and even gears. This allows for incredibly fast shifts. This gearbox can easily be operated in a fully automatic mode or a manual mode through paddles on the steering wheel. 

The semi-auto transmission provides cutting-edge performance with quick gear changes that even a complete manual fails to offer. Presently, these gearboxes are available only on race and high-end sports car, thus making them expensive for the general public. The major disadvantage is its complexity and high-end repair cost.