[Vwdiesel] payload capacity

[Erik Lane]

On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 10:17 AM, Chris Geiser <cfgeiser at gmail.com> wrote:
> I bet my stock vanagon would get to 70 if it were geared differently.... To get the full diesel vanagon experience, put a Jetta or rabbit diesel in 3rd gear, stop using 4th and 5th, and drive around for a few days... That's what limits the diesel vanagons.
>
>
> Chris


The gearing makes a difference, but you have a little engine pushing a
van. There's a lot of weight and wind resistance.

Wind resistance is the greatest factor in performance at highway
speeds, I believe. Rolling resistance would also play a part. (This is
all assuming flat and level.)

Once you start climbing hills then the extra weight of the vanagon
will come into play more.

But either way, even if you had 20 gears to choose from, you'd be
limited to the amount of power that can be put to the wheels by a
little 48hp motor. A much smaller car using the same engine with less
weight and wind resistance will not act the same, no matter which gear
you choose to use.

All that said, I always wanted a little taller 4th gear and then a
gear between 3rd and 4th. That would have been a beautiful improvement
on gear choices for the diesel vanagon. That would have definitely
improved choices, especially for those hills where 3rd gear was maxed
out, but 4th just wasn't an option. On a two lane highway forcing
people behind me to only go 35-40 did not make for happy drivers
behind me.

Erik