At 12:35 PM 11/16/99 -0500, you wrote:
> <snip> It told me I had an axle ratio of 3.92. Is this
>good? Bad? Or Indifferent?
It depends on what type of driving you do most of the time.
The 3.92 is good if you're towing a lot or putting load on your
engine a lot or want to accelerate quickly at the low end
(street/strip racing). Not so good if you do mainly highway
driving because, at any specific mph, your engine will be reving
a bit higher...using a bit more gas and having a bit more
wear.
> <snip> It also said I had a lock torque converter. <snip>
A torque converter on an auto. is basically what the clutch is
to a manual. It lets the engine idle but still keep the
vehicle motionless while it is in gear. It also lets the
tranny be shifted without disrupting the power flow to the
drive wheels.
A lockup converter greatly improves mileage, reduces tranny
temperatures and improves top-end acceleration. Converter
lockup is what happens after a tranny shifts into high gear
and the throttle is cruise level. When the converter is
locked, the tranny is mechanically coupled to the engine,
overriding the fluid coupling.
Bob. Southern Ontario, Canada.
'97 Dakota CC Sport, FR, 5.2L, 3.55 SG, auto.
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