Transaxle gear ratios

Mike-Presley · Post by **Mike-Presley** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:05 am

Anyone know how to tell what gears and gear ratio I have in my buggy and bug. Something like jacking one wheel up and turning it or the engine. What's the real process and any formulas. Thanks

1856 · Post by **1856** » Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:04 am

Mike, makes sense assuming 4th gear is 1:1.
MnC

vwmanx · Post by **vwmanx** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:50 pm

To determine the ring and pinion ratio, pull the drain plug out and drain your fluid. .Jack up the car so that one tire is touching the ground. while looking up in the drain hole (you have to be right under the drain plug so make sure it is well drained), rotate the tire and watch the gear turn until you find one that has a landmark (scribed in numbers, a chip...whatever) and start counting teeth as you rotate the tire.
35 teeth: 4:37
33 teeth::4:12
31 teeth: 3.88

Do you have a Swing axle or an IRS transmission?
The gear ratios for both are relatively easy to find on the samba and other sites. In some instances the transmission will have a code stamped on the side of it and you might be able to determine ratios from that code by cross referencing it to waht type of car it came from.
This is of course dependent on whether or not it was modified or taken apart at some point.

Mike-Presley · Post by **Mike-Presley** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:42 pm

Thanks, my IRS has the code numbers but it is from a trans shop that went out of business. My swing axle doesn't have the code, just a 6 digit number stamped in its place.