What's so great about a dog-leg gearbox?
Discussion
Excuse my ignorance, but I was browsing E30's and a thought just occurred to me. What is so great about the dog-leg gearboxes? I think they look quite cool in an unusual sort of way but can't see any other reason for them.
I'm not the most mechanically minded person though, so I'm sure there is an engineering point I am missing!
I'm not the most mechanically minded person though, so I'm sure there is an engineering point I am missing!
as a first reply, and with my limited understanding, it is just for convenience. You only need 1st for standing starts and with 1st tucked away it is as if you have a normal 4 speed box. Also a guess, but dog leg boxes only seemed to be about shortly after 4 speed was surplanted by 5 speed.
However, in an old Merc work van the dog leg first was a b
h and needed all the time, especially when fully loaded (the 200k plus on the clock didnt help either!).
Someone with much more knowledge than me will be along shortly.
Peter
ETA: and crap, after that first line I wasn't even the first reply!
However, in an old Merc work van the dog leg first was a b
h and needed all the time, especially when fully loaded (the 200k plus on the clock didnt help either!).Someone with much more knowledge than me will be along shortly.
Peter
ETA: and crap, after that first line I wasn't even the first reply!
Edited by Peter_1980 on Tuesday 25th August 14:37
As previously stated, keeps 1st out of the way.
In my E21, the ratios were all slightly shorter too to add to the sporty pretence. As I was doing high mileage at the time I swapped it out for a conventional 5 speed to up the mpg (and so that I could hear the radio on the motorway).
It certainly wakes you up in the morning for the first few weeks when you try to pull out of a junction backwards!
When I broke the car for parts I sold off the dog-leg box for £350 and the conventional one for £80 so there is some cash value attached to them as parts too.
In my E21, the ratios were all slightly shorter too to add to the sporty pretence. As I was doing high mileage at the time I swapped it out for a conventional 5 speed to up the mpg (and so that I could hear the radio on the motorway).
It certainly wakes you up in the morning for the first few weeks when you try to pull out of a junction backwards!
When I broke the car for parts I sold off the dog-leg box for £350 and the conventional one for £80 so there is some cash value attached to them as parts too.
In my experience the one time you don't want to fluff a gearchange is off the line at the start of a race, and that's precisely when a dog-legged box gets in the way, with that awkward change from 1st to 2nd. I've been racing such a box for the first time this year, and in the nine races I've done I missed the change into second more than half the time...
However, yes, once you get going it's great because you've got an H pattern of the four gears you use the most. On balance, I'd stick with the dog-leg for racing.
I've never driven such a box on the road, but I should imagine its awesome on a flowing B road, but a right pain in town or in stop start driving. Whilst I prefer straight cut boxes to synchro mesh fluffy ones, I'll keep dog-legs for the track I think
However, yes, once you get going it's great because you've got an H pattern of the four gears you use the most. On balance, I'd stick with the dog-leg for racing.
I've never driven such a box on the road, but I should imagine its awesome on a flowing B road, but a right pain in town or in stop start driving. Whilst I prefer straight cut boxes to synchro mesh fluffy ones, I'll keep dog-legs for the track I think
I had two BMW 323is with dogleg boxes. The main difference between the two boxes offered on these cars was the dogleg 1st gear box was a close ratio box with 5th a direct 1-1 ratio as in 4 speed boxes. the other 5 speed box had 5th on the dogleg and had 5th as an overdrive like normal 5 speeders do now.
matchmaker said:
mrmr96 said:
Doesn't it make the 2-3 and 3-2 shifts faster/easier?
In competition you'd only use 1st gear to move off, so it makes sense to put it out of the way the rest of the time.eldar said:
hugo a gogo said:
either a box to go in the back of your estate car/pick up to carry your four-legged friend - or a non-syncromesh gearbox
Don't think synchro has anything to do with it, its the shift pattern. Unless I'm takling bollix, of course.http://www.carbibles.com/transmission_bible.html
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