Splitting gears

Primarily splitting will be done on grades to keep the engine in power or if you know the most efficient rpm of the motor to get there by gearing instead of changing your speed.

 

Typically people like to drive them like a 13 speed, not splitting the bottom half only the top. When you're in softer dirt like a field or taking off up a hill is when they're real nice.
As for how to split them it's the button/switch on the side of the knob. I can't explain how it works, that's above this hillbillies pay grade.

 

Think about it like this.

If you drive a 9-speed transmission you shift your gears 1 through 9.

An 18 speed is a nine speed that you can split each gear. When you shift gears let's say your RPMs drop 600. If you split the gear the RPMs will only drop half of that which we'll say is 300. It may be 500 / 250 but you get the idea.

So you are pulling a big hill. You want to shift up into the next year but the whole shift the truck would drop too many RPMs and you can't do it. So you stay in the gear you are in and climb up the hill As You Are.

If you split the gear going up the hill then you'll be able to pick up more speed and then split it up again into the next higher gear. In other words because you can split the gears in half it allows you to get more out of the pulling power of the engine.

Same thing if you are climbing a hill and the RPM's begin to decrease. If you drop a whole gear you lose a lot of speed. If you only drop half of the gear you can keep the RPM's up and keep the truck pulling and you can climb the hill faster and get the most out of the pulling power of the engine because you only dropped 300 RPMs rather than 600. That makes a huge difference.

You generally do not Split the low side because usually it is not necessary. Perhaps if you were climbing a very Steep Hill from starting in low gear perhaps you can split them but for the most part on the low side you just don't need to.

This is because the gearing of the truck is such that the lower gears are closer together (in ratio) and as you shift into the higher gears they are spaced out farther.

 

To split gears you need a hydraulic press and hardened tools. Make sure to use a safety box since gear chunks will fly everywhere.

 

He meant to say ‘splitting hairs’ - technically , but I’m not going to do that with you.

 

18 speeds are usually used in heavy haul, where you need to keep a heavy load rolling, and the gear ratio between gears on a 10 speed would be too much to keep the load from getting up to speed.

Think of it like a staircase...a 10 speed would be like a normal staircase. A 13 or 18 would be like having a step half way in between the normal steps. So it would be like a half a step up. If your carrying the mail or a bag a groceries, a regular staircase size step is fine. But if you're carrying a fridge or a piano, the half step staircase would make it easier. But if you had a half step staircase, and you were carrying the mail, you could skip the half step and use the full step. Splitting is like using a half step to climb stairs.

 

1 - You split all your high range gears to take advantage of all the gears you have when loaded.

Usually , once it’s in a hole, and you’re mashing on it, move the splitter - ease off the throttle, you’ll hear it change - then ease back into the throttle.

Same when splitting down.

2 - Usually not necessary unless in an 18 speed , and in off road situation.

 

Well worded.

 

I have driven 7 and 10 speeds my entire career, and just learned a lot from this post. Thanks for that.