Power to the wheels (transmission/gearbox)

Things can sometimes be complicated when you hear gearbox in some quarters and transmission in another. People are often left wondering, what on earth does this thing do and how does it function? Transmission or ‘Tranny’ (as my American friends will call it) is a major powerhouse in any vehicle.

It is relied upon to ensure that power generated by the engine or electric motor (as it applies to the electric vehicles) is delivered as necessary to the wheels, to propel the vehicles.

A transmission system is a system that connects to the back of the engine offering power from the engine to the wheels. The system uses the power created in the engine to keep the wheels spinning and keep the engine within certain revolutions per minute range. The arrangement of the transmission system and where it sits is dependent on whether the car is all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive.

 

Basic components of a transmission system

Clutch: The clutch is the part of the car which connects two or more rotating shafts. In a manual transmission car, the clutch controls the connection between the shaft coming from the engine and the shafts which turns the wheels, when the clutch is not pressed, the connection between the engine and gearbox is engaged, when you press the clutch pedal, it disengages this connection and allows you to change the gear. It is only found in manual transmission. The clutch pedal on the floor to the left of the brake pedal.

Gearbox: The gearbox is the second stage in the transmission system, after clutch, it is usually bolted to the rear of the engine. It is a transmission device which is used between engine’s output shaft and the final drive to transfer required torque and power to the wheels of the vehicle, a gearbox consists of the set of gears i.e. spur, helical, bevel, worm and epicycle, depending on the type of gearbox used.

Transfer case: A transfer case is a part of the drivetrain of four-wheel-drive, all-wheel- drive and other multiple powered axle vehicles. The transfer case transfers power from the transmission to the front and rear axles employing drive shafts. It splits power from the engine 50/50 to both the rear and front axles by the way of the front and rear drive shafts.

Propeller shaft and universal joints: Propeller shaft and universal joints are present on most rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles. A universal joint is a mechanical joint used for connecting shafts that rotate and are aligned at different angles to each other. A propeller shaft is also known as a drive shaft.

Final drive:  This is that part of the transmission system between the driveshaft and the differential. Its function is to change the direction of the power transmitted by the drive shaft through 90 degrees to the driving axles.

 

Differential

The differential is part of the front and or rear-axle assembly. The axle is the central shaft that the wheels on the vehicle rotate around; it is designed to drive a pair of wheels while allowing them to rotate at different speeds.

Torque tubes: The torque tube transmits this force by directly coupling the axle differential to the transmission and therefore propels the car forward by pushing on the engine/transmission and then through the engine mounts to the car frames.

Road wheel: This is the wheel of a vehicle that transmits force, transforming torque into tractive force from the tyres to the road, causing the vehicle to move. The rim is the outer edge of the wheel holding the tyre.

 

Types of transmission system

Manual transmission system: Manual transmissions are sometimes called stick-shift or standard transmissions. It is a type of system in which the driver has to manually change the gear ratio setting by using the gear stick inside the car. It is the oldest type of transmission still in use and its simplicity has guaranteed its relevance over time. There are two types of manual transmissions, which are the constant-mesh gearbox, sequential manual transmission, unsynchronized transmission

Automatic transmission system: This type of transmission system started showing up on passenger cars in the early 1940s, sold as a safety feature. It is also called auto or self-shifting transmission, n-speed automatic or AT.  It is a type of motor vehicle transmission that automatically changes the gear ratio as the vehicle moves, meaning the driver does not have to shift the gear manually. Rather than utilizing a clutch, an automatic transmission uses a torque converter. This is a fluid coupling which utilizes a separate pump and turbine spinning in opposite directions within the converter itself, allowing the engine to spin independently of the transmission. Most manual transmissions used to be more fuel-efficient than automatics, recent automatic transmissions are changing that notion; they achieve better fuel economy now. There are four types of automatic transmission system. These are conventional automated transmission, automated manual transmission, dual-clutch transmission and continuously variable transmission.

Conventional automated transmission (at): In this type of transmission system due to the controlled oil pressure in a conventional automated gearbox, the gear speed is switched to a higher gear speed. As soon as the car slows down, the gearbox returns to a lower gear and when the car stops, the gearbox automatically switches back to the lowest gear.

 

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