Tag: Transmission

One of the cool things about 3D printers is that you can use them to make just about anything you can dream up. An engineer named Eric Harrell used his 3D printer to make all the components needed for a scale model of a Toyota 22RE engine back in January. His next project was a logical step in the 3D printing of Toyota drive components with the making of a 5-speed manual transmission.

There is a huge difference between most automatic transmissions that have a torque converter and paddle shifters and the dual-clutch automatics with paddle shifters featured on many European sports cars. A paddle shift automatic in a Ford product, like the Taurus SHO, needs about 1000 RPM to shift a gear making for a very annoying driving experience.

While driving off-road can be a lot of fun, it can also be a challenging and dangerous activity, especially if you’re not a skilled 4×4 driver. Well thanks to some cool technology in Toyota’s trucks you can rest a little easier when driving off-road or in challenging terrain. I recently had an opportunity to test out a couple of Toyota’s trucks with their new five-speed CRAWL control, a technology which helps drivers focus on steering while off-road, increasing safety and driving efficiency in difficult terrain. At the center of the system is the ability for the vehicle to automatically regulate engine speed and braking force, while all the driver needs to do is turn the wheel. 

We talk about a lot of cool LEGO projects around here. Typically, these projects give you no idea of all the hard work that went into actually building the finished product. However, a really cool LEGO supercar has surfaced – dubbed the Vampire GT supercar, and the builder offered up some insight into how he pulled it off.

The manual transmission has been slowly falling out of favor with many drivers. In days past, two groups of people opted for manual transmission, the enthusiast and people looking for overall fuel economy. With automatic transmissions often delivering better fuel economy today thanks to more forward speeds, the main supporter of the manual transmission is now the automotive enthusiast.

If you’ve ever been stranded somewhere with zero reception, then you’re one of the millions who will appreciate the Spray-On Antenna system that Chamtech has developed.

SoundPads by Sonic Impact are stickable little pads that “convert any thin-walled high-transmission surface into permanent stereo speakers.” That means you can stick these guys on a door, cabinet, table, box, desk, or even a poster- and have insta-speakers. The site gives you fair warning that once these are stuck, they aren’t coming unstuck.