General Motors and Ford got together and created a new ten-speed rear-drive transmission that’s an amazing feat of engineering and automotive technology. Ford was the leader in the creation of this transmission and the pair are putting this new drivetrain into vehicles from both brands for the future. General Motors will be the lead on the new front-drive transmission, which will be a nine-speed automatic. What you need to know about this new collaboration will make you want to pick up a great new vehicle with this awesome transmission in place after you learn more about it.
More than Just Ratios – With the number of speeds offered you might think the ratios would be some of the widest in the business, but that’s not the case at all. While there is a wide ratio from first to tenth with 7.384 as the span, there are at least five others that have a wider span of the ratios offered during the drive.
Closer and Smaller – Because the ratios are closer and the gear steps are smaller, ten gears makes it possible to have the right spread to make a difference in the overall drive of any vehicle the transmission is in. This means there is a lower drop when down shifting to make a much smoother overall transition.
EcoBoost V6 Standard – This new transmission will come as the standard equipment with the F-150 that has the EcoBoost V6 engine. This is the transmission that will provide you with the low speed power you need and the shifts you’re looking for to provide you with the feel and drive you know will be perfect for you to enjoy on the road.
Small Weight Change –Even though there are more gears, this transmission is barely heavier than the current six-speed transmissions on the market. The use of four planetary gearsets makes it possible for the weight to stay lower. This is a huge benefit to the drive for you when you want more shifting and not a lot of added weight. The weight increase comes out to only four pounds.
Hydraulic Sophistication – This transmission uses two hydraulic pumps that make a huge difference in your drive. The main pump offers an off axis design with variable displacement which helps to reduce the overall length of the transmission. The second pump provides the idle-stop capability. These two are able to give this transmission the drive needed without using a lot of power.
Fluid is Critical – The transmission fluid used for this new transmission is called Mercon ULV and has the lowest viscosity on the market today. This fluid makes it possible to have the two levels of high-efficiency needed. This new fluid is also expected to last the life of the transmission, take away the need to have a fluid change at any time in your ownership.
Fast Shifting – With this new Chevrolet and Ford transmission in the vehicle you choose the shifting will be fast and smooth to make it better than ever for you to have the shifts you need. This is due to the small step ratios and the six clutches that are perfectly engaged and disengaged to be right for your driving enjoyment of any vehicle that has this transmission.
Shifts with Lowe Friction – This new transmission is so efficient there is almost no mechanical friction at all. This transmission uses special washers and bearings to offer lower the friction and even the clutches have small springs that push the plates apart to help avoid the drag that happens inside the transmission case.
Not for the Fuel Efficiency – This new transmission will be used in a variety of vehicles, but mostly in higher powered performance models such as the F-150 from Ford and the Camaro ZL1 from Chevrolet. The priority with these vehicles isn’t in bringing about better fuel mileage, but we won’t know for sure until this transmission is used on more models.
This new ten-speed rear-drive transmission is impressive and the nine-speed will be awesome for the FWD models when it arrives. If given the chance, you should have a vehicle with this new transmission attached to the engine of your Ford or Chevrolet model to enjoy the added performance it will provide for you.
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