Why Do Cars "bounce" in Low Gears? Options

[mrgrape]

I have a decent knowledge of how transmissions work, but I can't understand why a transmission would "bounce" or jerk when in low gears and not high gears.

What I mean by this is: When driving around in 1st, if you let go of the gas your car will bounce around and jerk like no other, but if you let go of the gas going 60 in 5th, it will slow down smoothly. Why is this?

[jcbass7]

i'm pretty sure he is talking about a situation that happens for example in stop and go traffic.. and i agree with Dustin and Itchy, its the torque and power band. don't forget once you let off the gas and leave it in gear the engine is slowing the car down instead of speeding it up and at such a slow speed going back and forth from that it will jerk like that. If you drive most cars at about 5-1-mph and let go of the gas and stay in first or even in second it will start to buck/jerk.. its about to stall, but in 5th gear the engine is still turning over so much more that it wont stall and doesnt buck/jerk around..

I could be right, or wrong but i feel like that explains some of it.


Its kinda like when you learn stick the first time, in first gear if you dont give it enough gas it bucks like crazy