Best time to change gear (rpm)

[hosking1991]

best time to change gear is wen the fully hetic shift light comes on yo

[Michael]

Lol I wouldn't try it, I'm pretty sure I would end up in tears haha and If I ever did I wouldn't video it cause that'd be embarrassing

I'll search the net now for you.

[MR22ZZ]

Michael, have a run on a dyno. The RPM where you have achieved max torque, is a great gearshift point, 'cause anything after that is just noise.

cheers Chuck.

interesting theory... care to try it out on my car... you'd be making high 15s to low 16s if you did while I'll be in the mid 14s

For a 4A-GE the best shift point is as close to the rev limitter as you can get, as others have stated. They are a free reving engine and have all their power up top so you need to keep the revs as high as possible.

[Michael]

I cant find the information you want anywhere enchanter.

Blue_Stivo so you think the more revs the better pretty much?

[MR22ZZ]

for a 4A-GE, absolutely.

Every dyno I've seen for one, they make power pretty much to the limitter, peak torque is @ ~6000RPM. So what you want to do is change gears so your rev's aren't far from 6000 at the end each change. That's where the bight of the engine is and the engine will pick up it's speed better from that point.

[Michael]

I've never given the car that many rev's, but I'm curious to see how hard it goes just hope it doesn't blow up haha

[BeRad]

4age's just love the abuse they just rev and rev and rev they seem to be able to breath still up high, but i thought toyota put a revlimiter in there to tell u wen to change gears.

[-GT-]

Just make sure the engine is well looked after and warmed up before exploring this new region of revs, and cooled down properly after as well. We don't want you making another thread tomorrow about the strange new noises your engine makes.

[Michael]

Cooled down after?

[Enchanter]

If you have given it an absoulute flogging and is quite hot on the guage (as mine was after a few laps of Symmons plains) just let it idle for a few minutes before turning it off.

Oh and dont be scared of flogging the engine, its built for it. Just dont do it until its warm.

[Michael]

Oh yea I get what u mean, Im not too worried I heard corolla engines are pretty bullet proof but knowing my luck something will happen haha

[Enchanter]

ok, from wikipedia
103kw @ 7200
149nm @4800

So entering this data in cartest it came up with ....

16.2 qtr
0-100 8.8 sec

Optimum shift points 7800rpm (I guessed this is its redline) in 1st, 2nd and 3rd. 4th and 5th werent calculated, probably due to lack of power at that speed (well over 200kph)

Nurburgring 10min 17sec
Laguna Seca 2min 25sec

I did change the wheels to 185/60/15 from the prevous 175/65/14 though

[Cuzzo]

You should be able to feel it when you reach those rpms often.... id say around 7 ish would be best.

[EldarO]

the ideal time to shift is when the torque curve of the next gear is at the same torque of the gear below it.

as most cars will drop off after 5-6K, the next gear will usually start at 4K ish.

so best to go a little past the torque curve, so that when you shift, your smack bang at the start of it in the next gear.

Elmo.

[Roundy]

the ideal time to shift is when the torque curve of the next gear is at the same torque of the gear below it.

bingo, it is all about torque to the wheels!

it is only worth shifting when the torque to the wheels is going to be the same as the gear you are currently in (or redline, whichever comes first)

i know for my car redline is the best point due to a relatively flat torque curve from 4k - 7.2k

where as a stock GT4 is around 6-6.5 for the optimum shift point due to the torque dropping off up high

Cheers
Nathan