I Hate The 4 - 5 Gear Ratio Gap!
Feb 22, 2014, 05:17 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Ramon, CA
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I Hate The 4 - 5 Gear Ratio Gap!
I do not have a Mitsubishi EVO, and am currently driving a Porsche Cayman S. I test drove an EVO X GSR, and liked it. But what I absolutely hated was the giant gap in gear ratios between 4th and 5th. It is like I skipped a gear on the way to 5th. Fact is, that is pretty much exactly what it feels like vs the Cayman's 6 speed.
EVO X: RPM drop from 4th - 5th = 30.6%
Cayman: RPM drop from 4th - 6th = 27.4%
Cayman: RPM drop from 3rd - 5th = 31.0%
I know one can change the final drive to relax cruising rpm, and I know the EVOs lower ratios are relatively close, but just found that 4th - 5th gap quite annoying. If felt like I dropped into overdrive, even if the engine was spinning near 2800 rpm at 60. A BMW E36 M3 I had used a 5 speed box, and slightly more relaxed cruising rpm, and did not have the big gap between 4th - 5th as the EVO does. It can be done, but maybe the EVO ratios are close in the lower gears to keep the engine on boost and changing the ratios may harm performance. ???
Is there any aftermarket options for gearbox ratio changes. I really prefer the manual to the MR?
Thanks.
Phil
EVO X: RPM drop from 4th - 5th = 30.6%
Cayman: RPM drop from 4th - 6th = 27.4%
Cayman: RPM drop from 3rd - 5th = 31.0%
I know one can change the final drive to relax cruising rpm, and I know the EVOs lower ratios are relatively close, but just found that 4th - 5th gap quite annoying. If felt like I dropped into overdrive, even if the engine was spinning near 2800 rpm at 60. A BMW E36 M3 I had used a 5 speed box, and slightly more relaxed cruising rpm, and did not have the big gap between 4th - 5th as the EVO does. It can be done, but maybe the EVO ratios are close in the lower gears to keep the engine on boost and changing the ratios may harm performance. ???
Is there any aftermarket options for gearbox ratio changes. I really prefer the manual to the MR?
Thanks.
Phil
Feb 25, 2014, 09:46 AM
#3
Newbie
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
After owning my evo for a week, I've noticed that too. Driving at about 60 and the rpms at around 4100, then shifting to 5, the rpms drop slightly below 3k. I'm thinking i have to be like at 70 to be at a decent rpm range in fifth but i usually dont drive to 70 lol
Feb 25, 2014, 11:56 AM
#4
Newbie
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Morrow Georgia
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I noticed that also. I have a E36 M3 and had to get familiar with that on the Evo. When I first drove the Evo I accidentally went into 3rd instead of 5th a couple of times. I then would consciously make sure I was moving the shift-lever far enough to get into 5th. After driving the car for a few weeks, I'm much more used to it now and shift into 5th much faster and smoother.
Feb 25, 2014, 12:47 PM
#5
Evolved Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 1,334
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I noticed that also. I have a E36 M3 and had to get familiar with that on the Evo. When I first drove the Evo I accidentally went into 3rd instead of 5th a couple of times. I then would consciously make sure I was moving the shift-lever far enough to get into 5th. After driving the car for a few weeks, I'm much more used to it now and shift into 5th much faster and smoother.
Only reading the thread title will do that lol.
Feb 25, 2014, 08:45 PM
#6
Newbie
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Feb 26, 2014, 05:07 AM
#7
Newbie
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Morrow Georgia
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok, I think I'm more confused by what you just typed.
Trending Topics
Feb 26, 2014, 11:59 AM
#10
Feb 27, 2014, 11:42 PM
#11
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Ramon, CA
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am the OP and would have thought the word "ratio" in the thread title would have made it clear that the topic was about ratios.
On another note, I checked Shep's options and there is a taller final drive ratio as well as another 5th gear ratio which closes the gargantuan gap between 4th and 5th.
1) Change final drive ratio = lower cruising rpm but 4 - 5 gap is unchanged.
2) Change 5th gear = fixes big 4 - 5 gap, but even higher cruising rpm. Yikes!
3) Change final drive ratio AND 5th gear = fixes big 4 - 5 gap, but about same high cruising rpm as stock.
Bottom line, if one likes the closely spaced ratios of the first four gears, you can't have a close 4 - 5 gap AND decent cruising rpm. There needs to be a reasonable ratio spread between 1st gear and top gear, and 5 speeds is not enough to do that without spacing out the ratios (and losing the close spacing of 1 - 4 that the EVO has), or making the gearing taller everywhere with resultant heavy clutch slip on a start. It needs 6 speeds! The current 5 speed is the worst of both worlds, annoyingly high cruising rpm and a Grand Canyon like gap between 4th and 5th. This alone is close to a deal killer for me.
Phil
On another note, I checked Shep's options and there is a taller final drive ratio as well as another 5th gear ratio which closes the gargantuan gap between 4th and 5th.
1) Change final drive ratio = lower cruising rpm but 4 - 5 gap is unchanged.
2) Change 5th gear = fixes big 4 - 5 gap, but even higher cruising rpm. Yikes!
3) Change final drive ratio AND 5th gear = fixes big 4 - 5 gap, but about same high cruising rpm as stock.
Bottom line, if one likes the closely spaced ratios of the first four gears, you can't have a close 4 - 5 gap AND decent cruising rpm. There needs to be a reasonable ratio spread between 1st gear and top gear, and 5 speeds is not enough to do that without spacing out the ratios (and losing the close spacing of 1 - 4 that the EVO has), or making the gearing taller everywhere with resultant heavy clutch slip on a start. It needs 6 speeds! The current 5 speed is the worst of both worlds, annoyingly high cruising rpm and a Grand Canyon like gap between 4th and 5th. This alone is close to a deal killer for me.
Phil
Last edited by PSM3; Feb 27, 2014 at 11:46 PM.
Feb 28, 2014, 07:51 AM
#13
Newbie
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Naperville, Il
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Feb 28, 2014, 03:37 PM
#14
I am the OP and would have thought the word "ratio" in the thread title would have made it clear that the topic was about ratios.
On another note, I checked Shep's options and there is a taller final drive ratio as well as another 5th gear ratio which closes the gargantuan gap between 4th and 5th.
1) Change final drive ratio = lower cruising rpm but 4 - 5 gap is unchanged.
2) Change 5th gear = fixes big 4 - 5 gap, but even higher cruising rpm. Yikes!
3) Change final drive ratio AND 5th gear = fixes big 4 - 5 gap, but about same high cruising rpm as stock.
Bottom line, if one likes the closely spaced ratios of the first four gears, you can't have a close 4 - 5 gap AND decent cruising rpm. There needs to be a reasonable ratio spread between 1st gear and top gear, and 5 speeds is not enough to do that without spacing out the ratios (and losing the close spacing of 1 - 4 that the EVO has), or making the gearing taller everywhere with resultant heavy clutch slip on a start. It needs 6 speeds! The current 5 speed is the worst of both worlds, annoyingly high cruising rpm and a Grand Canyon like gap between 4th and 5th. This alone is close to a deal killer for me.
Phil
On another note, I checked Shep's options and there is a taller final drive ratio as well as another 5th gear ratio which closes the gargantuan gap between 4th and 5th.
1) Change final drive ratio = lower cruising rpm but 4 - 5 gap is unchanged.
2) Change 5th gear = fixes big 4 - 5 gap, but even higher cruising rpm. Yikes!
3) Change final drive ratio AND 5th gear = fixes big 4 - 5 gap, but about same high cruising rpm as stock.
Bottom line, if one likes the closely spaced ratios of the first four gears, you can't have a close 4 - 5 gap AND decent cruising rpm. There needs to be a reasonable ratio spread between 1st gear and top gear, and 5 speeds is not enough to do that without spacing out the ratios (and losing the close spacing of 1 - 4 that the EVO has), or making the gearing taller everywhere with resultant heavy clutch slip on a start. It needs 6 speeds! The current 5 speed is the worst of both worlds, annoyingly high cruising rpm and a Grand Canyon like gap between 4th and 5th. This alone is close to a deal killer for me.
Phil
