Thread: 7/8" chain vs GMR 1"

Originally Posted by my97gtp

Ive always been the opposite. I was always amazed a chain so small could move that much mass and transfer power.

x2, I couldn't believe that there was chain in a transmission when I read it for the first time. Why couldn't they use gears instead of a chain.

Because of the layout of the trans a chain is probably the easiest/best route to go. If they used gears they would have to orient them to be quiet and keep rotation the same, as well as add a lot of structural support between the two gears. Also there are fluid passages right in the way of where gears would go and this would also cost a few bolt down locations for the channel plate and valve body. I always thougth a geardrive setup would be the ticket and would eliminate all chain issues but there is really no easy way to do this durably in the existing case. They have been using chains for over 40 years in fwd transmissions and if it was a big enough strength issue I think GM would have worked around it. Ford also uses a chain in their fwd transmissions. Near everyone else uses gear driven internals so there is no chain to worry about.