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Multiple Reverse Gears

Go really fast in reverse
  (+15, -1)(+15, -1)
(+15, -1)
  [vote for,
against]

No need to explain why this is good, right? Helps you do that trick of getting away from the bad guys by backing down an alley really fast, doing a 180 degree turn and them zooming away. Of course this feature is only available to drivers who have demonstrated their ability do safely execute such maneuvers.
snarfyguy, Aug 17 2001

Tank with 2 Reverse Gears http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/leo2.htm
A german tank, partially porsche-designed, with 2 reverse gears [quarterbaker, Aug 17 2001, last modified Oct 21 2004]

(?) Gear Ratios and Torque http://ucr.entrevis...a1a852569260013f326
Nice explanation of torque and gear ratios [quarterbaker, Aug 17 2001, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Mercedes Benz Unimog http://www.eurotruc...orters.com/mogs.htm
a big military truck with 2 reverse gears [quarterbaker, Aug 17 2001, last modified Oct 21 2004]

DAF variomatic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variomatic
DAF 66 could drive as fast backwards as it could drive forwards. [Buckyman, Mar 29 2008]

1 forward, 0 reverse (unfortunately) http://www.whitehouse.gov/president
[Ander, Apr 03 2008]

[link]






       It was rumored that if you bump-started a particular (very old) motorcycle by rolling it backwards the engine would actually fire up and run in reverse. Then you would have 4 reverse gears and one slow forward gear. Anybody remember what make bike it was?
Dog Ed, Aug 17 2001
  

       a friend of mine rolled his Explorer trying a reverse 180, completely wrecked it, so that's why I'm voting FOR this.
AfroAssault, Aug 17 2001
  

       [Dog Ed]: Any two-stroke engine would do that. Because they have no camshaft or valves, they run just as well backwards as forwards. The old Saab 95 was another candidate.
angel, Aug 17 2001
  

       A very-high end Porsche (maybe a 960??) was produced with 2 reverse gears (and 6 forward gears). I'll try to find a link . . . .   

       The Mercedes-Benz "Unimog" truck has 2 reverse gears.
quarterbaker, Aug 17 2001
  

       Didnt Italian tanks have this in the second world war? Or was that a joke?
Pallex, Aug 17 2001
  

       Early Mazda rotary engines would run in reverse. I did it with a junker RX3. (They disabled this feature by the time the very popular RX7 came to market.) Just get it rolling backwards, put it in 1st, pop the clutch!
MotoMannequin, Aug 17 2001
  

       Re DogEd's - some of the bubble-cars had reversible engines to save the weight/cost of a reverse gear. I think Messerschmitt was one of them, and perhaps Tourette? Offhand I don't really remember. The feature could be disabled so you couldn't reverse at all, and the car was then legal for a 16-year-old to drive. (Not that many would have wanted to, I don't suppose...) By the way another gearbox that could give reverse in any gear was the Cotal - used in the 30s, 40s and 50s on cars such as Delages and Lagondas.
jdw, May 27 2003
  

       Spicer
bristolz, May 27 2003
  

       Re DogEd- certain deisel engines will run backwards, especially Detroits. I discovered this when I lost the key to an old Allis-Chalmers tractor and accidentally hotwired it backwards by reversing the current to the starter. Very interesting sound. Later, a friend told me about the Detroits- he had a woods truck that would occassionally stall in low gear and immediately kick over on the fly wheel and start up running backwards while still in gear. Hmm, that actually ties into the original post, doesn't it?
Alterother, Mar 27 2008
  

       "Of course this feature is only available to drivers who have demonstrated their ability do [sic] safely execute such maneuvers."   

       --Is there ever a "safe" way to execute said maneuvers? Just make it available to any old Joe Schmoe, and let him suffer the consequences of trying to pull this one off next to the docks. I say FOR, but I think it should've been placed under "population control"...
Iidhaegn, Mar 27 2008
  

       Just put in a transfer case like in a 4wd, with the second gearset being a reversing set. Rather easily done, with the added benefit that you will have the same number of forward gears as reverse.   

       Normally the reversing set will reduce the gearing ratio, but there are ways around that.
Custardguts, Mar 27 2008
  

       The Land Rovers (up to Series III) could engage overdrive in any gear, giving a choice of 4 reverse ratios. Some large trucks have a "reverser" lever instead of a separate reverse gear.   

       Some 4-stroke marine diesel engines can be reversed by stopping, changing over the valve timing linkages, then restarting the engine with compressed air. Works fine once the engine is warm.
8th of 7, Mar 27 2008
  

       You don't 'need' miltiple reverse gears, you merely need to place the reversing gear BEFORE the drive gears. simple. (Oh yea, I'M BACK!!!)
BJS, Mar 28 2008
  

       And now, re-introducing [BJS], speciallised subject: "The bleedin' obvious" .....
8th of 7, Mar 29 2008
  

       About a hundred years ago the Ford Model T had an extraordinary gear and pedal arrangement (by todays standards): instead of a kludge it had two pedals - one for going forwards and one for going backwards...it was wonderful if you got stuck in a mud hole on a dirt road!
Hovsada, Apr 01 2008
  

       + oldie but goodie that I haven’t seen before.
xandram, Dec 08 2022
  
      
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