Originally posted by Horatio
Going up 5 teeth from a 22 tooth pinion to a 27 tooth on a TC3 using a stock 72 tooth spur:
= 1:8.18 (with 22 pinion) to 1:6.67 (with 27 pinion)
1:6.67 being a higher ratio than 1:8.18
Last time I checked, 6.67 is NUMERICALY LOWER than 8.18.
Not sure where you are from, but due to your venacular, I would say outside of the US. Many people in the US deal with gearing at numericaly higher or lower.
Your interpretation is that a ratio of 2:1 versus 4:1, 4:1 is a lower ratio of the first part. This is more applied to fluids and batch mixing. For example, if you mix two liquids in ratios of 2:1 and 4:1, the 4:1 batch would have a lower ratio of the first fluid in relation to the second fluid.
This is the source of confusion you refer to, which is why many people refer to gear ratios numericaly. I would recomend that someone running a 7:1 final drive, to gear down to a 6.50:1 final drive. Refering to the numerical component, and not the relationship between the two numbers.