Because, technically speaking, an 18 speed is just an 8 speed with power dividers.
1L, 1H, 2L, 2H, 3L, 3H, etc up to 8L, and 8H.
So where it gets interesting is low and reverse. Observe:
The gear shift only has 6 positions: R 1, 3 on top, and L, 2, 4 on the bottom. Then you flip the range selector to High and then the gear shift becomes: R-High, 5 7 and Low-High, 6, 8.
But there’s also a power divider on the shift, usually thumb activated that further divides those gears.
Which means Reverse can be split again… But so can reverse High. So you wind up with Reverse, Reverse High, then reverse High low and Reverse high high
And Low becomes even funnier: Because you can split low into low and low low, and low high into low high low…
But what’s even more interesting is that generally, gear ratio of Low high and 4 are very close, almost identical.
I don’t drive any more, but I’d start 18-speeds in 3rd and hit every 2nd gear on the way up
Sooo: 2-Low?
Because, technically speaking, an 18 speed is just an 8 speed with power dividers.
1L, 1H, 2L, 2H, 3L, 3H, etc up to 8L, and 8H.
So where it gets interesting is low and reverse. Observe:
The gear shift only has 6 positions: R 1, 3 on top, and L, 2, 4 on the bottom. Then you flip the range selector to High and then the gear shift becomes: R-High, 5 7 and Low-High, 6, 8.
But there’s also a power divider on the shift, usually thumb activated that further divides those gears.
Which means Reverse can be split again… But so can reverse High. So you wind up with Reverse, Reverse High, then reverse High low and Reverse high high
And Low becomes even funnier: Because you can split low into low and low low, and low high into low high low…
But what’s even more interesting is that generally, gear ratio of Low high and 4 are very close, almost identical.
3L