Why do cars need gearboxes anyway?
The reason cars have gearboxes is to match the torque (turning force) and speed of the engine to that required by the driving wheels. A gearbox allows the relatively narrow power band of the engine to be matched to the wide speed and load variations of the car. When moving off from rest you need lots of torque but when cruising on the motorway much less is required. Torque and speed are inter-related. If you want more of one it is at the expense of the other. A gearbox performs this balancing act to enable a car to get the most out of its engine. Manual Transmission A manual gearbox consists of discrete sets of cogs of different sizes. These are engaged and disengaged as each gear is selected. If the output shaft of the gearbox turns once for each two revolutions of the engine then the effective torque of the engine is doubled, and so on. In a manual gearbox the drive has to be interrupted in order to change gear. This interruption is provided via the clutch which allows the gears to b
