What Is Rev Matching and Is It Really Necessary?

Posted at Fri, Jun 3, 2016 2:45 PM

Rev matching is a technique that drivers can use to match the gear that they are driving in to the speed or rate of acceleration they are driving at. It is used when the driver is shifting gears up and down.

Changing up or up-shifting is to hold on to the lower gears for as long as possible to provide more acceleration using the combination of higher engine speeds and gearing. The driver can change up or up-shift to a higher gear only once the engine has gone through the higher limits of power band but not before that.

Changing down or down-shifting is shifting the gear down when you slow the level of acceleration but still need the car to move fast enough up a slope or around a corner. You would need to carefully select a gear which will cause the engine to speed up just the right amount but within the power band so that enough power is available to accelerate at the turn. Only rev matching can help you do all this without causing any significant damage to your engine braking system, or cause the wheels to lock up or prevent a forward weight transfer.

Rev matching is used when changing gears down to create a smooth and fast gear change using synchromesh. All modern cars today have synchromesh and if you don’t have it in your used truck, you will need a double-declutch.

Rev matching helps to –