Why change your Final Drive? – KMP Drivetrain Solutions (2024)

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KMP Drivetrain Solutions / Final Drive / Why change your Final Drive?

  • Author: Timon Alferink

  • 30 Aug 2017

There are multiple reasons why you want to change your final drive. If you have an OEM final drive, you probably want to increase reliability and lifetime. If you already have a motorsport final drive, you probably want to create the perfect gearing for your car and track. Both reasons are highlighted below.

Final Drive Ratio

Choosing your right gearing is all about ‘compromise’. A lower (taller) gear ratio provides a higher top speed, and a higher (shorter) gear ratio provides faster acceleration.. Besides the gears in the transmission, there is also a gear in the rear differential. This is known as the final drive, differential gear, Crown Wheel Pinion (CWP) or ring and pinion.

In the table below you can see the top speed in each gear for different final drive ratio’s. If you want to know the car details such as maximum RPM and gear ratio’s, click .

BMW E92 – DG400 Gearbox

Max. Rpm8000RPM
Wheel R311,5mm
GearPrim.Sec.Ratio
113372,84
215322,13
316281,76
418271,50
521271,28
623261,13
FD11454,10
GearFinal drive ratio
4.104.755.28
1st817063
2nd1089384
3rd130112101
4th153132119
5th179155139
6th203175158
Torque increment0%15,8%28,7%

You can see the reduction of top speed (from 203km/h to 158km/h), while the acceleration torque increases (28,7%). As said before, it’s all about compromises. You are sacrificing either torque for top speed, or top speed for torque.

Motorsport Final Drive

The OEM final drives are designed for the specifications of that specific car. If you are upgrading your car, or increasing engine power, the OEM parts of the drivetrain will have a higher failure risk. Upgrading your drivetrain components is necessary, sincea chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Characteristics of a Motorsport Final Drive

  • Cyclo palloid gear shape
  • Small batches
  • High-grade steel
  • Custom ratio’s
  • More strength in same package size

In the next blog the differences between Gleason, Klingelnberg and Oerlikon gear shapes and manufacturing will be explained. Please comment or share if you would like to read more blog posts on this subject! If you want to find out more technical specification on final drives, please consult the catalog.

Why change your Final Drive? – KMP Drivetrain Solutions (2)

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Why change your Final Drive? – KMP Drivetrain Solutions (2024)

FAQs

What does changing final drive do? ›

Final Drive Ratio

A lower (taller) gear ratio provides a higher top speed, and a higher (shorter) gear ratio provides faster acceleration. . Besides the gears in the transmission, there is also a gear in the rear differential.

What is the purpose of the final drive reduction in the drivetrain? ›

The purpose of the final drive gear assembly is to provide the final stage of gear reduction to decrease RPM and increase rotational torque. Typical final drive ratios can be between 3:1 and 4.5:1.

What is the importance of the final drive? ›

Purpose of Final Drive:

It gears down the speed of the propeller shaft to a suitable road wheel speed, 2. It divides the transmitted torque from the engine between the two driving wheels, 3.

What is the main purpose of the final drive transmit the drive through? ›

It transmits power from the drive shaft to the driving wheels. Some final drives include wet brake systems. Final drives gear down the speed of the propeller shaft to a more suitable road speed. They also expand the torque range depending on gearing.

How do I know if my final drive is bad? ›

Excessive heat is a sign of failure in a final drive motor for a Bobcat or Caterpillar. If water instantly evaporates on touch, there's a problem. This can be the result of hot hydraulic fluid and not necessarily the motor itself. Loud or excessive noise can also be an indicator of a failing final drive motor.

How does the final drive ratio affect performance? ›

If you want faster acceleration, you need a higher ratio rear end, but your top speed will decrease. If you wantva higher top speed, you need a lower ratio rear end, but your rate of acceleration will decrease.

What is the purpose of the final drive for a rear wheel drive? ›

A final drive's main function is to reduce the speed of the propeller shaft by decreasing RPMs and increasing the torque.

How long should a final drive last? ›

And since the both final drives are doing virtually the same amount of work, it's inevitable when one final drive bites the dust, the other side will soon meet the same demise. "It's generally accepted both final drives will fail within six months of each other," says Al Alexander of Conequip Parts.

What are the three types of final drives? ›

The document outlines the main types of final drives including plain bevel, spiral bevel, hypoid spiral bevel, and worm and wheel drives. It provides details on limited slip differentials and some common mechanical and hydraulic types.

What is the final drive in the drivetrain? ›

The final drive is that last part in a machine's powertrain system, and subsequently, the final component for increasing torque through gear reduction or changing the direction of power flow.

What is the final drive in a transmission system? ›

The final drive ratio is the last bit of gearing between your transmission and the driven wheels. By changing it, you can affect the performance of your car, rather dramatically in some cases. In general, a lower final drive ratio will lead to less torque at the wheels but a higher top speed.

Is a final drive the same as a differential? ›

The final drive is a gear train that further reduces the speed of the gearbox output shaft to adapt it to the traction wheels; this gear train is usually inte- grated with a differential mechanism.

What does changing the diff ratio do? ›

Quicker acceleration: A higher differential ratio provides more torque to the wheels at lower speeds, resulting in faster acceleration and improved responsiveness.

What is the best final drive ratio? ›

To find the ideal selection, multiply the final drive ratio by the redline speed in fourth gear (152 mph) and divide that by the top track speed (140 mph). This would yield a theoretical 3.33—which is close enough to the nearest available final drive ratio of 3.36:1.

What does the final drive assembly do? ›

A final drive's main function is to reduce the speed of the propeller shaft by decreasing RPMs and increasing the torque. This all begins when the final drive engine's transmitted torque is split up with the two driving tracks and can turn the final drive at a 90-degree angle.

What does changing gear ratio do? ›

Is it better to have a higher or lower gear ratio? A higher gear ratio is good when you need more acceleration to cruise your vehicle, whereas a lower gear ratio provides more torque to get the vehicle moving from a resting position.

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