Shifting a rucksell

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Shifting a rucksell
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ronnie wehba on Wednesday, August 06, 2014 - 08:04 pm:

What is the best way to shift my 25tt with a rucksell rear axle


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By george house on Wednesday, August 06, 2014 - 08:54 pm:

Howdy Ronnie,
The best way to shift your 25 TT Ruckstell is the way I shift my '25 C Cab w/ a Ruckstell: When you 'feel' your engine lug down on a hill or one of those Sweetwater mountains, use your left foot to go into neutral and firmly pull back on the shift lever and you'll hear a 'click' so take your left foot off the clutch pedal and go into Model T high and you'll 'feel' the Ruckstell enabling a smooth hill climb. Give it the gas and drive it like you stole it. Then when you get on level ground again, retard the gas and firmly push the Ruckstell shifter forward. Power will precipitously drop but forward speed will increase.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Gumbinger, Kenosha, WI on Wednesday, August 06, 2014 - 10:23 pm:

To add to what George said above, always shift a Ruckstell when the T or TT is moving forward, never backwards or when stopped.

Keith


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Wednesday, August 06, 2014 - 10:44 pm:

Yes, and also never when the engine is pushing or pulling the car. This is the reason for putting the car in neutral first.

Naturally, I try to engage the Ruckstell before approaching a hill so as not to lose momentum while shifting. And more importantly, I NEVER disengage or try to engage while going down a hill. There is a chance that shifting the Ruckstell will inadvertently put the car in neutral which will leave you free wheeling.

This is why most recommend accessory brakes or at least 26-27 rear drums so that the car can be stopped external to the transmission.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ronnie wehba on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 07:10 am:

Thanks guys I'll get it outtonite and play carefully with it, and George I live in sweetwater, tx flat as crap home of worlds largest rattlesnake roundup


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erich Bruckner, Vancouver, WA on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 08:23 am:

You can shift down while the engine is pulling the car, as it is going up a hill. But shifting up requires the engine not pulling or pushing. The push in of the clutch and the moving of the lever is a very rapid nearly simultaneous affair. Takes practice, now it is easy.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Henry on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 08:48 am:

You can also shift up while going uphill - from low ruckstell - high transmission to high ruckstell - low transmission. Great for those long steep hills where you don't want to be stuck in low - low.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Bishop, San Diego on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 03:21 pm:

Stupid question, and I apologize in advance. . . .I was taught that Ruckstell was an "under-drive", giving you 4 forward gears. Ruckstell low, Ford low, Ruckstell high, then Ford high, in that order of "gearing". It not only gives you a lower low (Ruckstell low), but a Ruckstell high which is between Ford Low and Ford high, so the gap from Ford low to Ford high isn't so large. IF that is correct(?), then George's directions of shifting would take it from Ford low (where it was lugging) to Ruckstell high, which should be a higher gear? I would have (DO) pushed the pedal IN, not OUT, to go from Ford low (which I assume he was in) to the lower "gear" of Ruckstell LOW. Maybe he was IN Ford HIGH and going to Ruckstell HIGH and I misunderstood!
Not criticizing George, just need help understanding (and an apparent adjustment to the way I've been driving!) Thank you.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson, Berthoud, Co. on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 03:50 pm:

Bob Bishop:

Ruckstells DO NOT have a HIGH. The have DIRECT AND UNDER, nothing else.

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Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 04:03 pm:

I don't have a Ruckstell in my 1924 touring/pickup conversion (yet), but here's a table I created based on another table I found elsewhere in the forum. I added separate columns for Ruckstell and Ford gear settings to make things more clear. The table assumes a standard Ford car ring and pinion (3.63 to 1).

Ruckstell Gear / Ford Gear / Overall Ratio

High / High / 3.63
Low / High / 5.5
High / Low / 10.0
Low / Low / 15.4
High / Reverse / 14.5
Low / Reverse / 22.3

My understanding is that the biggest advantage of the Ruckstell is that it provides a gear ratio between Ford low and Ford high, enabling the car to climb most hills while keeping the Ford transmission in high.

The experts can chime in, do I have it right? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 04:05 pm:

Bob - It's possible to drive a Ruckstell equipped "T" much like a modern 3-speed manual transmission car or pickup.

For normal city driving on the flat, start out from stop with Ruckstell in low and low pedal (easy on bands too). After moving, let out pedal to Ford high but still in low Ruckstell. (this compares to modern car 2nd gear). As car speed and engine rpm increases, shift to high Ruckstell and you've changed over-all gear ratios while accelerating from stop to highway speed much the same as you would with the modern 3-speed manual transmission.

My "terminology" here is wrong,.....it's really not high Ruckstell or low Ruckstell,......you're really either "in" Ruckstell or "out" of Ruckstell, but using the incorrect terms "high" or "low" Ruckstell is easier to understand.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 04:06 pm:

New table using Dave's nomenclature for the Ruckstell of direct and under:

Ruckstell Gear / Ford Gear / Overall Ratio

Direct / High / 3.63
Under / High / 5.5
Direct / Low / 10.0
Under / Low / 15.4
Direct / Reverse / 14.5
Under / Reverse / 22.3

Better? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Bishop, San Diego on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 04:07 pm:

Thank you Dave, and I apologize for my wording (and here is where I open my mouth to remove one foot and replace it with the other!). But is Ruckstell "direct" in between Ford low and Ford high "gearing-wise", and is Ruckstell "under" lower than Ford low "gearing-wise"?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 04:08 pm:

Dave & Mark - You both type faster than I do,...ha,ha,....harold


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Bishop, San Diego on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 04:13 pm:

Sorry. Got beat to it, but now I understand where I went wrong. Thanks guys.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Thursday, August 07, 2014 - 04:14 pm:

Bob - You still don't quite have the concept. Ruckstell "direct" is just like you have no Ruckstell at all,.....it's just like the regular stock Ford rear end. Out of Ruckstell is planetary reduction,....an over-all reduction between Ford low and Ford high.


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