i stumbled into the closed thread by this name and found the above.
im no tranny expert so im curious. in the h3 4 speed,4 is overdrive right?
if so,a gear is involved to speed up over top gear huh.

so third is actually straight thru?. that should be easier on the tran than 4,,,huh?

 

Thank you for starting a fresh new thread. Good Question too.

4 is not a true overdrive, rather it is where the torque converter will fully lock up over 45MPH.

From the Manual 2007.... and the 2008 says the same thing:

"If you have an automatic transmission, you can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions. If you have a manual transmission and you are towing
a trailer, it is better not to use the highest gear."

 

Interesting. I am looking at towing my car on an open trailer. The boat we have is no problem...but the car + trailer + race tires would be getting kinda close to 4500.

 

Interesting choice of gearing for 4th, that might explain why the H3 seems so underpowered on the hwy. It does seem to follow the gear spacing of the others, but I would have appreciated a lower top gear (or overall lower gearing for larger than stock tires) but that probably would have made the transmission a 3+OD and not a 4spd? Marketing pressures? I'm not anything close to an expert on automatics and didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night but I would wager a guess that automatics get away with a higher final gearing because they can change lockup, slip, shift points, pressure, etc with computer programming and when that 0.696 gear is put under a pre-determinted % of load over cruise it will drop down into 3rd or out of lockup into a partial slip condition that effectively works around the higher gearing?

I don't know, manually meshing gears I can understand. But rubber bands and hydraulic pressure? Sounds like PFM to me.

 

im obviously not an expert either,but be assured there are metal gears in all 4 spots,its just automatic how there selected,and their configuration as in sun,planetary,ring.
the torq conv is getting more complex!.
i dont understand your description of 4 speed and overdrive.
i see the .6xx as a gear "above"3rd,or direct drive,"high",(overdrive) a 4th gear. i havent seen how its done in an auto,manual i can visualize.

 

It's still 4 gears no matter how you call it. Remember when all there was were 3 speed and 4 speed manuals, all direct gears but with maybe an accessory OD gearbox bolted on the back of the transmission and then (around the 70's? ) you started to hear of 3 speed + OD and 4sp +OD? Nothing more than a 4sp or 5sp transmission but with a fancy name to point out that it had OD gears inside instead of being all direct as had been common before. Nowadays you can't even find a car without an OD gear ratio and some 6 speeds have 2!

I hope this makes sense and I'm not rambling.

 

Just some food for thought. Here are the gear ratios for the AR-5 is a 5-speed manual transmission manufactured by Aisin (for the 06-10 H3/H3T RPO MA5):

1st 3.75
2nd 2.26
3rd 1.37
4th 1.00
5th 0.73
R 3.67

 

One to one ratio
Yes, gears are turning in transmission, but no ratio change
Input and out put shaft of transmission turning at same rate

 

I am also looking at doing this.

Does anyone know what all is included in the tow package? I ordered my 06 with everything but the tow package and strangely, lighted sun visors (didn't know that was optional). Yes, it does have the off-road package. Other than installing a, aftermarket hitch/receiver and trailer e-brake what else do you guys recommend? I know the tow rating is 4500#s. My mustang is 3000#s and I was looking at aluminum trailers that amazingly weigh in just under 1000#s so I'd probably be right at the max tow rating when my fat ***, a buddy, and some tools get loaded in the back on the H3.

Any and all thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

 

Hitch, and trailer wiring harness to the round universal plugin mounted next to the receiver, and a different rear bumper (it has a cut out for the hitch and trailer power outlet). Like so.....