Gear Ratio Useless?

[Celthora]

Shorter gear ratio is supposed to give you more acceleration but this time you stop gas too often to gear up fast so it doesn't make difference. This makes shorter gear ratios useless. I think there must be an update about it or just make some cars better at acceleration, some at top speed, some balanced.
Am I missing something?

[Sam223]

Theres more to it than more acceleration or more top speed.Its really depends on track and car class as its not as simple as shortest<>longest. The gearboxes in game have different final drive and different individual gear ratios over the 5 options.

E.g short box might have longer 1st and 2nd gear than longest box. Or vice versa

[Celthora]

Originally posted by Sam223:

Theres more to it than more acceleration or more top speed.Its really depends on track and car class as its not as simple as shortest<>longest. The gearboxes in game have different final drive and different individual gear ratios over the 5 options.

E.g short box might have longer 1st and 2nd gear than longest box. Or vice versa

I test it and don't see a benefit of short gear in tracks with lots of turns. No matter what longer gear is better in my experience. Longer ratio = Less frequent gear up => Still good accerelation

[Spendy]

Don't forget it also depends on the class the car is in, while max A class might cope using longer gears thus making short gears "useless" lower class cars will struggle for power and will use shorter gears

[Sam223]

Originally posted by Celthora:

Originally posted by Sam223:

Theres more to it than more acceleration or more top speed.Its really depends on track and car class as its not as simple as shortest<>longest. The gearboxes in game have different final drive and different individual gear ratios over the 5 options.

E.g short box might have longer 1st and 2nd gear than longest box. Or vice versa

I test it and don't see a benefit of short gear in tracks with lots of turns. No matter what longer gear is better in my experience. Longer ratio = Less frequent gear up => Still good accerelation

Try again with class C/D and youll notice a bigger difference. As said its not just about acceleration but more about how its geared. E.g you dont want the car to geared longer than is physically possible on the track. But you also dont want to be racing in 4th and end up having to change to 5th just before turn entry on longest straight.

Really depends on track,car etc and not just as simple as accelerate fast or high top speed.

[4speed318]

I always use the shortest gears possible on a given track car combo
it is much much easier to keep the car in the power band,
longer gears than required often cause the car to bog down

[Headbanger]

simple really, choose a gear set that suits, or don't.

If your running auto or not really interested in efficiency on a track by track basis or staying in the power band then it won't make any difference.

On a side note, it can give you a jump on the field at the start, But if you go too short you will top out on some of the longer straights.

[IamTheSenateX]

yeah, same for me. It seems like shorter gears is even slower on acceleration than longer because of shifting time

[CunkFeatures]

Originally posted by Celthora:

Shorter gear ratio is supposed to give you more acceleration but this time you stop gas too often to gear up fast so it doesn't make difference. This makes shorter gear ratios useless.

Pretty much... yet some cars have 4 gears, some have many. So low in a 6 gear would take years to get through. A 4 gear would use all the rev range at low.

You just need to find the sweet spot for each car.